We go to Paris and Odessa goes on the hard

Allan has a job in Paris for the next 4 months so we thought we would all go. The kids and I have never been to France and it will be a new change from life on a boat these past 6 months. It is a very nerve racking experience having you home hauled up with a crane on to dry land.

Getting the boat to the yard is my nail bitter. We have such a deep draft at 9' that we have to be very careful not to run a ground in the shallow lagoon. I would love to say we made it with out a hitch but that is not true. We got stuck on a mud bank on the way out from our dock and were very lucky that friends were close by to help pull us out. After that we made it safe and sound. Odessa came out like a good girl and went into her hurricane hole, was strapped down and left to rest.

We tie the boat to an old barge at the ship yard while we wait to be pulled out.

The straps go on.

It felt strange to be leaving our home and traveling thousands of miles to a place that should be familiar, but we had mentally checked out of normal life and a big city was the last place we were prepared for.