News About The Greer Family

June 26, 2001: Sailing and Preparations

On the weekend of June 22-24, 2001 saw the first ever rendezvous of Jeanneau yachts in North America. David joined John Bassingthwaighte of Fraser Yacht Sales to sail a brand new Jeanneau 43 DS from Vancouver to Bedwell Harbour in the Gulf Islands. This was David's first chance to actually sail a Jeanneau 43 DS and we had a mixture of conditions, including a strong current against us in Active Pass.

Learn more about West Coast Sailing.

The variety of conditions, including a beat up North Pender Island, gave David a chance to discover how our new Jeanneau 43 DS will sail in the Mediterranean. The good news is that the boat sails well and we should really enjoy it as our home for the next year. But its lively performance will mean that we will have to furl the headsail and mainsail in the bigger winds we expect in the Med.

Learn more about the Jeanneau 43 DS.

The rendezvous was a great chance for David to visit with other Jeanneau owners and discuss what works best on these boats. There were three different Jeanneau 43 DS's at the rendezvous, which is amazing considering the first one in North America was delivered in September, 2000. David also got together with Paul Fenn, President of Jeanneau America, and Ian Fraser of Fraser Yacht Sales, to review the configuration of our new boat. There are still a few last minute changes that we are making to maximize our enjoyment of the new boat in the Mediterranean.

Preparations

David flew back to Vancouver from the rendezvous and was home exactly twenty-four hours after he left. Looking out the window of the airplane reminded David about how much he'll enjoy being on an airplane to London in three days time.

It also reminded all of us just how much work is left to do. In three days time we leave for the adventure of our lifetime, but none of the books warn you just how much work it takes to put your life on hold for a year.

Closing ceremonies for the children's school year take place tomorrow morning. Then it's two short days (and nights without sleep) before we are on our way. While the next few days will be a struggle, we are all looking forward to sitting back in our airplane seats and looking ahead to all of the interesting things that we will see and do for the next year.