If you see someone walk the docks at the “Schinkel” who looks like me, talks like me, it probably is me.

I am back in Amsterdam. The EPIRB arrived, finally at noon in IJmuiden. But after the Tuesday storm ( wind speed recorded on the Ijmuiden pier was as high as 95 KM/hr,= 51 plus nautical miles/hr, which is Force 8 to 9…) the fear of God was re-instilled in me. And I realized that maybe I should look after the mast’s potential problems. And I still did not manage to get the SailMail program or the Navionics navigation program to work properly. The moorage in the marina in IJmuiden is pricey and it is far from stores, a bit depressing and not a good internet connection. This is a replay of October 2004. I set sail from Gig Harbor to San Francisco and had to return from Port Townsend for almost the identical problems. The communication and navigation not working properly, yet.  But then Plan “B” worked out fine for me and I am sure it will again.

I have a few options. I can go back through France in the reverse direction as I came here from the Med, last year. The mast could be repaired while I am on the about 6 week journey and delivered to me at the Med.

Another one intrigues me. Every even year there is a an informal transatlantic race for boats between 20 and 30 feet lengths, the Jester Challenge. http://www.jesterinfo.org/ This was started by Blondie Hasler. My very first wind vane self steering gear was a Hasler Pentab, I used in the 1982 Single Handed Transpac. The race starts on May 11, 2014 at Plymouth and is sailed to Newport, R.I. It is a very low key gentlemen’s race. With a better mast and some of my rigging replaced I should be able to have the perfect set up for such a race. I would have to be all set up before April since I want to spend time in the Pacific North West for my oldest daughter’s 50th birthday on April 18 and my friend Roger Rue’s 80th earlier in April and for the centennial celebration of my parish church St. Nicholas in Gig Harbor at Easter time.

I hope the friends at “de Schinkel” will have me back. I may have to sell a few of my books to throw another go away party.