While I was in Bismarck visiting Mom and Zona in late February, Barb stayed aboard Tusen Takk II to hold down the fort. Not that “holding down the fort” is a chore. The new Magnum inverter/charger is so efficient that we seldom need to use the generator; the thousand-watt array of solar panels coupled with the 1680 AH battery bank keep the domestic-style GE refrigerator cooling just fine. Our sailing friends have learned that we always have ice cream in the freezer.
Good friends Bill and Colleen and Buck arrived in Bonaire for a month-long visit. They stayed at the home of Paulein, where they kept themselves busy with a number of major projects on her home.
Here are some of the activities Barb and our friends indulged in during my absence:
- Dinner on board with Laura, Paulein, Michael and Jason …
- …Bill, Roberta, Pat, Colleen and Buck
- Watching the Karnival parade
When I returned, the ‘gang’ participated in the annual Bon Doet day, an island-wide day in which teams of volunteers work on worthy projects. Our project turned out to be so large that it took two days to finish: painting the roof and exterior walls of a community park and playground.
- The team on our project
Barb’s sister Audrey and brother Tim came and spent a week with us, and we kept them busy with social gatherings. Audrey arrived in time to help us with our final day of Bon Doet painting (which happened to also be on her 70th birthday) and got her photo in the local newspaper. Tim’s arrival was delayed a day or two since a blizzard in the Great Plains prevented his departure.
- Birthday dinner at Joe’s for Audrey
- Sushi dinner at Pat’s apartment
- Audrey
- Audrey tries on the new full-face snorkel mask
- Taking in a movie and Thai dinner at the outdoor movie theater
- Audrey & Tim on a Barb-led island tour
- Up on Seru Largu
- Tim, Audrey and Colleen enjoying lunch at Washington Slagbaii Park
- Audrey feeding a donkey at the Donkey Sanctuary
- Checking out the slave huts
On February 21 Tom & Gigi, residents in the building directly ashore from our vessel, showed us a lovely hiking trail with some unique trees in the Sabadeco area.
We were thrilled that daughter Nellie and her husband Michael (who visited us at the end of December) had such a good time, that they came back for another visit in April. They spent a great deal of time snorkeling and now know lots of the fish by name.
- Michael and Nellie
- Enjoying Yhanni’s arepas at Coca Beach
- Returning from a snorkel at Tori’s Reef
- Dinner at It Rains Fishes while enjoying a Pasta e Basta performance
We had to say goodbye to a number of friends on the island who were leaving and we don’t know when or if we will see some of them again. The mooring field is beginning to feel lonely.
- We had friends Ron and Nancy over for dinner
- Marijka and Rudy, good friends with whom we patronized many local eateries
- Entrance to the local brothel, the location of which we discovered while on a repair mission for our pickup truck
Hei!
Always nice to read your activity log! You sure are busy! It is good you make ” a difference” participating in Bon Doet, painting the roof on that house! Great job!
While you are about to bring your boat back to the US, ending your boating season, we are starting ours! Sandia3 is back at sea! The regatta season started on Wednesday!
After a nice warm period, the winter came back! Very cold weather, even some snow, which is unusual at this time of the year, at least in the southern part of Norway! Most people have changed to summertires on their cars, and quite a few accidents occurred on slippery roads! We invited Tove, Lh, Kirsten, Terje, Ingunn, Per and another 6 friends to a party last Saturday! Late birthdays celebrations, and also celebrating that we soon have lived for 40 years in Kristiansand! Have a nice trip bringing Tusen Takk back to USA! Wish you all the best! Rasmus and Kari!
Hello,
I am also from Savannah. I look forward to the day that I can
Travel the world like you guys. I was wondering after traveling for so many years can you give me an average
Yearly expense including everything.
Sorry, we have no such figure. Even if we did, it probably wouldn’t be of much use to you. There is too much variation in our yearly costs. And too much variation from cruiser to cruiser. How much time spent at a marina. How many miles traveled in a season. How many major repairs. Cost of fuel in the cruising area. How much the boat is worth, and how that is reflected in insurance costs.