Can you believe that we have been too busy to write anything for lo these many months - but that does not indicate sloth. No, we've been working day and night to get the boat ready for her big voyage. We went into the boatyard for a much needed coat of bottom paint and all the usual underwater tuneups. Then we had to finish installing all the toys. Her final addition was a set of davits that allow us to hoist the dinghy out of the water without having to deflate it each time. If the weather is good, we just carry the dinghy on the davits. If a major storm was threatening, then we would deflate the dinghy, but most of the time it will be ready to go. Getting it out of the water keeps things from growing on its bottom and makes it hard for anyone to make off with it without making a lot of noise.
Andrea has been busy shopping for supplies, organizing our mobile life, and mastering the art of stowing. You can't believe how many bags and boxes of food and supplies have disappearing into the boats lockers. She is now in total control because she is the only one who knows where anything is. Well, even she can't find the fuel filters.
Then it was time for retirement. Last friday, the office had a nice luncheon for us and a warm send off. So now I have been retired for 4 days and since departure is tomorrow, lots of folks have dropped by to offer wishes for a happy voyage. We've been invited to dinner and tonight a lot of my office friends came by. We are exhausted but I felt that I had better rediscover how to send a blog since this is how we will be documenting our adventures. Tomorrow at noon a group of amigos will be on hand to help us cast off the docklines and sail away from Santa Cruz. It will be sad, but also exciting. Stay tuned for the beginning of the sailing chronicles.
It had been two years since her bottom was done - there were green growing things in abundance. We painted, scraped, buffed and waxed. It's like painting half a whale and then waxing the other half. We were sore and exhausted, but it felt good to have her in top condition for her big sail. 
