Charts Purchased

Well finally a small update, even though we have achieved so much over the last 2 weeks since updating the blog! We have all been insanely busy doing so many things as we get down to the last weeks before departure.

Thanks to my friends at Westfield who so thoughtfully gave us gift cards, we purchased the best Admiralty Navigation Charts that cover our route around the world, so every time we look at a Navigation chart we can think of all the wonderful people I had the honor to work with over 14 years....THANK YOU!!!

Just a few of the things we have been busy with include:

• starting to pack the boat (this alone is a monumental task I under estimated) 
• building some additional shelves for storage 
• ordering an unbelievable amount of spares for everything from engine spares, toilet spares, electrical etc etc!!! 
• researching and ordering backup paper navigation charts taking the boat to be hauled again to get a leaking thru-hull fixed (see attached pic of haul out on Wed this week) 
• fitted navigation light on back of new solar panels.  (A very big thank you to Roland at Carr Enterprises for working with us on the fabrication of the solar panel rack!)

  

  New Solar Panels and Rack System

• installed additional electrical and usb outlet in our cabin 
• fixed a slow electric toilet leak ...the fun stuff left to me ;) 
• fitted new tie down spot for life raft that is much more accessible in an emergency 
• completed entire new running rigging install & dinghy davits re-rig (thanks to Mac & James....you guys are awesome riggers & wonderful folks!!!) 
• installed backup small chart-plotter inside at chart table 
• inventorying spares into boxes as packing them.....I assure you this is a major task that Guds has undertaken, and if not done properly would be tough to find stuff ....kind of like trying to find a spanner on the International Space Station ;) 

  

  Boxes, Boxes and more boxes

• filled up with 100 gallons of diesel (that is all our 2 x 50 gallons take, but we will carry an additional 4 x 5 gallon Jerry cans for the long passages as backup)
• installed new Cool Runnings logo's on front bows and stern (thanks to our wonderfully talented friend Charles who designed these and "business cruising cards" and t-shirts)
  

 Anyway there is tons more...these are just off the top of my head. My sister Kim, and my mom and dad have also been a HUGE help, always there for us and assisting in so many ways...even cooking dinner for us every night which is so welcome after working since 5am and finishing at 8pm ;)

Hopefully when we finally go cruising we can back it down a bit and sleep in sometimes!!!!!

quick in and out same day haulout this past Wednesday

Trying on the survival suit

Working on battery combiners

We are getting there...!