That was a teaser wasn’t it!  You were expecting Ruth and Randal.  But this email is about Ruth and Ralph who have been live aboard sailors for over 20 years.  Both originally from The Netherlands, Ruth emigrated to Canada, but moved all over the world for Ralph’s work  They even lived in Boston 4 years and one grandson goes to Harvard.  Must be a Sox fan!    Anyway, Ralph and Ruth have a schooner and have made it their home.

  Their three masted sail boat

  Ralph and Ruth.  If you closed your eyes you would think Sean Connery was speaking to you when Ralph spoke.  Don’t they just look the part!

Ruth in her galley.

A better picture of the galley, though not of Ruth. 

Our friend Nick is in the white shirt.  He had just come in from the little entry area just behind the cockpit.               Every inch of space gets used

Books and other treasures.

The saloon table with the pillow treasures from Bali, I think.

Family photos and more treasures.

When you walk into the boat you are greeted with this lovely Mola weaving. 

  Looking out from their cockpit at sunset you can see the three Diesel Ducks in a row.  Ours in on the right with the red bow cover, DavidEllis is in the middle and Kwakatu is the tan one on the left.  Jamie and Dave Fritsch own Kwakatu and Dave and Dorothy Nagle own DavidEllis.  Both of their boats are off to Palau.  Kwakatu will then head on home to the West Coast of the US after a stop in Hawaii.  DavidEllis will return to Subic and then go back to Hong Kong.

I am on my way home to Roanoke on the 20th.  Tomorrow Randal and I will take the bus to Manila and early Wednesday  morning we’ll go to the airport , I catch my plane, and Randal will return to Subic for more boat work.  It will be a 21 hour trip for me if there are no snags.  Last trip took 36 hours!  This has got to be better.