The Other Side

June 16, 2019

I am back in Europe and someone turned on the heat while I was away. Landing in Podgorica the temperature was 35C!

In the first week of June Jinhee and I spent a few days in NYC (a work thing for Jinhee) and it was hot there too so it seems that there is a ridge of crappy weather over Toronto.

One of the things I have been looking forward to is climbing (cycling) the big hills here in Montenegro. Unfortunately all of the travel has spoiled my training and I am not very strong. (I know that’s relative, but think of it in business terms. A great opportunity is met by a lack of capital).  Today I was hoping to get a long ride in, but I went exploring on some side roads which produced two flat tires. I was carrying just one spare tube. The ride back to Home Free took a LONG time! I was lucky I was on flat-ish roads. If I had been cornering down a hill when my front tire decided to quit it would have been a bad day.

I don’t know if I have highlighted my upgrade to a 32 tooth cassette on the rear wheel of my bike. For those not cycling literate, that means that each pedal stroke is easier in the lowest gear. Climbing is easier. When I was in Croatia, this was a very good thing. Here in Montenegro this is a very good thing. The hills are difficult for my weak legs. The views however are quite nice.

I have a number of boat projects underway. Some items I was putting off until Home Free’s intended arrival in Florida in April . . . Since that didn’t happen I need to do some work (and workarounds). As mentioned, it’s hot here and my AC is failing. This seems to be a simple water flow problem based on symptoms, but I won’t know until I rip things apart (Yay!)

When I left the boat last, I failed to turn off my propane at the tank and so came back to an empty cooking tank. (Yay!). Now I will rent a car to get the propane tanks filled and do some other shopping.

There are many other small projects and some big ones too, but you get the sense that travelling the world on a private yacht is not all Mai Tais on the beach. Those bigger projects are nearly impossible here because the port is just too small to have some of the required resources.

That said, it is very pretty and a bustling little environment now that summer is approaching. Because I can’t cook for myself yet, I am trying the restaurants and have yet to be disappointed.

That’s my update for now. Perhaps more to come before I return home for that family wedding later this month.