Getting Close!

With less than two weeks left before out foreseen departure date things seem to be coming along nicely.  The interior of the boat has been cleaned and organized and is awaiting its first load of stores.  We plan to hit up the grocery store tonight for our first shopping trip.  These trips are both fun and dreaded at the same time.  I enjoy the shopping part, but I dread paying the bill at the end.  There isn't enough planning or calculating in the world that can prepare you for trying to buy enough food for 6 months.  We have a well thought out list of all the supplies we think we will need and always second guess when we get to the store: should we get another 5 pounds of rice? do we have enough canned meat?  How much toilet paper do we really need? Do we really need another pound of m&m's?  The only aisle we really really need to spend time in is the chocolate aisle.  As two self diagnosed chochoholics running out two weeks into a six week passage spells disaster and a very long four weeks.  I've already scoped out my secret hiding spots where I can hide the good stuff and I won't have to share with Kevin, unless it comes in handy for bribery after he is out! 

There are really just three major things that need to happen on deck before we take off: finish the windvane, finish the varnishing and finish painting the cockpit.  After those three things happen we will be more or less ready to take off.  Of course we could spend the next year working on the boat 7 days a week and never run out of things to do, but we'll just finish the things that HAVE to be taken care and get on the road. 

We have been able to get the boat out a few times in the past week for a sail!  Once to test the new windvane.  It works like a beauty!  We are so excited to have this new piece of equipment and will be able to sleep easier knowing it is steering the boat!  The second time was for the Wednesday night beer can races.  on an average week there are only about five boats that participate.  However, none of them have a windvane, wind generator or outboard hanging of the stern.  Even with all that we didn't come in last, so all in all it was a successful day of racing!  It helps that it was a beautiful evening!