S/V Wild Swan: February 2015

Hello Folks! Sorry for the lengthy delay in entries. Alas, this seems to be a problem that plagues all Bloggers. Seems like anytime you actually have time to sit down and write, all you want to do is veg and enjoy a cold drink. Well, At work I'm not allowed to drink so it's where I get most of my entries done. It also helps that I spend a majority of my time looking out a window cursing the existence of Sea Gulls whom I despise. Dirty flying rats.... Grumble Grumble..... This time is great for making Blog entries and also allowing time for me to contemplate all of the upcoming projects that we must do causing me much anxiety. Too much time to think can be bad for anyone. Too much time to think and Google at your fingertips can be especially bad! Ashley has started putting restrictions on my internet use mainly to protect my sanity!

Reading Moitessier's Blog has led to a great amount of panic concerning Chain Plates in our beloved HC. On the HC33 the chain plates are encapsulated so there is no way to actually inspect them without cutting a hole in the boat. A process which makes all boat owners queasy. Lucky for us, there is a sailor at our Marina that owns a portable X-ray business who said he would x-ray our boat for us!! We haven't discussed price, but I think good bottle of scotch will do it for him. I just have to get a hold of him and set up a time which is proving to be more than difficult with the limited amount of time we have left before moving South.

Speaking of moving South, it's quickly approaching! April 27th the truck arrives. Holy Moly. I know that sounds Months away, but a whole month and a half of that I will be at work and two weeks of that is our grand tour of the US visiting Ashley's Family. ( CT, VT, MA, CO and SD) This whole past month at home, We both busted our butts getting our house ready to rent. Why on earth is the nicest your house will ever be is when you are fixing it up for other people?? At the end of four weeks we still weren't done and Ashley has been spending every afternoon after work and her weekends finishing up! We hope to have it ready to go on the Market to rent next week. FINALLY!!! Once that's done, it crazy time stripping the deck and getting ready for the truck. But it's almost here!! We are heading back to the Salt!! I cannot express how happy this makes me!! It's a major step towards being anchored in the Islands!!

As for the boat. Our new Bimini and dodger are almost done!! It's been a long project since we had none to begin with and it's all custom made. The guy doing it is amazing but I keep having to remind him that we are moving 7 hours South soon. When he is done, we will have a fully enclosed cockpit! SWEET!! Also, the boat knowing I was out of town decided to blow an element in the Hot water heater blowing the dock breaker (Reverse Polarity) Not a huge deal since Ash can heat the water with the engine, but still something to work on when I return home.