Ready?

Well it's just a few days until I load up the rental car and head for Charleston. I can really relate to the little kid in the Disney commercial that can't sleep. It's definitely becoming real. Real what I'm not sure.

Plans
The crews are pretty well set. Amanda to New Bern; Lois to Baltimore; Mike & Nichole to NYC (depending on Mike's new job); Bobbie, Terry, & Dean to Syracuse (with Rachel joining us in Albany); and Brad to Buffalo. From there I'm not sure what I'll do; perhaps I'll just give up boating and start playing golf.
Marina reservations have been made at each of the terminal locations, all of my airline tickets are confirmed, and we all have been researching the possible stops along the way. Most days should be less than 5 hrs motoring (except for the Erie Canal) with some time built in for delays for weather, mechanical problems, sight seeing, laundry, meetings, and mental health emergencies.

Boat
The painter was putting the new name on last Friday and reported that I was getting my monies worth, with a mechanic repairing the forward airconditioner and Larry patching the gel coat (someday I'll remember that there is a swim platform on the stern that I can't see from the helm). Additionally the electricians should be finished with the cosmetic work around the new radar, the diver should clean the bottom and replace the zincs this week, and Heath should be finishing the detailing. Thursday and Friday I'll clean the sea strainers, put in new filters, pack the gear and stock the groceries. Oh how I'm reminded of the old adage that a boat is a hole in the water....

Packing
My living room is looking more like Christmas than Easter with all the gear I'm taking down. With bedding, spare anchor, inflatable, charts, radios, toys & games, galley stuff, laptop, clothes, etc., I wonder if I should have used U-Haul instead of Hertz. I have no idea where I'll put all this "stuff" when I get to the boat. Perhaps I can convince Jason to convert his garage to a self-storage facility, otherwise I have this mental picture of the ICW looking like the wagon trails when the pioneers were traveling west in the 19th century.

And Finally a Home
I've been accepted in the Maumee River Yacht Club (Walbridge park) and have a dock assigned and waiting for me when I arrive. I regret that I'll miss the Commodores Ball since I'll be somewhere in the ICW near Atlantic City that evening, but I'm sure I'll have other opportunities to meet the membership.