Vermont ? ? ? ? ?

SHIP'S LOG:

Well, ABISHAG still floats so winter isn't here yet, but it be commin' for sure! I was wondering and a little bit anxious 'bout where I would be spending the winter. The prospect of "living on the boat" again for the winter, especially considering what happened this past winter, was not something that filled me with joy! Now, if I was back in Florida that would be one thing, but ABISHAG has been in the water for two years now and there are a number of projects that require her to be high and dry, so Florida was not an option. That plus the fact that the thought of making that journey all by myself again was not something that was even close to being appealing. Going with someone else is another story but it is not something that could be arranged. Tom Welsh, who was taking his parent's 42 Pearson ketch south, first step down to Newport News, VA, had a list of 12 people who said that they were up to make the trip. Tom wanted to have a crew of 6 so that there would be an easy and comfortable split of watches. One by one they all begged out and Tom eventually headed off with his wife and two others, one who was "shanghaied" at the very last moment. I possibly would have considered going south with another boat, like the trip up the Connecticut River to Portland, but as far as I could find, no one I knew was headed south. Those who seemed to have the interest evidently lost it, so it would have been a "Lone Ranger" trip again and I simply wasn't up for it. Thus AB is getting hauled and I'll get to see snow one again.

So where to spend the winter. Truth be told, I had no idea until last night. I had dinner with Karen, Howard, Skip and Nancy. Skip and Nancy own a place in Vermont and Skip asked if I might "house sit" for the winter. Evidently, the "damage" done to the place during the winter months when it is shut down would be better handled by having someone in residence. Skip and Nancy also have friends who live right across the street whose place could also be "watched." So if my Italian friends don't come through in the next few weeks, after I decommission ABISHAG, I'll probably be heading to the wilds of Vermont for the winter. Talk about your opposite side of the weather spectrum from last year's ! It is all still up in the air and decommissioning needs to be taken care of first. Only after that is done will I be able to make that choice. It sounds interesting prospect though . . . so long as the temperature doesn't get below say 60!