I have sent the invitation by mail to my family and friends in the North West but just in case I missed someone and/or you are travelling this way.

I have been invited to give a presentation on June 4 at 7 p.m. at the Gig Harbor Yacht Club, 8209 Stinson Ave, Gig Harbor, WA 98332

You can read the details at the GHYC web site at: http://www.membermanager.net/Gigharboryc/index.php?dt=VED&eid=15714&d=2014-6-4
If you wish you can make a reservation for a $5 pasta dinner that is being served at 6 p.m., details are found on the above link.

For those of you who have not kept up with my blog, I was very fortunate to find an identical replacement for my “Fleetwood”, lost in the November 16 shipwreck; at a cost that I could afford.
I am hauling her out for bottom and top side painting this coming Wednesday, in Tacoma. I expect to have her back in Gig Harbor by June 8 th. for the annual Blessing of the Fleet in Gig Harbor and I expect that deacon John of the St. Nicholas Church will be blessing the new “Fleetwood” just like he did before my departure in June 2004. I would not leave home without it.

After the haul out there will still be weeks of work above the waterline and to prepare the boat for my plans to sail south once more.

Just after the shipwreck I received a number of offers to help me. The boat only had liability insurance. I stepped off the wreck with the clothes I wore, my small backpack with my laptop, camera, passport and wallet. were all my earthly possession, till the purchase of the replacement boat. When I left Santa Barbara for my first long crossing in 2005 I had $150 in my bank account, with the promise of a $1,450 Social Security check at the end of the month. I could not have imagined in my wildest dreams what laid ahead of me. Crossing 4 oceans, visiting 50 countries. I have been richly blessed with unbelievable experiences, new friends, etc.

In an earlier e-mail I listed a number of items that I am looking for. Besides a very generous check from a long time Tacoma friend I was given a folding bike (On this trip I lost my first bike in Bora Bora, 2nd bike was stolen in Borneo, third was stolen in Durban, 4th was stolen in Puerto Rico, 5th went down with the wreck) another friend is donating his inflatable dinghy, the Monitor Windvane is under control with the help of the ScanMar crew. Yesterday, Richard Spindler, owner of Latitude-38 asked me to give him a list of items  I still need and he plans to put this to his readership.

I repeat the list I sent him, just in case you have this sitting in your garage and are not planning to use it any longer:
Pactor or equivalent SSB modem
Foul Weather Gear,
handheld VHF
handheld GPS
handheld compass
EPIRB
Life Raft, valise, smallest possible in shore or off shore.
Solar Panel
Towed water Generator
Cruising manuals for U.S. West Coast to Panama and for the Caribbean, preferably digital.
Two burner propane gimbaled stove
Safety harness
Inflatable Life Vest
Bolt Cutter
Heavy duty Swaging tool
Storm Jib
Genaker
Radio Direction Finder
Sextant (the plastic type)
Boatswain’s chair
First Aid Kit
Marine AM/FM radio/DVD player and speakers
Survival kit/cannister

I have a number of copies of “The Mastmakers’ Daughters” (see www.TheMastmakersDaughters.us ) to sell for $14.50 that I will have available at the presentation and will autograph. My new book “Soloman” of the voyage has been on the back burner. I am still on the first part of the Dutch version but will get back to writing with new vigor once the boat is ship shape. I will also have a DVD available for $5 with all the slide shows of the entire 9 year journey and my 2009/2010 winter trek through Indochina.

I hope you all can make it, spread the word, and look forward to see you in Gig Harbor.