Dear Friends,

Thank you so much for your kind comments on Ada. She has been on the hard
since last March for a complete re-fit: painting, bright work, new engine,
radar, windlass, upgrading the electrical system, heating system, and a
seemingly endless parade of ¡®need to do¡¯ and ¡®want to do¡¯ items.

She for sure is a beautiful boat and was well maintained by her previous
owners, Wanetta and Robert Zell, from Birch Bay, Washington. She is not,
however, a show boat; I want her to be a sailing boat. I would love to
claim credit for the paint and the bright work, but it was Frank the
Perfectionist who has done the work. He has allowed me to work alongside
him and I, having come to him with no skills whatsoever, continuously learn.
  Frank works out of Lynnwood Marina in North Vancouver; he was trained as a
craftsman in the former Yugoslavia. He has become a good friend, an able
teacher and he shares my feelings about beautiful boats.

I have recently retired having spent my last five years in China, and have
accepted the dream ¨C a life on the oceans seems to me a life well spent. I
would like to take the next two years, summer and winter, exploring the
Inner Passage along the coast of British Columbia, where I hope to learn
more about sailing and boats, read, take pictures and maybe do some modest
writing. Following this, the long term goal is to take her to the South
Pacific and then perhaps to China¡¯s waters after which I will return home
to Vancouver.

There are days now that my head is so full of new things that I can barely
stay awake. I have to say that I am in awe of the sailing community.
Through books and magazine articles I maintain and extend my focus and live
alongside those people who venture out onto the oceans and explore their
worlds ¨C both inner and outer. I am amazed at the people in the Baba
group: as an outsider looking and gradually moving in, I see the help and
support you give one another. It is a living example of how people can be
together and support one another across the planet. And you thought you were
just talking boat stuff.

I think I will go with the hot water heating system. A friend of mine told
me about the systems that are installed as standard in the Benneteau boats
and I will start there in the investigation

Thank you to the member who mentioned http://www.starpath.com/index.htm. I
have looked at their weather module and wonder if anyone has studied it or
bought the software. Computer assisted instruction can be a practical way
to learn however the programs I have seen in the past have seemed to be
somewhat dry. Any thoughts?

At this time I have little to offer the group other than enthusiasm,
curiosity and a sincere desire to learn. I appreciate your help. I hope in
time I will be able to give instead of receive.

For Rod on the Flying Pelican in Tacoma, I would be most happy to show you
Ada Eight. When she is back in the water I will moor her at the Point
Roberts Marina in Washington ¨C lots of room in this marina for maneuvering
such a heavy boat. You are most welcome to come and visit or perhaps we
will meet somewhere in the San Juans.

By the way, why have I named her Ada Eight? I met her as Ada and always
seemed to think of her by that name. When I landed her in Canada I needed
to register her and the name Ada was already taken. I went through the
cycle of new names that one toys with but she was always Ada to me. I went
past Ada1 and Ada 2 and finally arrived at Ada Eight which sounds like 88
which in Chinese is ¡®ba ba¡¯ ¨C a good fit for sure. Perhaps Bob Berg
would get a laugh from this.

Best wishes and many thanks,

Patrick
Ada Eight

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Received on Fri Sep 29 09:19:15 2006