Not Yet!!!

Trying to sort out everything and prepare to manage from afar proves to be more work than anticipated. No surprise, but here we sit, still at the dock.
It really is a good thing we were here, Friday night winds were 20-30 gusting to 40 mph!!! It was a wild ride and we were up every couple of hours lashing down stuff that was not secured.

At 5:30am the staysail (small sail just forward of the mast, aft of the jib) came unfurled and we had to take it down in crazy winds. No fun wresling a heavy piece of canvase with ropes and hard rings attached. No damage done, but a boater on the next dock was not so lucky as his jib was shredded during the same winds. Probably cost $500-$700 used, yikes!!

Great strides have been made and we will be out of the house tonight. On top of everything else, I have a cough, runny nose and no energy.

Bottom line, we will be heading out mid week . . . I think.

Going Away

We just had our bon voyage party and we are overwhelmed at the love and support of people we have met along the way. It was amazing how many people came and I believe a testament to the power of a dream coming to fruition.

Friends and family brought crayons, colored pencils, and construction paper for us to give to rural children and schools. Generous lot, our friends.

We are truly blessed by the many people who have touched our lives over the years. Thank you all.

Electronics We Got Electronics

So we now have:
computer
VHF radio
hand held VHF
stereo
MP3 player
GPS
S.P.O.T. gps check-in/emergency locater
chartplotter
autopilot (Thanks CPT autopilot!)
solar panels

This list seems shorter than I thought it would. Keep in mind I also need to make sure they function properly, and that WE function properly in unison with them. Make sure the maps are correct, we have batteries, and chargers for everything.
Oh, and they all have to "talk" to each other! Exciting to have new toys, but a little overwheming to get them all together!

From what I've seen, most cruising boats have MUCH more in the way of electronic devices, but that is just much more to go wrong. Now that we have our autopilot, we are pretty comfortable with how the boat is outfitted. It would not be fun to hand steer the boat all the way to Mexico.

Provisioning

Went to Costco yesterday, I had a budget in my mind of $100 to do a little provisioning. Not everything, just some things to get started. The $100 is because I am working on being a cash only person. It is pretty easy to use and ATM or credit card, even if there is no money in there, I have overdraft. Makes it too easy to NOT keep track of expenses.

So I think I'm adding up the cost of things, it seems EVERYTHING in Costco is either $5+ or $10+, and I know I have a little more than $100 to spend. I think I'm being careful, and the total is . . . $199. !!!!! Should have known.

Have I mentioned Marcus and I have different views of things? I get home late and it takes several trips to bring all the stuff to the house. He thinks we are bringing 5 days of food and buying more along the way as we need it. I think we need 5 weeks of food and will supplement as we go along. He thinks I have bought too much, I think I have bought too little. What ya gonna do?

Well, I'm gonna go shopping, I need some canned chicken . . .

What Are You, Crazy?

How do you explain to your family and friends you are pulling up stakes from a good job and a nice house; the safety and security of hearth and home? How do you explain that to yourself?

We are feeling pretty time strapped right about now. Still so much to do and the clock is moving at fast forward. This morning my daughter said, what are you so stressed about, you are leaving for a long vacation . . .

VACATION?? VACATION!! Let's see, I will be "camping out" on the water. No TV, occasional access to the internet, no dishwasher, stocked corner store, refrigeration, minimal electrical access. I'll be cooking in an area with the the footprint of an ice chest, washing clothes by hand in a bucket, water measured by cups, not gallons, weather determining everything you do. Probably will be to hot, too cold, too wet, too tired; a lot.

Your home is subject to being tossed, turned, dragged, rammed and sunk. To go anywhere you must take the dinghy to shore and walk or take a sketchy bus and carry groceries in a backpack. Oh yeah, and the people speak a different language and it takes some doing to figure out where you want to go.

I'm selling, giving away or throwing away all but my most treasured possessions, and going to live in a 32 by 10 ft boat far from the people I love.

We don't have a source of income, and very limited savings, so we will be working as we go. The goal is to live on less than $1000 per month. Mexico is an economical place to be sure, but that is not a lot when you consider food, fuel, water, an occasional night in a marina, and transportation home.

Yes there will be lots of sleepy little lagoons, fascinating people and priceless experiences, but I'm not sure I would classify it as a vacation. Don't mind me, I'm having a paper bag day.

New Bottom Job!

Paper Bag Days

Every so often it becomes a little hared to breath, my mind starts racing in circles and I don't know if I can do this. Where will we put these clothes, food, tools, spares? CAN I DO THIS? I'm not 22 anymore, this is crazy, storms, dragging anchors, days at sea . . . MY FAMILY! I'LL MISS MY FAMILY!
Deep breath, step onto Quiet Moon. It seems when I am near my beautiful boat, there is a peace, a happiness. I know it is a little idealistic, and we will have tough days, but she inspires calmness and confidence in me. Another option is to go back in my mind to sitting in the cockpit of Western Grace sailing along off the coast of California. AHHHH my own form of meditation!