12/8/05

We are diligently studying the weather fax and charts for a good weather window to cross the Gulf.    After this very cold, cold front, we are planning to set out on Saturday morning right behind it.  Right now, on the forecast, we can see at least 5 days of good seas and weather.

We took our car on Wednesday to CarMax, so we are on foot now.   We were talking how strange that  feels.....to not have a car. 

Saying our goodbyes to our family and friends in Waxahachie was difficult.  We are thankful for email on board and Skype, so we can keep in contact while we are cruising.

Ken and Karen on Bear Necessity have always told us that the best thing about cruising, is meeting so many good people.  It was very hard for us to leave our dear friends at Cedar Mills Marina at Lake Texoma.   Now, we have only been at the Kemah Boardwalk for 10 months, but, have also met so many good friends, that we cannot say "goodbye", but we can say, "we will see you out there".   So, I think Ken and Karen were correct.  Meeting friends along the way is worth the trip to get there. 

We can truthfully say, "We have done everything possible to prepare Valentina for our upcoming adventures".   We know she will be stable and secure and safely take us to new horizons.

Well, if all goes well, we will cast off our lines on Monday, December 5th headed to the Dry Tortugas.   We have a good weather window and the autopilot is ready.

We will take our car to CarMax in Houston early Monday morning and then, when we get back to the boat, we will head out the ship channel to Galveston.   Our plan is to go to the Flower Gardens, about 100 miles out, then take a left to the Dry Tortugas.  Probably a 6 or 7 day sail (or motor).

Sunday, Sonny is going to make some final adjustments on the autopilot while Kay does the final "wash clothes" routine.   She is going to cook a roast in the crock pot so we will have a quick meal, while underway.  

We need to make one "final" run to West Marine.   How many times have we said, "this is our last order"???

We also need to top off the diesel and water on the boat before we head out.

And...........take a very long, hot water shower and.... just let the water run....

Valentina is still at Kemah Boardwalk, waiting on the part for our autopilot to arrive.   According to today's update on the internet, it has arrived in the US, so hopefully, we will have it in the next day or two.

We have been diligently busy though, as we wait.   We went to WalMart on Tuesday afternoon, and bought enough groceries to provision our trip for several months.  We may have to raise the water-line again, after we loaded all of our provisions.     It still amazes me...how much storage space there is in a boat.   We have packed things away that we may never find.    (I also have made an inventory list of all of our hiding places that are full).

We have completed and marked off........list after list.    When you think of anything you may need, medical, grocery, boat parts, cleaning, etc......it can fill our hiding places in a hurry.   I think we are fully prepared.    If we do not have it, we must not need it.

We have been trying to sell the car, without much luck.   This morning, we went to CarMax in Houston, and we were very relieved to get an appraisal from them that is about $75 above our payoff.  We are excited.    We will have seven days to take them the car, so hopefully, that will work out perfect with our schedule.

We enjoyed our good friends, Ken and Karen Kruse of Bear Necessity, down last weekend.   Ken and Sonny tried all kinds of new ideas on the autopilot, to no avail while Karen and Kay walked and shopped.   We also had a dinner party at Jim and Linda Hall's home with Ken and Karen and Russ and Carole.... three cruising couples we could ask questions and listen to their  cruising stories.

We went home to Waxahachie for Thanksgiving with the kids and family.   Of course, we ate too much turkey...........but, it was so good to see all of the family.

After Thanksgiving, Sonny talked to the autopilot representative and they said our autopilot shaft is too small for our boat and they are sending us a larger one from France on 11/28.   Hopefully, we will receive it by Thursday, and he can replace the shaft....and, all will be fine.

Kay has finished refreshing the teak with some new coats of varnish.

This week, while we are waiting on our autopilot part, we are trying to sell our car, get last food provisions, scotchgard the bimini, prepare jacklines, studying and figuring out the weatherfax on the ham radio, stash more and more bottles of water away in nooks and crannies, install locks on three cabinet doors that did not have any so they will not fly open while we are sailing, and install a foot pump in the galley so we can use salt water, when possible, to conserve on the fresh water. 

We still have a list of things to be completed before we depart, but we are getting things done and hope to cross the Gulf soon.

We had David, Gina, Kalei, Ashley and Kawika on the boat Friday night and Saturday.  We had a fun, busy day with our kids and grandkids.  On our morning walk, Sonny had someone who would explore the trails with him.   Our grandkids' favorite part was a secluded spot with a swing from a tree made out of a skateboard and huge rope.

We have had a setback, the past couple of days.   Our new autopilot is making a noise that we do not feel is correct.   The company sent us a new valve from France.  Sonny replaced the valve on Tuesday, but it still makes the noise.   Now, the company is saying it may be the pump and they have found one other in the world making the same noise and vibration.    The company in Switzerland will be testing the pump and results should be completed in a couple of weeks.   They suggested we wait for the results.  We will talk to them again today.

While Sonny was installing the valve on the autopilot, he noticed the cable from our rudder to the helm was frayed.   So, he has replaced the cable on Wednesday.   We are so thankful to have found that!  That would have, no doubt, have broken in the worst time possible.

Kay is varnishing, weather permitting. 

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