Winding up

I had always intended finishing this diatribe when we arrived back on Saltspring Island in the Gulf Islands on the West Coast of Canada where 7 years previously we had moved full time onto Cop Out to see where the winds would take us.

We had thought it would be 3-4 years but even 7 years later the incredible lifestyle and places we have visited made it hard to stop.

Wonderful memories will remain with us forever and the amazing people we met and became friends with. Special friendships were made within the sailing community as we are all “adrift”together and become a close knit interdependent group.

There is always someone willing to lend a hand or a spare part when you really need one and many “happy hours” are spent in some of the most idyllic places in the world.

We are sure that we will keep in touch with many of them and do hope that we are able to visit them or have them visit us in the future.

There were so many special places we visited and I will be forever grateful to Kristen who suggested to me, a neophyte computer user, 7 years ago that I should keep a blog—it has become a treasured diary of  an amazing  voyage.

One of the biggest fears most of us sailing full time is what life will bring after we get home.

For us so far it has been full and happy and although there are moments of nostalgia I think the time was right.

We have had a busy year setting up our new lifestyle.

We decided to expand our small cottage adding a bedroom and a pottery studio for me.

Ken has been busy clearing trees from our 5 acres of wooded land expanding our ocean view and cutting copious amounts of firewood—anyone visiting us may find themselves on the other end of an axe!!

I started doing pottery and selling at the Saturday market which I have enjoyed. Kristen has been working with me to bring me into the 21^st century with my work to appeal to a younger generation which seems to be working.

We had family visits from Amy, Rob and Isaac and Mike and Angela. Barry, Ken’s brother has been a frequent visitor as he lives on his boat in Ladysmith not far away. He has also provided fishing trips for our guests.

Sailing friends Brunny and Michael from Brunei visited and Barry and Anne from Cats Paw1V came just in time to help spread gravel on our new driveway—they were lucky enough to enjoy the new hot tub to compensate.  Richard and Betsy from Qayaq who are now back in Seattle and Phil and Julie Ann with their families from Wellington also visited during the summer.

We visited and were visited by Diana and Brian, Carol-Ann and Ken all Calgary friends who have places nearby.

Ken spent 6 weeks in Calgary in the fall enjoying the long awaited hunting trip and I am writing this from Hong Kong where I am visiting Dave and family after a month in New Zealand so life continues to be interesting.

If anyone is still reading this by now—I have often wondered if anyone was still reading it and have been amazed at those who have lasted the distance—we have room for any or all to visit and would love to see you and share our new life on a different island!!!!!