Well, here it is almost Christmas. According to Sue we only have 170 days until we shove off. Many projects are in the works and a few problems have been solved.
INSURANCE - Looks like we've found a solution to the health insurance issue. We've found a company called Lifeboat (no kidding) that caters to cruisers. To get their best deal you have to be out of US waters for 6 months out of the year. We may not get that deal our first year although we will be in Canadian waters for a time as we go through the North Channel. They have a US deal that is a little more but still affordable that will work for our first year. As for insuring the boat itself that is still a question. Progressive Insurance, our current insurer, says they do not insure cruisers but we will talk with an actual person first. Turns out that if you say you are a 'liveaboard' you can't get ANY insurance but if you say you are a cruiser then there are a number of companies. I guess a 'liveaboard' could be someone living on some leaky old barge hanging on an anchor somewhere.
OUR ROUTE - We have decided to take the lake route to the east. We will sail the North Channel of Lake Huron and may take the Trent-Severn Waterway to Lake Ontario. This is our preferred route but as we draw 5.5 feet we are right at the limit of what can be done in this waterway depending on lake levels. If the lakes have another up year as they did last year we may make it. This route takes you from the tip of Georgian Bay all the way to the northern shore of Lake Ontario and thereby skipping Lake Erie entirely. If we can't go this way we will simply head south out of Georgian Bay and go through Detroit, Lake Erie and then through the Welland Canal to Lake Ontario. From there we sail east to Oswego New York, unstep the mast, and get into the Erie Canal. Turn right when you get to the Hudson River and Enee will be pointed south for a long time after that!
Here's a map showing the great lakes...not that far!
http://www.worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/namerica/greatlk.htm
BOAT PROJECTS - I am currently building new spreaders as you can see by some of the previous posts. Stay tuned for pics of the final versions. We've bought a new alcohol, 2 burner stove that we like but the gimbling that came with was totally stupid. I am building a new cabinet that will hold this little stove and provide storage underneath. No oven! We need space not an oven. I hope to drop the rudder come spring and work on taking some of the play out of it. This is a work in progress and I have more reading and learning to do. We sent a list of desired items to some of the bigger marine suppliers to see if they would like to bid on the list. No response so far.
So, although it is only 5 degrees today spring is just around the corner and this house has to be sold, boat projects completed AND the students will still want their papers graded at the same time. Whew! Hope I live through all this to enjoy the cruising life I've been working toward!
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