$$$$ Bow Thruster$$$$$$

Mon Mar 2 3:42 pm AST The Saints. Joyce has filled in the blanks...The bow thruster repair was a killer. An oil seal had failed letting in the saltwater to ravish the metal parts. 2 ball bearings failed making turning the prop very difficult. So now I have all guts...very expensive guts to my bow thruster. We were able to get in and out without any problems from the riots/strike. This seems to be another black white thing...in a country where all are equal...France...well the strikers feel they are paying more for their goods and services than the Frenchman back in France....now how could that be...to get French products here they must be shipped from France...shouldn't that be in the price, oops forgot...this is a socialist country...all must suffer equally. I'm listening to Rush as I write this...sounds like we are very close to enjoying all the aspects of French life as Obama moves us further left. As we have traveled through these islands, mostly black. mostly poor, we see Obama stickers and posters. They see his election as the coming of the messiah...my bet is the ACORN was down here getting votes for him..even if they are from another country. They know nothing of what he stands for..just that he is black. I have been coming down here since the 60's. I have seen the islands at their best and now at their worst. They see the white tourist as nothing but a meal ticket. The local island politicians are a crooked as any in Chicago. As we sail south I can't keep from thinking that this will be my last down the eastern Caribbean Islands. I look forward to new cruising grounds to the west. We will make our way down to Margarita for 1 last rum and diesel run and head west to new and hopefully exciting destinations.
Yesterday a couple from Tennessee stopped by..for a chat...both were divers. They have been down here cruising for 3 years. As we started to compare notes , we found that they were good conservatives. Also not lovers of the French. Bill had nothing positive to say about their boating manners. As I look back over the last 5-6 yrs out here...most of us cruisers are conservative, adventurous and self reliant. We are out here on our own without big government taking care of us. PERIOD.... and if Obama continues to destroy our capitalistic, democratic way of life, I will just sail away.....