Last minute chores....

If the weather powers that be cooperate, we should be leaving tomorrow for a little mini cruise. Most sailors refer to these little test runs as "shake down" cruises. Its a chance to see how the boat and equipment are functioning and to ensure that all systems are go before heading out far away from chandleries, shops and marine repairmen.

 I like to think of our little jaunt as a "Suck!!" down cruise. As in, 'we do not have XYZ on the boat and man does it ever suck'. Take for instance the fact that currently our water tanks are not plumbed as we await checking the refurbishment of the water system off the check list. So we are going to have to jug the water which is not ideal at all but it will work.

What should add to the suckage is the unmerciful heat we have just now. It is stupid, stupid hot. Hovering right at 100 Farenheit in the afternoon and if you are in the sun it feels even hotter. I've never been one to perspire in a dainty manner and you can't say I sweat like a pig because pigs do not sweat. I sweat a LOT. August in Texas usually means I am absolutely covered in a thick sheen of perspiration. This is why I perpetually look as if I have just stepped out of a swimming pool in summer. I am just trying to function while my face is melting off. Jumping in for a swim to cool off isn't really an option. The visibility of the Gulf of Mexico water here on the Texas coast is about 3 inches. I do not mind swimming in the ocean unless I cannot see what/who I am swimming with. That kinda skeeves me out. So Sweaty Betty I shall be. I figure if I can keep a happy disposition while I am being baked to a golden crisp by the sun, with no opportunity to rinse off the sweat, with a cranky and hot preteen and toddler on board I can do anything.

We are ticking off last minute items of our check list. One of the big ones was removing our main sail (Baggy MacBaggerton) to replace a missing batten and patch up the batten pockets which had torn. Poor sad little sail. It has seen some abuse in its lifetime and now as it winds down its career its like an aging athlete who is held together only with tape, physical therapy and an iron clad, unescapable contract. Hang in there Baggy, you shall be retired soon.

Mark took photographic evidence of me actually sewing a patch on the sail. Me sewing, by hand with the evil sail palm which refused to sit properly on my hands and insisted on rubbing my hands raw. My sewing machine is no longer my arch nemesis, the sail palm is. Seems no one makes them small enough for people with T Rex hands such as mine. Its like shoes- if they are too big you get blisters. Thank goodness Mark took pity and finished the other patch up.

So we are off to put the main sail back on, finish up the last minute items, check off the provisions list, load up the boat and tomorrow we head out to see how we do. How long are we off for? A couple of days then its back home to port to put the final items on our work list for the boat to shorten the suck list.

14 months....