The Eve of Departure

Last day of work.

By the Captain
The first mate and I had our last day of work on Oct 3,2014.  It was mostly uneventful, but I had a great deal of trouble getting my Give-A-Shit (GAS) meter off of empty.  There was a party however. 

The guys at the marina decided to have a Bon Voyage party for us that Saturday night after we had quit our jobs.  It was a great party.  There was karaoke and a lot of really good singers.   Even the first mate sang a few songs.

The 1st mate got a cake

1st mate sang a song for us.

The run up to departure.

Our original plan was to sail away on Wednesday.  We made lists of the things we had to complete and assigned them to the days they would be done.  Each day things got added to the list.  So many things kept getting added to the list the departure day was moved to Thursday morning.  We sold the cars, emptied the storage unit, stored things on board, tied things down, bought spares, provisioned, fueled up, serviced the winches, changed the engine oil, finalized financials and legal requirements, change of addresses, canceled the mail, canceled the news paper, etc. 

Getting fuel and doing the final pump out.

In addition the 1st mate investigated anchorages, dockage and routes each night.  The first night we will get from Baytown to Laguna Point dock and tie up.  It is free and we like free.  The second night we would like to get as far as Shell Island TX and anchor for the night.  The following night we would like to get as far as the Mermentau River, LA and anchor again. 

We watched the weather and saw there was a front headed our way for Monday night.  Our plan is to get to the Delcambre Yacht Marina Saturday night.  This would give us some slack to be secure before the front arrived.  The transit slip fee is very reasonable here at $35/night.  We will also try to connect with some friends we have in the area.  It would be nice to see them and maybe get a ride to the store.

The OMG moments.

Tamera and I go through these moments of excitement followed by absolute panic.  Moments of thinking about being in the Bahamas and having a great time.  Moments when we realize we have no jobs, no car, no house, no address.  How do you get parts from the internet without an address?  I ordered some spare for the engine and had them sent to a marina that is about 10 days out in our travels.  I had to call the marina and agree to a transit slip at their marina and they would accept the parts on my behalf and I will pick this up there.  How do we get internet as we travel thru the waterways?  How do we navigate the Florida Keys?  What will crossing the Gulf Stream to the Bahamas be like?  I have heard horror stories.  OMG what have we done?

The eve before departure

Tomorrow morning we will awake, have a last cup of coffee at the marina store, say our last good byes and untie the lines and leave to start our new adventure.  Just writing it make my heart flutter and I can admit it all scares the crap out of me.  I hope I have the courage to make this happen.  My 1st mate does not seem as anxious as me.  She may be but is very good at hiding it.

Farewell for now for I don't know when we will have enough time and internet connectivity to post again.  It may not be until Delcambre.