Filling in time is not a hardship on Vancouver Island. We have to wait until Monday to have the boat surveyed so we are in limbo so to speak. We have put a downpayment on the Fast Passage so although we can look at boats it doesn't make sense to get serious about anything else. We went to Victoria on Monday and I bought some boat shoes and then we wandered around the Inner Harbour watching the float planes land, the sailboat charters come in and the whale watching tours finish off. I wanted to go whale watching, but could not convince Barry that this was a good idea.
On Tuesday we went to our storage area and went through all our boxes, labeling them all so we will be able to find stuff in the future. I got out a couple pairs of sandals so have no excuse to buy any more. That evening we went to North Sanich in Sidney to a get together held by the Blue Water Cruising Association. They had a Mustang representative there that gave a talk about PFD'S and lifejackets. We got a chance to try out our brand new inflatable life jackets. Everyone that had oneput them on and got to inflate them and feel what that was like, I am glad I got the chance because I figured out how to change the cartridge and what it felt like once they were inflated. The rep. gave us all a brand new cartridge, now I don't have to resist the urge to pull the toggle just to find out what it is like. I was thinking I might have a problem resisting that urge.
We met a couple that have been teaching in Dubai for the last 15 years and have called it quits and are heading of cruising. They plan to cruise up the inside passage to Alaska and then spend from November until April in the Carribean on a sibling's boat. We didn't get a chance to talk to many others and I missed that, although one fellow told us that he is living aboard not to far away and invited us down anytime.
We actually headed down to their marina today, but they were not aboard, so we wandered around in the bright sunshine and gawked at boats. We saw several beauts, but none were for sale (just as well, I guess). Then we had to decide whether we wanted to go and play golf or have a beer then go for a swim in the pool at the complex we are staying at. The beer and the pool won out. We may go in to Victoria in the next couple of days and see the tall ships show that is on. We are not sure whether we want to brave the crowds or not. I hear their is a jazz festival at a vinyard that is within bicylcing distance, HMMMM which would you chose.
Well I probably won't have anymore news until the boat had been surveyed so keep your fingers crossed.
