Empty Slip

Finally the boat was loaded, our storage locker on land was cleaned out, the rental car was returned, and if we forgot it at this point it’s too bad. Although I’m sure it will take us quite a while to figure out if we actually forgot something or not, by then I doubt we’ll even care. We pulled out of the slip Saturday afternoon, taking the docklines with us, not planning to return. There is certainly something definitive about pulling the dock lines off the pilings. For the first time in weeks we breathed a sigh of relief, the preparations are over, they are either done or not, we are on our way. Our way on Saturday took us a whole half a mile to the Rhode River. Where we dropped our new Rockna anchor, it sure is big but it stopped us fast and held tight all night. Although we didn’t go far at least we got our tanks full of diesel and felt like we were on our way.

Our preparations of the past few weeks have certainly been paying off. The new upholstery makes for a very pleasant living environment, the new stove easily lights and makes cooking a joy, the new bimini is not torn and is a nice cheery white, but best of all is the diesel heater. No more cold nights at anchor!

We spent Sunday night at Solomon’s Island, MD and are now on our way to Deltaville. It’s a beautiful day, not much wind so there is no sailing, but at least the overcast, cold dreary, rainy weather has passed... For now. We hope to get to Norfolk, VA after the Great Bridge Lock has reopened and all the backed up boat traffic has had a chance to clear out and head on south.

Relaunched

Passport is wet again. Take a look at the new trailer used to do the job. Not your standard travel lift but it worked just fine. Got the new solar panels mounted while we were on the hard. They are not yet wired, but no longer on our berth. The higher priority is the Espar diesel heater. We should be ready to head south by the middle of next week after the next front.

Homeless

Last week we sold the car, packed up the house, locked the doors and walked away. While that may sound simple and easy it was a week of utter chaos. Last minute errands (while we still had a car), visiting with friends we'll not see for a long time, and the seemingly endless packing. We sent carloads of stuff home with friends, we put carloads in storage in several locations, we sealed some in storage at the house, and yet we arrived in Galesville with a car stuffed full.

The morning my parents showed up ready to load our stuff in the car and leave, we had about half the house emptied. My wonderful parents spent the next six hours helping us pack, sort, and clean before driving us to Maryland. Somehow my Dad managed to get everything we were taking in the car, I'm still not sure how he did it. Perhaps he has a magical bag that things disappeared into as he packed.

Although we managed to meet our deadline and get out of the house so the renters can move in, the boatyard is behind schedule, due to unforeseen circumstances and acts of nature (rain), our beloved Passport is still on land getting her bottom painted. While she is on land there is no heat, no toilet, no water and no drains. Not a very comfortable place to stay especially in Maryland in November. We are fortunate to have some very generous friends that are allowing us to stay on their boat until Passport gets back in the water (hopefully Tuesday).

We still have a few projects to get done before we untie the dock lines, a heater this year being a high priority. We hope to be on our way by the 15th at the latest if not before. And there is all that stuff we brought to sort thorough, put away and get rid of what is not needed. Although I got rid of garbage bags full of clothes I still have way too many. It's astounding how things accumulate!