Getting ready to go (again)

Not exactly tropical...had to buy boots for our visit to Montreal the first week of March.

Now I qualify as a totally indifferent blogger...I have been using the photos that I post (now with captions, thanks to my friend Ellen in Portland) as a way of keeping everyone up to date on Raconteur's adventures, but thought I would try blogging again for a bit.
Raconteur ended up staying in Lauderdale a bit longer than planned, as Susan's dad Calvin died on the first of January. We stayed in NH to be with Susan's mom, and JP made a trip to Europe to see our client there, and to see his folks, so we didn't head for the Bahamas until the 3rd of February. We arrived in Bimini after about a 15 hour passage, and then headed down the chain. Here is the link to the photos from that three week trip:

https://picasaweb.google.com/raconteurcrew/201102BiminiToGeorgetown#

We got to Emerald Bay near Georgetown, on Great Exuma, on the 26th of February, and then headed back to Lauderdale on the 28th. We had commitments in Montreal and in Europe again, and Susan wanted to spend some additional time with her mom, AND I needed to hit DC/MD for a few days to check in with colleagues and to see how the Maryland house is doing. MY mom actually flew from Lauderdale to Baltimore yesterday so we could spend some time together.

We had met some really nice people on S/V Eärendil; we saw the boat for the first time when we were anchored in the Berry Islands, and then got to meet Jill and Bud and Fuzzy at a cruiser's party on Warderick Wells, and then anchored next to them by chance at Big Majors. ANYWAY - THEY kindly reported on Raconteur's well-being a few days ago when they stopped at Emerald Bay, and we are hoping to catch them when we get back, before THEY head Stateside.

So...we head for Georgetown this coming Wednesday morning, and will re-provision there (having given away or ditched all perishables when we left; Raconteur is plugged in to shore power but we couldn't risk the fridge and freezer stuff for six weeks). By the weekend we should be on our way to the southernmost Bahamas, and from there to the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, and (drumroll) THE CARIBBEAN). It is probably very bad luck to make any predictions from there, but the general plan is to be in Trinidad by the 1st of July or so.

Will post again when we are back on board.