Machu Picchu Peru

As Island Hopper was on the "hard" this winter the crew had to find other pursuits. Kevin chose to visit Peru for two weeks with the Cincinnati Nature Center. The first week was aboard a river boat on the Amazon River shown below and the second week was in the Andes traveling towards the Inca Ruins at Machu Picchu. Quite the contrasts in a beautiful country.

The hike to Machu Picchu was worth the effort. The group took the train to the ruins, the other option being a four day hike on the Inca Trail traversing an altitude of over 13,000 feet.

Amazon January 2009

The first week was spent on a river boat on the Amazon, pictured here. Besides flora and fauna viewing, he enjoyed dugout canoe races, fishing for Pirhana and interacting with the locals in their villages along the river.

New Paint Job for Island Hopper

Island Hopper had a busy winter in Maryland. She has been totally repainted to be as shiny as new. She was in the paint booth almost 5 months while the skilled craftsmen at Haven Harbour removed her hardware, masked what couldn't be removed and then painted and buffed her. She emerged very proudly in early March ready for her launch in late April for another summer cruising Chesapeake Bay.

Fall on the Chesapeake

This skipjack sailboat's skipper didn't calculate the tide, as she is aground and being helped by a friendly passerby, in St. Michaels.

While in St. Michaels we watched a skipjack sailboat "sail" by aided by the pusher boat they always carry on board for those light air days. It contains a small diesel engine.

Fall on the Chesapeake

We have enjoyed our summer cruising the beautiful Chesapeake Bay from our home away from home, Haven Harbour Marina (http://www.havenharbour.com/) . We went over one last time for a few weeks in October to take one last cruise only 25 miles to our favorite destination, St. Michaels, MD and to ready Island Hopper for the winter "on the hard". En route through Kent Narrows we passed a houseboat, reminded us of our days cruising on the rivers!

St. Michaels at sunset is beautiful. Next Morning proved to be foggy so we delayed our departure.