Pixie's Follow-up Exam

 “On August 18^th I was given 2 months to live by a specialist at the Veterinary Specialty Center of Delaware.  My Mom and Dad saw that I was not feeling well and they prayed to GOD for a direction to help me.”

Walking into the VOS in West Chester with Mommie



Dr. Jeglum is examining me!

“Life is so precious, and the folks at Veterinary Oncology Services in West Chester never doubted that every day I could love and be loved was worth fighting for….  Thank you for all that never would have been had it not been for you Dr. Ann Jeglum and her Staff!”

Spending the Winter at Home!

The good news is Pixie has been sportin' her Elizabethan Collar to keep her from scratching her face and she is healing quite well.  Sue detects hair growing-in some of this area. Most of the credit should go to Sue as far as keeping Pixie regular on her pill/capsules each day.  We are planning to give her a bath today and a trim for her visit tomorrow at the oncology veterinarian in West Chester.



In just one week the tissue is responding!

The boat has been unloaded almost completely. We removed and flaked the sails today and they are stored in the garage.  We'll be placing the winter cover on Jubilee later in November, but first I will be adding insulation to our refrigerator and working throughout the winter on this project.

Jubilee sitting 2 inches higher in the water

Notice how much help Pixie is in folding the mainsail!

Back Home...

Dear Friends  - It is quite a disappointment to be home after two months of preparing for our trip south, however our primary concern is the health of our family member Pixie.  We couldn't expect Pixie to be as comfortable on the boat as at home and it took a short trip for both Sue and I to realize the magnitude of Pixie's needs.

Motoring at 9.5 kts on the C&D Canal

Almost everything from Jubilee to go HOME

Captured in front of Delaware City Marina

Waiting to be place on land

After arriving home we called the Oncology Vet to find out why Pixie's radiation wounds were not healing as we expected.  We visited them in West Chester yesterday (Oct23) and received more medication and were given a topical spray to moisten her cheek twice a day.  They wanted Pixie to wear her collar all the time and this would never work on the boat.

Also, the refrigeration system wasn't performing as expected and not nearly as well as it had during our Bahamas trip years ago.  This needed to be updated and more $$$$/time to be invested.
Most of the other systems on the boat were Ok and we needed them to get back in some of the heavy winds we've encountered.

Sue and I will be adding family photos and Pixie's recovery info as it happens, so do keep checking back now and then for those updates. 

We Have Cancelled our Trip South this Year

The many facets of preparing for a six month adventure may upset the normal person. It took us many weeks to prepare to leave our home on Saturday, 18 October with all the intentions of not coming back until late April 2015.  Just a short list of forwarding mail, paying all the bills via email, having enough food on board, shutting down all the systems in the house, and the security of leaving your home for those many months maybe daunting to most.

Both Sue and I have received many signs that this is not the year to go south.  We thank the LORD for sending them.

·        After receiving radiation treatments for 4 weeks and the melanoma vaccine, our Cockapoo - Pixie has developed an open wound area on the right side of her face.  She is continually losing hair around this area. We have a medication but while on a sailboat, but isn’t easy to apply it, and her normal potty breaks aren’t as natural as on land when you can open the door to the backyard.  Pixie certainly deserves better treatment than this.  This is our prime reason for turning back.

          We sailed on Saturday to about 25 miles south near Annapolis into a small cove.  During the sail we saw 28+ knots of wind and 5’ seas most of the way.  The boat can handle it, but many times the crew cannot.  There is a prediction for heavy air in the next week for almost every day and as you continue through Virginia & North Carolina it becomes more intense.  

         Our refrigeration is using too many amp hours for its operation.  This must be updated.  We thought about stopping on-the-way to have a new one installed, but it will not cure Pixie’s problem.

          Perhaps we may have waited too long during the month of October to leave.  Four years ago, when we sailed to the Bahamas we left two weeks earlier.  Those days were warmer and the winds were fair and not as high.



Pix waited to come up to the cockpit to join us


Our friends, Bill and Joan have come to pick us up

Visiting with our Friends on the Way...

It was great visiting with my brother Allan and wife Kathy on the waters of Eagle Cove.  Directly facing the cove is a beautiful horse farm and mansion.  We rafted with Al & Kathy and Chuck and Sue Bartlett.  We were treated to dinner aboard their 50' trawler "B-Attitude"

Gettin' Closer...

Our leaving date has been moved just one day further to Saturday, 18 Oct.  Both Sue, Pixie and I are frantically moving items to the boat from our home. We hope we have enough, although something will be forgotten.

"I can find more room"

Third Trip



Second Trip


 

Our vacant cradle at Delaware City Marina
"I hope they can use it this winter"

Graduation Day is Finally Here!

Outside Chalfont, PA Oncology

Pixie has endured the four radiation treatments and the giving of the melanoma vaccine over the last two months.  She was a real trooper finishing up today.  Pictured with her radiation doctor, Pixie is somewhat tired of this routine and can't wait to get home to relax.  The area around her lips are somewhat inflamed (where the lip melanoma was spotted) but we have been given some powder to heal this affected area.  Our trip begins in 4 days and I believe Pix would like to wait longer.

Pixie with Sue and Dr. Linder

Harwin Smith is inducted into the Delaware Maritime Hall of Fame

Saturday evening October 11, 2014 was the meeting of the 9th Annual Delaware Maritime Hall of Fame induction night at the Lewes Yacht Club. Our friend, educator, and sail boat captain C. Harwin Smith accepted his spot among many in this illustrious hall of fame. Congratulations Harwin!

Adding the Automatic Identification System

Thanks to my very talented brother Allan, we have AIS loaded on our boat.  Just a few more options to carry out before it is totally connected. We must run a four wire to the steering station and to the VHF that resides there for GPS info.
Also the five pin wire needs to go to the E80 display at the helm. When all of this is completed we shall see all the other vessels on the water that are transmitting AIS. 
Thanks Bro!

If it were me installing this system this is how I would visualize it happening... at total blur!

Work still to be done at home

Sue caught me cutting the holes to hold our 10 lb. propane tank on the deck as we travel.  You know we need at least two in case we deplete one.

I used shelving material (white pine) and four thicknesses to swallow up the tanks' base.  Next I'll mill each edge evenly, place rubber feet at each corner, and paint a color to blend into the topsides.  After this operation, I'll take everything to the sewing area and begin cutting out the cover made of navy sunbrella.

This project is the last of the covers to be made.  Although they all look masterfully designed and sewed, I'm not sure my time could be been better served in doing something else for the boat; like building a wifi system that would take all the bother/cost out of using Verizon Services.