Gentlemen,
Thank you very much for your advice. It is at times like this that I realise
what I am missing whilst cruising. To be able to just ask a question when a
problem arises and have it answered almost immediately by a host of people who
are happy to share their expertise and experience is something I am not looking
forward to losing again. There are only a couple of things we miss whilst
crusing - the net and good libraries. I used to grow lilies as a hobby as well
as fresh herbs but can compensate by visits to public gardens, but cheap and
ready access to the web is difficult unless one has a sat phone and unlimited
funds. Its a bit like the Archilles factor - do you stay home in a secure job
with all the trimmings of our modern technical civilisation or go sailing in a
small boat which can be uncomfotable and even frightening at times and experence
the places one wishes. We call it "Hobson's choice" but I am unsure if that
means anything to an American.

Nah! Buggar it! I have just had a vision of a hurried trip to New York when I
was at a IT conference in Boston. The short time I spent at the Met. museum,
climbing over the Peking by the Brooklyn Bridge as well as the two day visit to
Mystic Seaport are reminders that we have made the right decision. You can keep
the hot dogs and Starbucks coffee though, but I do like the cheap coffee and
doughnuts for breakfast as well as spareribs in all those delicious sauces.

Thanks again