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Deltaville/Heathsville, Virginia October, 2003
In August, we were in Deltaville, Virginia having maintenance and upgrade work done on the boat (see pictures below). Our plan was to have these tasks finished, so we could travel north to an undetermined destination and have lots of fun. Then, we were planning on sailing to the Caribbean via Bermuda in November and spend the winter in the beautiful warm Caribbean climate. Plans in the sand ... a lot has happened and have changed .... see below.
It's hard to believe, but we stayed in Deltaville, Virginia. Yes, that's right in Deltaville. Our trip was delayed due to an injury and a hurricane. In September, Rankin tore his left bicep tendon while climbing around on the boat. He had surgery to reattach the tendon to the bone using anchor pins (the doctor's term, not mine) and the term seems to fit considering our lifestyle. Rankin is doing great. Shortly after the surgery, Rankin attended a captain's course. He completed and passed the course all while injured and through hurricane Isabel ... now he expects to be addressed as Captain Tippins.
During the hurricane, we had the boat hauled out of the water (with much reluctance on Rankin's part) -- I had to practically pry Rankin from the boat since his arm was hurt that made it just a bit easier. We stayed at Ron and Rita's home in Heathsville until Hurricane Isabel finished her visit. Fortunately, there was no damage to Ron and Rita's home though their dock flooded and power was out for about two weeks. We were also very lucky because there were no problems with the boat though sadly some of the homes in the local area were severely damaged.
Rankin had his last doctor appointment in mid-November, and the doctor and physical therapist said he had made great progress and okayed us to head out. Unfortunately, we cannot sail to Bermuda like we had planned (maybe next year). Instead, we will be going to the Caribbean via the Bahamas. To check out what we are up to now, click on What's Happening for the latest!!! |
