Wednesday, September 21, 2016

Summer Fun 2016

This was only the second summer in 25 years that we have NOT sailed on the Chesapeake Bay. It was also the first summer in 25 years that we stayed home (well, sorta) and enjoyed our house which we call Saltbox 13. We loved sharing summer meals & BBQs with family and friends. We were honored to attend a most beautiful wedding in Vermont and the very special 40th anniversary vow renewal ceremony of great friends in Philadelphia. (We first met the Fricchione and Kravitz families via our Island Packets sailboats.)

Radeen's sister's 60th wedding anniversary was celebrated by 12 happy campers on the Big Island of Hawaii. Such fun! August was capped off  with an Island Packet Minivous of 30 boats and 60+ friends in Rock Hall, MD. We worked on our home, updating bathrooms, making a very cool solar sun shade over the deck using our old mainsail and designing a new addition for over the garage. (on hold until we receive more reasonable bids or we may build it ourselves.) Our 36th anniversary was a surprise in NYC for Carole King's musical, "Beautiful." Very special!!

Overall, it was a fantastic summer and it flew by. With the Annapolis Boat Show over, it is time to think about winter sailing. Remember, we left Island Spirit in Stuart, FL where she safely rode out Hurricane Matthew. On Nov 3, she will be launched and we will start up again. We plan yet another refit, this being #3, including new sails, electronics, radar and a water maker, with our goal of sailing beyond the Bahamas and into the Caribbean Sea. More on that plan later, for now, we really need to say.... 

THANK YOU to all our great friends and family for a fabulous summer at Saltbox 13! Outdoor music events, touring in Philly to see the Mormon Temple and the National Park's 100th Anniversary movie, pool parties, meeting several sweet new babies, welcoming house guests from afar, wine tastings and coffee tastings, opening nights in D.C., re-connecting with former colleagues, visiting long lost college friends, watching "Finding Dory" with a 3 year old and celebrating house warmings and 70th birthdays, it has truly been a summer to remember! 

Here are 100 photos from our Summer 2016 FUN FUN FUN....