"ists" (very important) and more.........

Welcome back everyone.  Sorry for the delay, but we have been really busy.  First, and most important, our "ists" gave us great news.  Yes, the  internists, dentists, dermatologists, gastroenterologists, opthomologists and cardiologists cleared us for another year of cruising the high seas.  In addition, Norm's drug test, required for renewing his US Coast Guard Master license, was negative. Really!!  The AA and the APA, however, ordered further evaluation. We escaped.

Second, we did make some improvements to Tide Hiker.  We won't go into the miscellaneous small items that have been nagging us for a while.  But, outside, the teak cap rails are now looking spiffy again, and we have a new sun shade over the aft cockpit (back porch).  And, Tide Hiker's hull and topsides has a fresh coat of wax. Our friends Jeff and Karen Siegel, famous Active Captain (http://www.activecaptain.com/) guru's, gave us a great process for redoing the Teak WITHOUT stain and varnish.  Coooooool, huh?  Take a look below.   Inside, we replaced some old waste hoses (ugh), rebuilt a generator raw water pump, repaired the anchor windless, got the "speed through the water (STW) sender unplugged and working again, sanitized the fresh water tanks, updated all of our electronic charts and replaced old beat-up paper charts.  So, we and our vessel are ready to cruise again.                                 

Before

After

After

Before Sun Shade

After Sun Shade Installed-Curtains Up

After Sun Shade Installed-Curtains Down

Our time here was not spent entirely on medical checkups. Not quite. Nor was our time here spent entirely on Tide Hiker maintenance and improvements. No sir.  Our very dear friends made us, forced us to party hardy--sort of a  celebration for good "ists" results. 

Summit North Marina sponsored a pig roast while we were there. So, we had a great lunch of pork (hot off the spit) and the extras along with our favorite Miller Lite beer. Here's Jerry, Nancy Vicki and Roger partaking. Perfect for the hot, steamy days we've been having.

A trip to Wilmington would not be complete without a rendezvous lunch with friends from Vicki's previous employer, Chase Bank.  Here's Norm, Vicki, Dottie, Pat P, and Pat D at the Iron Hill Brewery Restaurant.  We got caught up on family, business, cruising.  Lots of laughs.  Thanks guys for breaking away from your busy day at wo,  wo,  wo,  again, I can't say it.  This was the perfect thing to do on a hot steamy day.

Meanwhile, back at Dock B, Roger and Lisa, both acquired the new Droid X smart phones. They were showing them off to us. Wow, the functions and applications on this new device are spectacular. But, it took Norm's daughter, Katie, to tell us about a neat app that's perfect for these hot and steamy days. Here's Rog and Norm demonstrating.

Nancy and Jerry love this great little Sushi restaurant near the marina that they wanted us to try.  Scrumptious! The Saki was warm, the raw fish was fresh, tender and mouth-watering.  And, the presentation was spectacular.  See pic?  Thanks Nancy and Jerry.

After dinner we found this bit of good luck on the car.  We figured that since we just ate raw fish, why not have this for desert.  And, since it probably ate every male in the area, perhaps some "just rewards" were in order.  But, Nancy wouldn't have any of it and Jerry was forced to shoo it away. 

Mike and Peg Wilson, our neighbors from our old neighborhood visited with their daughter-in-law Tum, and their grandson, Jack.  Their son, Joel, is in the service.  Vicki made a great dinner and we had lots of laughs with Jack playing at the wheel.

Master Jack at the Helm

Vicki, Tum, Jack, Peg aboard Tide Hiker

We also met Mike and Peg at the Cafe Gelato in Newark, DE (home of the University of Delaware and near our marina).  This Cafe was voted best in Delaware Magazine's "Best in 2010" edition.  And, rightly so.  A great experience in this neat little college town.  Mike and Peg will be joining us for some cruise time while in the Chesapeake.  Looking forward to having them aboard.  After all, the bilge still needs to be cleaned, all the stainless fittings require polishing and the non-skid deck surfaces should be scrubbed.  Only kidding, guys. 

Peg, Mike, Vicki and Norm at the Cafe Gelato in Newark, DE

Rog and Lisa hosted a "Lime in the Coconut" party aboard C-Venture.  Bob and Denise cooked up a heaping pot of their famous crab soup.  It was scrumptious.  Lisa rustled up some salads and Vicki made a coconut cream pie.  The drink of the night, of course, was "Lime in the Coconut", which were as plentiful as the tune, which we sang over and over and over and over. 

Bob, Roger, Lisa, Vicki and Denise aboard C-Venture

The "coupon queen" found some great discounts for Houlihan's Restaurant. So, Rog and Lisa joined us as we scurried over there for a cheap meal. The martini "flights" (a selection of three different tastes) where the hit. And, Vicki, who never does martini's joined Lisa for three flights. (Was not a pretty picture the next day.) The food was good though and they gave us coupons for a return visit. Therefore, the "Commander-in-Cheap" led us on a second attack to Houlihan's. This time Mike and Fran, reinforcements from Seaford, DE also joined us.

Lisa, Rog, Mike, Fran, Norm and Vicki at Houlihan's

We've also been doing shopping, went to the movies--you know--all that shore-based fun stuff we don't get to do when cruising.  Really liked the new movie "Inception".  More later..............