Season's Greetings Robert,
RK> Season just getting started,  give me a break,  or are you talking about
RK> gale season :( ...  hey dude,  single handling in a gale ain't that much
RK> fun ya know.  I admit if you can have some sail up you can go like stink
RK> as long as it ain't blowing you into shore or the rocks :-)
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       Well I've gotten pretty good at steering with my foot and laying on
my back on the combing while tacking :^)  ST winches really should be
mandatory equipment on all boats   I'm going to grab a crew or two and
make a mad dash over to Vancouver Island some weekend soon.  I'll likely
wait for hurricane season 'cause I want to make sure I do it in 36 hours or
less... that includes one night on the hook :^)
RK> problem with the banks are there are so darn many people claiming
RK> personal bankrupsy they are very cautious these days.  People are so
RK> heavy in debt that they have their backs to the wall and don't pay.  At
RK> our company our bad debt expense has doubled in the past eighteen months
RK> :-) and it's a BIG number.
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     After all, they did only make 500 billion dollars profit last year...
I guess *I* would be cautious too!   They say they'd be happy to lend me
any amount for a car - But they don't like the idea of me buying a boat to
liveaboard!  Go figure!!  The more I think about it, the more interested I
become in starting my own boat building yard.  Even if I only build ONE
boat, I'd still have to consider myself a success!!  I think you catch my
drift on this 
RK> Augustin why did you change jobs again ?  What kind of boat work is done
RK> at Queenship Yachts ?
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      I only change jobs when my previous one expires :^)  I'm on the 4th
one now and gaining lots of experience as a shipwright!! :^)  Queenship is
the THE best built luxury motoryacht in the Americas.  We build anything
from 52' up to 110+', I'm working on a 70 footer.  Queenship is where
Cooper yachts was located.  They built a ton of sailboats.  In fact,
Queenship still has the mold for the Cooper 41 which was converted into a
45 (the usual tramsom extension).  Unfortunately, the mold is very old and
basically needs to be replaced (you should see some of the crevases in the
hull!!), but it really is quite a good looking boat.  There's not much
chance of anyone getting a sailboat out of Queenship after this one is
finished.  They've been working on it for two years and are in no hurry to
complete it!!  It's a real albatroos around their neck.... hmmm, maybe I
can buy the mold cheap :^)
RK> engine,  the generator,  Penny painted the cradle with a rustclad (a
RK> puuuuuuuuurdy blue )  Still have lots to do but ran out of time.  Yet
RK> another thanksgiving dinner.  Hey,  I am not complaining but I had to
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     I'll BET the dinners were GOOD!!  I was out trying to find a decent
restaurant that was open!!  I never knew TB had a generator, is that a new
addition this year?  Oh, now I remember, that's the portable one I saw
isn't it?  It's hard to imagine sometimes that TB requires work.  She's
always in such great shape and all... except for the electronics which I'm
happy to hear are finally ALL working at the same time! :^)  Geez, whatever
made you decide that it was the masthead!?
RK> Going to Montreal tomorrow for a couple of days and then Haulout is on
RK> Saturday   Oh well it was a good season for us,  I finally
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      Sorry to hear about haulout, but Have fun in Mont Royal - it'll help
you take your mind off it! :^)
RK> Hope all is well, when are you coming to Toronto ?  Do you have a mate
RK> out there yet ?  Or you just sniffin' around.  Enjoy Lotus land and send
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      Still jus' sniffin'.  I pick up a scent every now and then, but so
far, only cheap perfume... it seems all the good ones have hairy armpits!!
Or maybe I'm just living in the wrong end of town   I am getting a crew
bank together though, and I WILL inspect my crew's armpits regularly to
ensure proper hygiene aboard my vessal!! 
  I thought about going to Toronto for Christmas, but I haven't booked my
fare yet which means *IF* I find an empty seat, it'll be expensive - so I
may go late in January or early February instead... or I could just stay
here and buy new foulweather gear with the money I save!! 
  TTYL
     Cheers,
             Augustin~~~===
                             National Yacht Club, Toronto - S2STOR - S2SVCR
... Red ship and blue ship collide.  Sailors marrooned.
 * Q-Blue 1.9 [NR] *
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