by a remarkable coincidence, the couple that crews this boat are expert canvasworkers and had done canvas work and sail repair here in Panama for several years when they were cruising! And as if that wasn't glorious enough, get this: when we offered to swap some of our sweatshop labor in exchange for his expertise in re-timing our machine (something we hadn't yet worked up the nerve to take on ourselves), he said, "oh sure, in fact I'm writing a book on how to make money while cruising, and I just finished the chapter on industrial sewing machine maintenance, so you guys can be my guinea pigs!" Could we be any luckier?

Thanks Scott for being our sewing guru!