Finally

Well, we’re almost ready to go. We spent today doing some re-provisioning (mostly food and dog treats). We finally got the recharge kits for the automatic lifejackets. And we took a last walk in the sunshine. Unfortunately, Guinness went hunting for muskrats in the water-filled ditches along the road. He scared up one almost as big as a football, and he got himself bitten on the nose. Plus he was a muddy mess. So we had to give him a bath, and treat his nose. He’s fine. It was just a scratch.

It’s a beautiful evening, probably 10° warmer than it was last night, and we are quite relaxed. The windows are all washed (important for spotting buoys), and the bilges are all dry. We’ve topped off the fuel tank and the water tanks, and our navigational routes are all pre-loaded into the chart plotter. I think we’re ready to go.

In the morning we’ll have some breakfast, walk the dog, reset the trip log, and cast off the lines.

Our first stop is Solomon’s Island, about 4 hours south.

I have to admit that I’ve been frustrated by this weather delay, and I am really looking forward to casting off tomorrow.

We have a morning checklist: uncouple the shore power and store the power cord, bring the water hose on board, put on our lifejackets, and bring all the dock lines on board. Then we are off.

The forecast calls for 5-10 knot winds and seas of just 1 foot. Wind right on the bow. We’re expecting a great trip, and I think we’ll be rewarded for waiting.

Note to Ed Bednarz: Thanks for the old Robert Ludlum book. He writes like he was being paid by the word, but I could not have gotten through the last few days without him!