Moving day is almost here!

We are planning on moving aboard this coming Tuesday, October 1st.  It is hard to believe the date is arriving so quickly.  I was rather bummed that the new West Marine store in Newport is just now opening, as we won't get to shop there due to our new location.  We did venture in last Friday, opening day, and it is a pretty amazing store.  Lot's of new stuff to tempt us, fortunately we don't have space onboard.
   Leif and I have both been packing up the house, mostly into bins in the garage.  It is incredible how much useless stuff one acquires but to throw it away?? Never!  Well, actually yes, we've dumped quite a bit of things, clothes, office supplies, garden stuff.  We are so glad that our house/dog sitter from our last trip will be staying again and keeping Casey and Woody happy and healthy.
   Leif has installed the solar panels on to the stern, above the bimini on their own rail.  He also has added a lee board divider in the aft cabin... shaped, sanded, varnished...   It all takes time.  I have been packing up some food, using the food saver once again.  I'm not going overboard with the food this time, as we arrived back in the states with some of the stuff we left with.  However, Ding Dongs will definitely be onboard.  Thank you to whoever bought Hostess!  And of course lots of wine, esp. Mezza Corona Pinot Grigio, Leif's favorite stand by, and a few reds for me.  We discovered that Argentinian wines are sold in Mexico and are pretty decent. 
   Today Leif is going back down to the boat to hook up the solar panels and organize some of the lockers.  Even though the boat is larger, it has less storage than the Honcho.  A bit hard to believe, but we slept in the aft cabin and used the V berth for all sorts of storage.  We're switching that this time, and so far it seems a tighter fit.
  I have been teaching 7th and 8th grade over the past two weeks.  It was an absolute joy to meet the new students and be a part of their lives for a couple of weeks.  They are really nice young people, on the other hand, it's a relief to know that I can now focus entirely on the boat and house. 
   Last trip I was suffering from the onset of rheumatoid arthritis, and it seemed a long road to feeling better and able to even hang on to the boat rails.  It was a bit disconcerting that if I needed to grab something to hang on to, I couldn't.  Now, several years later and with the help of medicine, I am feeling almost normal? and have been working on the boat, golfing, even surfed once.  So, this will be an easier start for me.  No more on that. 
Pictures to come soon, I've been negligent with the camera, and those I did take were deleted.

Labor Day Weekend

We are continuing to prepare Finisterra, so our holiday weekend is being spent in the Long Beach Marina shipyard.  The boat was hauled out last Thursday for new bottom paint and to replace a through-hull for speed.  It always seems to take longer than anticipated, so we'll go back in the water next Wednesday.  While the boat is out, Leif has installed the brain-box for the wireless instrument system, and of course that means running wires!  To the main electrical panel that is.  Also, he put new grooved rollers on the stem head fitting so the anchor chain will run smoothly, not bounce.  This of course meant that I needed to run all over looking for a 5 1/2 inch hex bolt. 


Good luck getting aboard. 

   The cockpit table has been installed and it helps keep an open feeling in the cockpit whilst we are dining, or sitting.  Our dodger cover and intermediate piece have been shipped back for modifications so they join together more efficiently, so during this hot spell, we have little shade...

Walking on the water...

   I've been adding insulation to the fridge and freezer, in hopes of keeping the temperature down in the tropics.  All this work is being completed while the boat is 10' in the air, so climbing up and down a ladder is adding to the exercise routine.  Probably good for both of us!  Just don't miss-step. 









We also had the life raft recertified, and got a good look at it.

The happy couple, prior to the work.