First update of 2007. Happy new year.

I had a bunch of emails from faithful blog followers. Much appreciated. We got one from another couple at our yacht club who are planning their own departure from work and home, and they were interested in hearing about what's working well for us, and what we would change. So here's Sue's handy hints.

First, make sure that you install the washer and dryer somewhere in the boat before you leave, and a watermaker big enough to fill the washer and the hot tub. Ha. Ha. Ha. Next, make sure you both have your own rooms, and enough drugs to render everyone pleasant and agreeable 24/7. Again, just joking. But if you need couples therapy or marriage counselling or something along those lines, get it before you go. If he asks me one more time where his glasses are, I'm going to leap overboard.

No, really, everything's fine. But here's some bits and pieces, stuff for the boat or the stuff of life, that have occasioned either minor irritation, serious trouble, or smug delight over the last 16 months or so.

Get dark sheets and towels. The idea of crisp white sheets, cool and inviting, is lovely, but they get right some gray and limp looking after a few months. Bring dishes you like, not plastic, and proper wine glasses. The whole camping feel gets tired quick, and you'll be washing all these dishes by hand, so make sure they're pleasant to behold. Pressure cooker. Really good knives. Your favourite cookbooks. They're worth the space they take up.

Get decent sunglasses, and spares, and get an eyeglass repair kit. Reading glasses and spares. Good tweezers, and a magnifying mirror, or else spring for laser or years of electrolysis unless you want to grow your own bushy eyebrows and beard. That's probably more information that you want to hear, but I'm telling you what you need to know. You should also decide how you're going to deal with the hair on your head while you're away. Seriously consider a change if you need to dye it every four weeks. And will he tolerate you buzzing his head with a do-it-yourself KTel special? Make sure you have a lot of your prescription drugs. I ran out of migraine medication about two headaches ago.

Make sure you both have a couple of hats that don't make you want to run away from each other laughing maniacally. Ditto for bathing suits. Have several, you'll wear them a lot.
Good flashlights are nice.

You know how you can press a button on your phone and the handset will trill out and let you hunt it down quickly and easily? Whatever this device is, get 20 of them and attach them to your tools. And glasses.

Check that your propane tanks are legal in the states (OPD, I think you need), and get padlocks or combination locks that you can open and close in the dark in the rain when you've had several rum punches.

Get duplicate bank cards, and make sure that you've got cards that work everywhere. We've had occasion to rethink the wisdom of banking with Credit Union Atlantic. Great while we're home, not so good at the bank machine in Bequia. Make sure that you can move your money around, and email it, from your computer.

Have a phone. Since we don't have one, I don't know what you should have, but you should have one. You need an iPod, not a TV, and a good digital camera.

Look at your dinghy and your motor. Do you love them? Do you get warm all over when you think of their remarkable reliability and the safety and security they are sure to provide you with whenever you need it? Get a dozen extra shear pins and find a way to affix them inside the motor's hood. I don't want to say any more about this, but you get my drift. Make sure you have good oars.

Our new canvas water catcher has been fab-o. We just filled up with water this morning, and only took 100 gallons after a month. More canvas stuff you'll need in the tropics: a good cover for the entire cockpit, and the entire cabin if you can get or design one and have it made. Fans in all the cabins, and one for the cook.

Get the biggest anchors you can handle. We've had great service from our CQR, but we've switched to the Delta, and now we're going to switch over and try the Bruce. Bequia harbour is a great place to test your anchor if you don't mind a few sleepless nights. We're on the lookout for a giant Delta.

Bring as many good books as you have space for, including reference books on plants, trees, fish, coral, the works. You need a dictionary. Books meant for beach reading get very boring, so bring good books. If you could learn to speak Spanish, you'll be way ahead.

So that's my not-so-short list. Next update, I'll try to get the Captain to deal with the more technical details, but don't hold your breath. He's just fixed a minor saltwater leak in the head, and he's taking the next week off.

Now that you're bored to bits, or totally discouraged or disgusted, see below for some photos of our trip to the Moonhole Houses on Bequia, some Christmas and New Year's get-togethers, some food, and some beautiful Bequia scenery.

Off to St. Vincent, then q-flaggin it through St. Lucia, and on to Le Marin (Martinique) for food!