April 7

We are now for several days already on a mooring ball in the City Marina of Marathon. We have access to internet in the building and get pumped out every week, (that means we can flush the toilets with a lot of water, feels rich).
We also made some important purchases: a wind generator to get us some more power, it works good, makes a little bit of noise, and even I am constantly looking at the little meter that shows us how full the batteries are; and two folding bikes, because the stores are really too far to walk (the walking is not the problem but carrying everything home). We attached some plastic bins on the back and it is now very easy to go shopping. Those two things make life a lot easier.

We have been snorkeling one day at Sombrero Reef; it was great to have that experience again. It was rather wavy and I thought I would just go for a swim. Jacques suggested putting on our short wetsuits, it was a crime to get me into that thing, I was already wet and it took the two of us nearly ten minutes to hoist me in the suit. I looked like a wrong made sausage!! But it really is much nicer, the suit gives you some uplift in the water and with the snorkels and flippers I had a great time and did not want to come out of the water. We are of course spoiled by snorkeling in the BVI’s and Belize, but it still was very nice.

We also have made some arrangements for the end of our first year as snowbirds on the water, the storage in the boatyard here is arranged, the tickets for flying back are bought and we are thinking about what to leave here and what to take home. It would be nice if we could find somebody who could open the windows from time to time, but perhaps one of the girls working at the boatyard (and living on a boat there) is willing to do that, have to talk with them about it.

Today is a very windy day, so everybody stays on their boats or is probably on the internet in the harbor building, what we are also planning to do (will be a wet ride) and take a shower. The showers are not that great here, we are just a little bit too early, they have build a whole new building, but not all the connections are done, so we will at least look forward showering long everyday when we are home.

We keep ourselves busy with some improvements (we have a place to hang the motor of the dinghy, I am sewing my last curtain, because the fabric is all used up, bike for some shopping, read of course a book or two (there is a very large library in the harbor, you bring one and you take one), play my Nintendo or assist Jacques with his jobs. He ordered Amp meters (I think) to measure the output of the wind generator and need first to make a nice place where to put the things.

Ria