Hi folks, 

Well, I'm in Canada, just outside of Ottawa staying with Brian McCleery (a Canadian Wayfarer sailor and friend of Frank Dye). He and Doris have fed and housed me and driven me round and helped me sort out all the technicalities of getting my boat Wanderer into the US. That's why this is coming to you from his PC. The trip out here on the Greyhound was about what you'd expect - crying babies, junk food, humping bags from bus to bus, etc. Still, not bad for only $89. The weather here is very cold when it blows but mildish at other times.

Wanderer and me in the barn in Canada

I built a shipping cradle yesterday for Wanderer and if all goes as planned, I'll load her onto a U-Haul truck tomorrow and then drive across the border and into the US on Friday morning - assuming the US lets me back in. You hear horror stories all the time about people not getting in or getting in and 
being arrested - all since 9/11. Here's hoping. 

Then I'll head down to Fort Lauderdale and should be there on Monday. The boat looks great - just as I expected and apart from a few small items, I have all I need for the trip except a little motor. I'll get that in Florida. I should be in the water sometime next week and sailing south for a few days towards 
the Keys. If that goes well, I'll turn around and head north until I run out of money or wreck something. 

Not much other news except that according to the NZ Herald website, Auckland won the NPC trophy this year and my Canterbury girlfriend saw fit not to mention this in any of her 200 emails since it happened. There'll be ructions over that, I can tell you. (And this, folks, tells you all you need to know about Canterbury rugby fans.) 

Auckland,    Auckland,    Auuuuuuck-laaaaand!!!

Toodle oo,

Lee