No More Plan A

2015 Season was not as it was planned.  Our plans were to go North to Maine and then South to the Bahamas.  We got as far as Onset MA where we were informed that Ann needed an operation to remove a rather advanced skin cancer.  We stayed at the Point Independence Yacht Club (PIYC), rented a car for the duration of the procedure and recovery (6 weeks), found wonderful help with the medical folks in Hyannis and Plymouth.  Check our web page.

During her recovery, we were blessed to have our youngest granddaughter (Lilli) visit us on the boat.  We had a great time.  We used the wonderful water taxi service that the town of Onset provided until Ann could travel by dinghy.  Check our web site.

We decided to cancel our Southern voyage and meander back to Wilmington and get healthy.  That would be harder than we thought.  Bob noticed that Ann's Hyannis EKG was annotated with a possible heart problem.  When we arrived in Wilmington, we went through the medical process again.  Blood sugar, blood pressure, and irregular heart tests sent her back to the hospital and she became the proud owner of a shiny stent.  She still has problems but medical professionals are slow to respond.  Wonder why?

Boat developed a bit of a problem.  We have to reconstruct the fibreglass ceiling of the main cabin.  It will take several months.  Hard to explain why.

Bad news continued.  Samantha Jane, our 17+ year old cat, was diagnosed with chronic renal failure (CRF).  She has sailed over 7,500 nm with us over the years from Maine to Sint Maarten.  We prayed to have her for the Christmas holidays and our prayers were answered.  But it would not last, she refused her treatments and faded fast.  She headed for the Rainbow Bridge on 6 January 2016.  She was the last of our four legged crew.  Sad times!

Refit and Ready

The 2014 season is over and we promised Jule III a facelift and some well deserved mechanical work.  We have been the proud owner of Jule for 20 years so we dedicated the winter of 2014-2015 to Jule III work.   She was hauled at Bennett Brothers Yachts to facilitate the painting, engine work, and rigging upgrades.



Painting of the topsides was an important item as the original 40 year gelcoat was thin and porous.  A trip through the cypress swamp always left mustaches on the bow and stern.




Rigging work and mechanical repairs were also in order.  Booms were reconditioned and worn rigging was replaced.  The drive train saw a new stern tube, cutlass bearing, stuffing box, and motor mounts.  



In March, we launched Jule III for a series of sea trials.  Most things worked and others could be addressed later.  She looks and feels great!


We left BBY and stayed in Southport for a month or so then we set sail and motorsailed for the Chesapeake to position ourselves for our Maine trip in July-September.



Ann, Bob, and Sammy Jane
SV Jule III
www.jule-iii.com

Happy Holidays

Ann, Bob, and Sammy Jane wish you all a very Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays.  Many of our Christmas days are spent on the boat but this year we are visiting Family. We always liked this picture as it was our home in Vienna. Since we left Vienna, we have not seen snow as there is not much snow in the Bahamas.

A Few of our Favorite Places

This was our first voyage to Nova Scotia and Maine so everything was new. The waters, the weather, and the people were in contrast to our experiences in other areas of the Eastern Seaboard.

Undoubtedly, one of our favorite places is Shelburne Nova Scotia which is 36 hour passage from Provincetown. The town was formed after the American Revolution when the Loyalists fled to a safer Nova Scotia and founded Shelburne. There are many buildings well over a hundred years old, included the cooperage, the dory factory, and the bed and breakfast. We called the Shelburne Harbour Yacht Club (SHYC) our home for nearly a month. The town is a mixture of history, maritime lore, and small town commerce. The SHYC is the social hub for many, both mariners and landlubbers alike.

Then there was Hurricane Arthur which visited Nova Scotia while we were there. For the first time, we left the boat on a mooring and took refuge in a cottage which allowed Sammy Jane to hunker down. The storm (a low Cat I) was kind to the vessels on SHYC moorings but not so much to the town. We heard shingles pop off the yacht club and felt the building swaying in the gusts. Much of the town was without power for over a week.

Another great place is Somesville, Mt. Desert, Maine which is located up the Somes fjord. The beauty of Somesville is in the people, the nature, and the convenience. We were anchored for a couple of days when a local couple came up and offered us two lobsters for free. We later visited his house (Mount Desert House) where we treated royally. Never had we experience the bounty of nature here. We would see bald eagles nearly every day while seals would 'go fishing', and the cruisers would do their kayaking. The village provides a dinghy dock for us visitors which is near the main road and a bus stop. From the free bus, you can travel virtually anywhere in Mt. Desert ... and we did.

We were surprised that we liked the big city of Portland Maine as it is big. But it is diverse in every way imaginable. It is has an accommodating though sometimes rolly anchorage. They also have a great bus system which we used often. We were there during the annual Lobster Feast which was a hoot. Other great places up North include Booth Bay, Gloucester, Onset (though the pizza was not good this time), and Port Washington.

Voyage of Jule III (2013-2014)

Check out our Voyage 2013-2104 on the Jule III website. This trip encompassed a little bit of Florida and the Bahamas as well as a lot of Maine and Nova Scotia. One of our best seasons in our new role as cautiously comfortable cruisers (CCC).

Ann, Bob, and Sammy Jane
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Aboard the Jule III