Last Summers adventure

Deanne acting up the sign as we entered Massachusetts.
Out of the car for a leg stretch.

Good Friday from Prospect. Yes I didn't do a fresh post on Thursday morning, but I did do two on Wednesday, right?

Another stormy spring day with gails here again. Looks like another chance for after storm photography tomorrow morning.

Anyway, this is what I was up to last summer, and thank goodness the winter is gone.

To start this off here's a sad note. My Dad was diagnosed with cancer in March. No hope and not a year to be himself.

Funny how your mortality tends to surface at these times of your life. Kathy (my wife) and I had been looking for the right boat, and right price, for quite a few years.

This event sparked my final drive, now or never. I wasn't waiting until 65 to do the retirement boat trip. Wasn't going to happen.

Through shear luck, and probably my Fathers want for his children, we found it in Connecticut. Just what we seem to be looking for. Last thing he asked me was where our first trip would be.

My wife Kath in Conneticut.
I think she's happy with our choice

We went down to Essex after making the deal online and on the phone. All was in place. Wish I could have shared this with him, he grew up on the water in Prospect village, as did his Dad, Grand Father and Great Grand Father before him, but that was not to be. On July 15, 2011 my Dad passed away (6 days before the boat would arrive here). I'm not going to bring up all the things he's responsible for that make me who I am here, but suffice to say I was proud to call him Dad and gave him a kiss on his cheek every time we met and left each others company. Yes I Loved him and he is missed

But to carry on with this story, which is now one of my new adventure into what would seem to be my last third of life. Maybe - who knows for sure.

We bought Thursday's Child and had her shipped back here to Halifax. Gave her a great cleaning and set her in the water August 21 2011. We had the chance to sail her inside Halifax Harbour for the remainder of that year with a lot of good times already.`

Here are a few photos of our trip down, but mostly of her arriving and us enjoying her sail.

A special Thanks to a dear friend and fellow photographer, Jamie Morrison, for the photos of us sailing her in Halifax Harbour (next to MacNabs Island). Obviously I couldn't take them myself.

I hope to include lots of stories of the Nonsuch group and the places we will be visiting along the East Coast of Canada.

Her arrival in the boat yard at the Royal Nova Scotia Yacht Squadron in July 2011

So onward and upward to new adventures. She should be back in the water by the end of May. As stated in my book, if you don't get my response right away, you'll probably find me traversing the great coast of Nova Scotia on Thursday's Child and shooting the boundless beauty of the East Coast. Don't worry, I'll get back to you as soon as I stop with cell phone in hand.

Thursdays Child with the Queen Elizabeth in the background
photo courtesy Jamie Morrison

If you read this blog and see us in an anchorage or sailing along, don't hesitate to give us a shout. In the words of the Canadian comedian, Ron James, I'm in a boat and you're in a boat too... SO WAVE!

Enjoy and have a great weekend.  Derek

Just off MacNabs Island in Halifax Harbour
photo courtesy Jamie Morrison