Farewell

We hosted an “open boat” yesterday with great success.  Thanks to Lynn and Debbie, Darusha and Stephen, Jordan and Judy, Bert, Carey and Natasha, Mark and Pam, Rose and Paul, Chris and Jacquie, Rob, Feather, Andrew, Carol and Kelly, Rob and Kim.  I hope I didn’t miss anyone here and if I did, my sincere apologies.  It was great for Cathy and I to have our friends come down and see what we have done with Tarun and raise a glass (or 2 or 3 or ….).  If Lynn or Debbie is reading this, you’ll have to deal with Rob and Kim over the dehumidifier.  We didn’t realize you had not taken it until later in the evening.  Thanks to all for coming out and for the spirits to keep our spirits up!!

The Last Day

The boat is ready (we hope), the lockers are stuffed with food and spares, the engine is serviced (thanks Rob), and we are ready to go.  The last few weeks have been a SHOPPING FRENZY.  Cathy has done an amazing job sorting out food and making menu plans.  Not to mention figuring out ways to store everything.  We have lists of locker contents and now we have to find the discipline to use them.  We even managed to replace our one cracked salon window this week.  No leaks and no broken windows for the first time in 3 years (procrastination IS an art form).  We are looking very much like a cruising boat with jerry cans along the rail, wind steering, wind/water generator, liferaft, outboard, etc.  It’s hard to believe that we are finally getting ready to untie the lines.  The first leg planned for tomorrow is quite short, Sidney to Ladysmith to pick up a mooring near where my parents live.  Dinghy to shore and borrow their car to drive to Duncan on Monday to pick up our meat order from the Duncan butcher.   Nanaimo on Tuesday for that last Costco run and then we plan to start north in earnest on Wednesday (weather permitting).  In the immortal words of Martin Luther King Jr. “Free and last, free at last, thank god almighty we are free at last”