Can't believe it! After three years including two seasons; after a dog attack, an emergent return home with a broken dog, weeks and weeks of hard hot labour, and after narrowly missing a disastrous outcome from Hurricane Newton..... Shannon's Spirit sits... waiting patiently... for us.
Today... we move aboard with the last of our belongings. Now, I'm not saying everything's neatly tucked away in our copious amount of storage base (cuz there isn't... great storage)... but I do know whatever makes the final cut (stays vs. goes) will find a home somewhere... tucked into some nook or cranny :-). We've done it before. It's amazing how much stuff can sift down and away into a small boat. It's also surprising how, on a small boat, you can lose things.... Some, never to be seen again until you sell and have to empty it. That's why we keep an inventory; lists and lists of bin numbers and locker locations... places like "port side, under V berth" and "centre, under aft berth". Now if only I could find all the notes and put them together :-). Anyway, we're pretty excited.
As you might correctly imagine, this will be a big change. Not only will we finally have all our belongings under one roof, but we will be leaving our rather spartan but familiar 'home' at Adlai Apartments. And, after three years, we'll finally be moving forward and committing to the plan of setting sail. That's pretty big, even for us. I have no doubt that excitement will rule over apprehension and by tonight we'll be sitting in the cockpit... thrilled we don't have to drive back to the other side of town, and sharing dreams as we gaze at the stars...yippee!!!!
The weather forecast is calling for rather high winds starting Wednesday, so we likely won't be crossing the Sea (over to the Baja side) until after they abate. But, we will... live on board at the dock for a few days (while we settle in, get our official papers organized, put the truck in storage, and provision for a 3-4 week journey down the Baja coastline). Then we'll move out to the anchorage where we'll spend a couple days making sure everything goes up and down like it should (anchor) and hoists and unfurls properly (sails) and performs when it's asked to (heads, water, electricity) and... when the weather Gods permit... we will set sail and head west. We are very happy to be moving forward.
Some of you have asked how things are going here given the highly publicized and outrageous 'reality show' unfolding to the north. The best way to describe it, I think, is that everyone seems to be in a 'wait and see' mode. That there will be change seems pretty obvious. How much and in what direction remains to be seen. There's not much we can do really, except wait and see how things go and keep an eye on the general mood.
With that, I must leave you... got a truck to pack. We hope all is well with each of you and will write again when there's a story to tell. Adios for now CJ
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