HAPPY HOLIDAYS 2010!
26th Annual Webb Hankey Holiday Newsletter

From Jack: Hi all! We hope you had a super 2010 and your holiday season is a wonderful one. This year we are back on Bonaire
Last Christmas and New Years we were also in Bonaire. Thanks to our friends Carl, Pam and family in Bonaire, we had a lovely Christmas with them. Santa even brought me a unique present: training with a professional underwater photographer and use of an underwater camera. Now I can improve my photography with our extended stay here. For New Years 2009, we saw a spectacular display of fireworks; from our boat, we had 180 degrees of fireworks as they burst from every beach on Bonaire.
Alas, it was back to work on the boat and our fuel leak. Our repair epoxy failed so this brought out the grinder and some messy work! I cut off the top of the tank and cut out the baffles inside so we could put two new tanks inside the old tank. I started only one little fire but Fred got it out with me in the burning tank; that was fun! Then it was back to Curacao to measure for a new tank.
Dick and Kathy flew into Curacao and they stayed in a beautiful resort right on the bay where we anchor our boat. We toured the island, ate at superb restau-rants and enjoyed the sun and camaraderie!
As they flew off, we headed back to the marina to test fit the first of two tanks (nicknamed Adam and Eve) to go into our old tank. Adam fit well, so we measured for Eve and sailed west to Aruba.
Aruba was great until our early morning departure from the anchorage. While replacing a navigation light, the bulb burst and cut an artery in my hand - Yuk, it was a bit messy. Fred radioed for the Aruba Coast Guard, which did not answer the phone while I pulled down the sail, launched the dinghy, repaired the motor that would not start, and we motored to the dock. Three hours later, I was in emergency surgery in the same hospital where Fred was a patient the year before! Two notes: 1. Do not have an emergency on the weekend here, surgery has a weekend 50% surcharge; 2. it is a bad omen when you arrive and already know the nurses in the emergency room by their first name!
After 10 days to recoup, we left for Curacao but since I could not pull on ropes well, we brought along two new friends Marc and Rejan, USAir flight at-tendants, who we met in the marina. They great fun and sure helped us get back to Curacao Marine!
Of course, our 2nd tank, Eve, was not ready; the boss spilled coffee on his plans and had to re-measure and build the tank. Two weeks later, Eve was installed and we left for Spaanse Waters to relax! But, too soon, we hauled Denali Rose out for hurricane season and flew home to the USA.
In June, we flew to the West Coast for the Nauticat rendezvous near Seattle, where we met some enthusiastic Nauticat owners who sail the beautiful Northwest waters. We also met the Nauticat broker and, in a bittersweet moment, we signed papers to put Denali Rose on the market. See Future Plans below.
We stayed with old Air Force friends, Al and Sam Vazquez, in Gig Harbor and drove down the coast to Oregon to see Florence and Skip Lintner in their beautiful new home in Glenn Eden Beach. Next, we headed to Dallas to visit Aunt Helen Webb and my cousins, Terri and Mary Jo. Sadly, we just learned this week that Helen passed away -it is the end of an era and we bid fond farewell to a great lady!
After Dallas, we headed for Portland and had a super visit with Lori and her daughter Kaycie with her "significant other" Brad.
We arrived in Anchorage and sailing friends, Nancy and Jerry Wertzbaugher, hosted us for the night, caught us up on sailing scuttlebutt and dropped us off in Wasilla the next day.
This year's homestead projects finished rewiring the upstairs and added fill dirt to their son's land. When the landscaper, Roland, showed up with his huge backhoe, I thought it was Christmas! Roland gave me a 5-minute introduction to machine, then he hauled dirt, and I moved it about. Wow, it was fun but one wee problem: there were many fallen trees. Using my son's chain saw, I cleared the land. The problem got bigger when I rested the chainsaw on my leg as it was winding down. It caught the seam of my trousers and it is amazing how skin will stop the chainsaw! Soooo, Fred drove me to another ER. 15 stitches later, I was back at the chainsaw with an authentic Alaskan "war wound" that I compare with other Alaskans who have this "common" tattoo!
In July, we took a road trip in our trusty "new" 1987 Toyota Corolla (price: $500 with only 275,000 miles!). We headed north to Fairbanks, my hometown, for the Golden Days celebration, including the World Indian and Eskimo Olympics. By sheer luck, we met two village elders from Wainwright who remembered teachers, Richard and Milly Webb (my parents!) from 70 years ago. We gave them a copy of our book.
My cousin, Sherry Modrow, invited us to the 60th birthday party for her husband, Brian Rogers, aboard the riverboat, Tanana Chief. One of the guests was my grade school music teacher! The next day, the Rogers clan took us along on their own boat to watch as the young guys wake-boarded on the Chena River.
We also met with Barbara Nelson from Rampart and spent hours looking at photos and talking about the old days of Rampart when my parents first arrived there by the Sternwheeler Nenana in 1937.
We drove back to Wasilla via our favorite Sheep Mountain Lodge, in our trusty Toyota! Nevertheless, it was time to winterize the car and trailer; and head back to the lower 48.
Delayed in Hagerstown, but happily, Fred recovered quicker than expected (truth: the cold weather was approaching and she has a phobia about cold! HA!). We winterized the RV and we were off to the islands.
We arrived in Curacao with our customary 300 lbs of baggage and got Denali Rose back in the water in record time. The weather was calm and rainy when we left the marina and we decided to bypass Spaanse Waters Curacao and sailed on to Bonaire, 40 miles away. It rained like mad but the seas flat so it was a lovely passage. We arrived at night and found a mooring by the reflection of a streetlight. In the morning, we noticed a sailboat on the shore in front of us. While we were crossing, Bonaire had a freak windstorm that occurred after we called Bonaire for a weather check and it stopped 1 hour before we arrived. Very lucky for us! Wow, two weeks from leaving USA to being in Bonaire!
"Bon Pasku" Happy holidays in Papiamento. Hope you have a super 2011.

From Fred (Susan): Happy Holidays!
If anyone had looked in a crystal ball and foreseen us being in Bonaire again this Christmas, I would have said it was cracked! However, we're here again and happy to be here! Our plan to be in Colombia was delayed an entire year by my unexpected lung surgery in Md. in September. However, the doctor gave me the OK to return to diving, so we're back in Bonaire, a tiny island surrounded by great diving sites, using the same gym and seeing familiar friendly faces again!
-Back in March, we enjoyed Carnival in Aruba where crowds of brightly costumed groups (including our Aruban friend, Janine) danced to LOUD salsa music, all within walking distance of our marina!
- In April, we sailed back to Curacao where my birthday present was a spectacular sunset dinner at an Argentinean steakhouse overlooking rolling hills to the sea. Now, how did Jack arrange that?
- Just minutes after saying farewell to boating friends at the anchorage, our engine died as we began drifting toward a rocky shore! One quick call on the VHF radio and two friends launched their dinghies to tow us to safety. Jack quickly found and fixed his fuel hose error and we motored back to the big, hot marina where we started the arduous task of storing the boat "on the hard" for hurricane season. (Note from Jack; it was really a little mistake!)
- May in Maryland was chilly to our tropical blood! We joined family and friends for a fun Italian night of homemade ravioli at the Greens' home. Since my German pioneer ancestors settled in nearby Thurmont (near Camp David), we visited the 250-year-old Apples Church and offered our help with the ongoing cemetery repair project; we met some wonderful new friends in the process. Next stops: West Coast and Alaska!
- July 4th we joined other authors for a book signing for True North in Alaska at the Alaska Aviation Heritage Museum in Anchorage, which continues to expand with new displays.
- Our grandson, Clayton Webb, played soccer this summer. Jack "Pops" paid him 25 cents for each daily adjustment on his braces, poor kid!
- My Alaska heart doctor had me tested for a possible aneurysm and cleared me for it, but coincidently found a "mystery spot" on my lung! When he said he wanted to more tests in four months, I said, "I don't do snow, so please refer me to Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore," where they removed the benign cyst in September (Thank heaven!)
- We left Alaska's record-breaking summer of consecutive rainfall for sunny Florida in August and visited cousins, friends and my extremely endearing grand-niece, Alyssa Dover, age 2, who stole Jack's heart.
- Next stop, Baltimore where we took Felicia and our honorary grandkids, Sierra, Tracer and Jaedah (now 11, 9 and 4) to the National Aquarium, Evergreen historic home and Mass at the Baltimore Basilica.
- We spent our 25th wedding anniversary in Washington, DC, visiting museums and having a candlelight dinner at a tiny Moroccan café.
- Early September brought a new cousin into the world when Cooper Smith Green was born Sept 10 to Jessica and Corey Green; Halie is his very proud and helpful big sister. I'm still working on an embroidered blanket for little Cooper and hope to have it done before he is walking! HA!
- We hosted my Aussie third cousin, Vin Lee, on a whirlwind tour of Civil War sites and railroad museums and model train shops. We introduced him to his "Yank" cousins and our sailing buddy, Walt, near Annapolis. Vin is a proud self-appointed Rebel at heart!
- I must praise my surgeon and nurses at Johns Hopkins Hospital, for my excellent care. My sister, Kathye, and Jack's cousins, Steve and Myrna Webb visited me there. Jack set up our RV along the Potomac River among the beautiful fall leaves for my recovery. My high school friends, Kip Naugle, Kevin Malloy, and Felicia Hovermale (with her new puppy) visited us there, as did sailing buddies, Dick and Norma Huss. Jack took his job as exercise coach so seriously that I healed quickly enough to fly back to the boat in early November.
- Before flying south, we visited my younger sister, Louise, who is now in a facility that cares for Multiple Sclerosis patients in Philadelphia. We're glad she likes the staff and is making friends there.
We are in Bonaire now, having fun snorkeling and diving with our friends John Lewis, Don & Suzie and David & Mary from VA and MD.
NEWS FLASH! Our cousins John and Sandy Greens' 5th grandbaby, Charlotte Josephine Cannizzaro, was born Dec 9 to Katy and Lennie in Chicago, joining siblings, Leo and Caroline. Congratulations!
FUTURE PLANS
Our 2011 plans call for hauling out again in Curacao in May, and then fly to the USA. We will stop in Maryland and then head for Italy for a visit with cousins in Tuscany. Then fly to Alaska for a quick visit before heading back to the boat in early September. Then sail off to Aruba, spend Christmas 2011 in Cartagena, Colombia, sail off to the San Blas Islands in Panama and on to Colon, Panama. We plan to go through the Panama Canal in April 2012 and head for Costa Rica. In May 2012, we will ship Denali Rose on a cargo ship to Vancouver and will be back in the USA in June 2012! Of course, if we have a buyer for the boat, those plans will change a bit!
Jack's reminder: to follow our sailing route: look on the internet: http://www.winlink.org/userpositions and then type in Jack's ham call sign: KG4BYM and hit Search to see where our boat is on a map. You can also see our new website for the sale of Denali Rose: https://sites.google.com/site/nauticat43forsalesvdenalirose/
- My Facebook page has many of our travel photos. (I'm listed as Susie Hankey Webb.) My sailing article, My Hometown "Somewhere at Sea," was published in Mia Magazine's fall issue, which you can view online at http://www.miamagazine.net/readmia/fall2010.
We love hearing from you all, especially via E-mail, so please send a note (or your Christmas newsletter) to wanderingwebbs2@cs.com
God Bless you all, our deployed troops, and their families.
Jack Webb and Susan "Fred" Hankey Webb

PHOTOS (ATTACHED):
1. Our boat, Denali Rose, on mooring at Bonaire
2. Underwater photo of a French Angelfish, photo taken by Jack
3. Jack and Fred near a glacier near Whittier, Alaska
4. Fred with a mime in Curacao
5. Honorary grandkids, Tracer and Sierra Hovermale with "Nonnie" Fred wearing a fashionable (?) flat cap
6. Alyssa (age 2) and Mommy Samantha Hankey Dover with embroidered afghan Fred made for Alyssa
7. Last but not least, Jack, Rob, Clayton and Nonnie Fred after Rob attached rubber ducky to our "new" Toyota's hood in Wasilla Alaska