To our usenet friends on Christmas Day:

Well, our faithful contractor has been beavering away while we were off
the boat having surgery and rehab, and, sad to say, it's impossible to
convey via pictures alone, how marvelous the boat looked when we
stepped aboard Friday night. Nearly everything below is refinished,
along with the vast majority of what was taken down having now been
replaced (after refinishing); the major project accomplishment was the
workshop, of which more, anon. Topsides have the last bits of re-do on
the non-skid, and it all looks Bristol (top-quality, for the
non-sailors in the list). But that's not all...

These marvelous folks had prepared a Christmas surprise for us, doing
the last bits of varnishing in the afternoon. They'd left a light on
for us, so we could see to get in, but it wasn't very bright (see
below). This is what we found when we stepped aboard:

http://tinyurl.com/9gboy

And this, in the workroom:

http://tinyurl.com/8ct48

We've not taken down the Christmas display to see the full effect of
the workroom; you'll have to surf our December portion of the refit
photos (http://justpickone.org/skip/gallery/, and click on M46Projects)
to see what else is happening. However, we've given each other a week
on the boat to work for Christmas, including using our new Clamptite to
redo the head plumbing (and other hoses, too), restoring both heads
(bathrooms for the non-sailors), redoing electronics and designing
enclosures, windlass replacement, and generally trying to get a head
start on the list of remaining things to do (still two pages of items,
lots!) before we actually come here for the last time (just before we
leave!).

Santa brought Lydia some cutlery and a stainless steel insulated coffee
press, the better not to break under way, nor use any electricity to
get hot or stay hot. He brought Skip a new 55# Delta anchor for the
bow, replacing the stolen 45# CQR. Lydia has been measuring the chains
for marking, as well as swapping ends to the un-corroded part for
attachment, while Skip has been installing new shutoff valves and
plumbing.

So, here we are, relaxing just a bit before digging back into our
projects.

http://tinyurl.com/8s54g

Contractors and visitors/tourists arrive tomorrow, so we should be very
busy. Any in the St. Pete area are welcome to come visit if you'd
like; otherwise, we wish to all our family and friends scattered around
the world the very best in this season and the coming year.

L8R

Love from Skip and Lydia

Morgan 461 #2
SV Flying Pig KI4MPC
http://tinyurl.com/384p2 The vessel as Tehamana, as we bought her

"And then again, when you sit at the helm of your little ship on a
clear
night, and gaze at the countless stars overhead, and realize that you
are
quite alone on a great, wide sea, it is apt to occur to you that in the
general scheme of things you are merely an insignificant speck on the
surface of the ocean; and are not nearly so important or as
self-sufficient
as you thought you were. Which is an exceedingly wholesome thought,
and one
that may effect a permanent change in your deportment that will be
greatly
appreciated by your friends."- James S. Pitkin