"Skip Gundlach" skipgundlach.sez.remove.this.and.the.dots.to.mail wrote in message ...
Hi, Glenn and thanks for the thought - BTW, you owe me a mail or two or I
have the wrong addy for you again...

"Glenn Ashmore" wrote in message
news:16ntc.16570$Sx2.7061@okepread01...
Sorry to hear that! Looks like you might be in the market for a power
winch. :-) Actually November through June might be a better choice for
working your way down. More fronts to ride down to PR and better winds
once you get there. Also more places are open in the season.


Actually, that's exactly when we intended to go. But if I have surgery now,
I'll not be in condition to get back on board before January or so, due to
the time in rehab (at least, based on last time - I'm still waiting to hear
from the ortho about how long to expect), and maybe later. That makes the
working our way down just that much shorter. The reason we found it
important to leave ASAP the hurricane season was over is that we don't
expect to be north of STT any time again (at least in the boat) and so
wanted to have a long opportunity to explore those northern islands. After
all, there are those who make a lifetime out of the Bahamas, so who are we
to say that we wouldn't have plenty to see for several months?

So, if I have a later surgery (current schedule is June 15th), it would
allow a longer rehab and also more time to get our act together about
getting houses dealt with, for a November 05 departure. As it is, we may be
delayed, unless we just "throw them away" by cutting the prices to fire sale
level (thus killing our cruising kitty - a catch 22), so perhaps it wouldn't
matter, anyway, to have a later surgery. However, Lydia's just beside
herself wanting to get aboard, so we've not yet made that decision.

My preference is to wait until, say, September, and get a good long rehab
before making the boat as perfect as we can, and heading out November 05.
That would also get us past the requirement to come back from wherever we
were to see her son graduate in December :{))

I recently broke my elbow in multiple places, along with assted other
injuries, in a fall. My physiotherapist says to forget about even
paddling a kayak for months and not to go to sea on my annual work
cruise to the Antarctic. You go to sea with a bad shoulder, half
healed, and cop a heavy roll at the wrong moment, it's not going to be
pretty. How are you going to hang onto anything? I know that I can't,
right now.

Get well, then go. Otherwise the first might be the last when it all
gets ugly & painful instead of enjoyable. Even crew won't help if the
weather gets bad and you need the strength of a bad hand.

Peter Wiley