Sundowner II log – 2005 update 21 – Gaeta

December 2005
Cup of tea sheltered in cockpit by repaired winter canopy tent from the strong north east winds sweeping across the bay, head full of cold and slight hangover from the ‘drink three pay for two’ Monday night specials in the Dutch bar. It has been a pretty hectic few weeks working in the autumn sunshine on the boat and olive picking and building work at Sandra’s sister Jacci's house locally up the mountain, so it is with no guilt to go back to bed in the warm cabin and catch up with the log listening to the wind and rain raging outside. Sundowner is now water tight although there are still six more windows to replace and which are still blocking up the stoop through as they have done for the last twenty months but it is a long messy process involving removing the old linings but in the end worth it as the newly painted surfaces brighten up the interior. Even though we are practically the only liveaboards here there are plenty of friendly locals about tending their boats or off fishing, we are actually making up a sign in Italian with the history and specifications of the Heavenly Twins due to the amount of interest from passers by. And as normal Sundowner being tidy (on the outside he he) and uncluttered with bikes wind vane and life raft she still looks as if she’s been out for a day sail not having travelled 3791 miles from England. After a particularly busy weekend we sort of took yesterday off and went walk abouts trying to chill out and get things into perspective. The chilling out was easy with shorts and flip flops in the cold northerly wind and a few afternoon scoops helped with the perspective also a nice e mail from Richard, the previous owner of Sundowner, his enthusiasm for our trip an inspiration, it just makes you wish we had internet on board to give if not a daily but weekly log update. Tucked up inside we can see the cheerful dedicated marina staff adding extra ropes to the rocking boats much like Beaucette but back there it was the pontoons that had to be secured as it used to get unbelievably rough inside the marina. Without getting too melancholy we do miss our sons a lot but visits are planned. It was while we were booking tickets at the travel agents that we checked out the large world map on the wall and having met and got friendly with John, a well travelled Vietnam Vet, who is returning to the Philippines where he wants us to visit which is handy as the route would take us past Thailand where our good friend Steve now lives. It seems fate is pushing us towards an Eastern route to Hawaii which would be quite a few years and expense ahead so we may have to return to England for a few months early next year and face the inevitable and work to increase our cruising fund returning to Gaeta to do the same next winter.