01 Leaving Ottawa 2009-09-09

Today's the day! The car is loaded up, and we're on our way to Beaufort, North Carolina. Harold walked us to the parking lot where we said our goodbyes; however, we knew we would be back in Ottawa for a couple of weeks while work was being done on Montamarol. This was the trip to unload all our personal “stuff” that we just couldn't live without.

This first trip took us away from home for two weeks during which time, a thousand details were handled, almost all by Jim; the fun part was unloading the car and deciding where to put everything on the boat. Can't say I minded all the restaurants either – what fun....but oh, how the waistline suffered!

Montamarol was purchased from Beaufort Yacht Sales and Charters Inc. We liked our agent, Eddie Miller, instantly and were not disappointed as we got to know both him and his charming wife, Kathy, on a more personal level. What a delightful couple. This was our first taste of Southern hospitality at its finest. Every day, Eddie found ways to help us and gave his time, his energy, his car, his home. He and Kathy made us feel incredibly welcome and continuously offered every form of assistance imagineable. We learned that purchasing a boat is far more complex than buying a home, particularly when these transactions are in another country and foreign currency.

A few days prior to our return to Canada, we were able to experience living on Montamarol while in a marina. It felt like "playing house" and made me feel like the young bride of long ago. Good beginnings!

Kathy and Eddie