FINAL PREPARATIONS - ALMOST READY TO GO

Well today is Sat, Feb 19 and we are almost ready to go. Today while Joy and Steve Franko went charter fishing, I walked down to Marathon Marine yard to get a switch so that Steve can replace the old switch for the front head shower pump. After Joy got back(see picture of the CATCH OF THE DAY, she put in the switch.

We got our diesel, water, and gas the other day. On the way to the pumps, we ran aground just off the last boat in the mooring field in about 4 feet of water.
We finally powered off to the right, moved about 10 feet and suddenly we were in
10 feet of water. Must have been a high spot on the harbor floor.

Monday is a holiday at the marina, they are all city employees. there are about 10 boats leaving on Monday for Bimini, Bahamas. We are going to leave at noon for a 20 hour overnight sail with a almost full moon, and fairly flat seas. Should be
an interesting experience. we will have radio check every couple of hours, Joy is planning on sleeping from 8 pm to midnight, then I try to sleep 12 to 4 am.

High Spirits is ready to go. Everyone who knows boats says she will not let us down and get us safely to Bahamas.

The big news there is that Nick and Sue Buehler are joining us for at least a week in the first part of March. They are in the midst of a trip to Hilton Head, Key
West and then the Bahamas.

We want to take time and thank Linda and Steve Franko for all of their friendship over the past years, especially these last couple of days where Steve has worked on getting all the little problems we had with High Spirits fixed ( esp the front holding tank). They are great friends and love to play Euchre. Ladies versus Gentlemen.

We will have spotty Internet in the Bahamas so we will not be posting every day but we will blog when we can at Internet cafes and at marinas that have WiFi.

Thanks to everybody who reads and follows our adventure. It has been a fantastic
experience for me. I know Joy feels the same. I could not have done this trip without her love and support and ability to put up with some pretty dumb stuff that I have done the last 8 months.

Joe

PS Pictures today include one of Ann, the administrative assistant at the Marina, a group shot of all the people leaving on Monday, Molly and Joshua( two sailors from Boston, MA), and Joy holding the prize catch of her fishing adventure!!