Ready For Winter

September 29, 2026

Based on the title, one would think that the boat is ready for winter, or some other finality, but really it is about my mental state.

Over the past month I have moved the boat back to the UK and am in Hamble now, waiting for a rebuilt dinghy to be ready to load up.

Because I knew that I would just be sitting here waiting, I decided to fly home and manage some of the personal business that keeps me moving back and forth. Jinhee and I went to Ottawa to see Cirque du Soleil for her birthday and I also built a greenhouse to extend the growing season for whatever gardening gets done in the future.

Now I am back in Hamble and preparing to move the boat to London, downtown, for the winter. Despite a ridiculously high price, I have opted to spend the winter in the heart of London and see the sights, take in the shows and do whatever else I can to enjoy this boat and it’s opportunities until it doesn’t make sense any longer.

I finally crossed paths with Alex and Gisele on Lady Grey (N55) and enjoyed their company. Interesting factoid is that Alex has a long history in Air Traffic Control, which interested me as Andrew is about to complete his ATC training in Victoria, BC. They have also offered a great deal of insight on travel in this area and up in their home country of the Netherlands. Much appreciated.

In another twist of fate, I get my bikes rebuilt when I can get them to Canada by Juan of Bike Pro Service. As I have complained and whined here numerous times, my bike is in desperate need of help and I found a guy . . . Stuart of Bike Pro Service . . . but in Hamble, UK. He took my bike apart, made it amazing and put it back together for a very reasonble price and I rode it today and it feels great again.

As well, I have purchased replacement seals for the Sub-Zero (refrigerator) and installed them. In theory this should make it easier to keep the fridge cold. The old seals were badly miscoloured due to mold and they were stiff, suggesting they didn’t seal well. I have replaced all three seals and we will see if it makes a difference on how much the fridge runs. The cost of those seals is almost the same as a new basic refrigerator! It’s crazy how fixing things is so much more expensive than replacing them. I would replace this fridge if I could despite the magnificent quality!

Over the coming weeks I will try to tell more stories, but I am losing some interest in documenting all of this for public view. I have about four consistent readers and I am not going back to using Facebook to draw eyes to the blog. So, the posts may spread out a bit, and for those of you who are reading, thank you and welcome to my world.

It is worth noting that I now keep a Reading List here, with the titles of books I have read. I also have a wine list which is not public, a Cultural Events page and I will keep listing some of these things to remind myself about this great journey. The food and wine are hidden because food and wine are NOT something I can easily describe like most people. I think the reading list is the best of these. Travelling through someone elses’ imagination and if you use the library, its a free trip.

Enjoy