We spent the final days before the Gulf passage checking and double-checking systems, filling water and diesel tanks, etc. For me, the preparation had been somewhat emotional. It was a very weird feeling to know we were leaving, I mean really leaving. This wasn’t a two-week vacation; this was going to be our life, the boat was our home and we were not planning to return anytime soon. So the emotions ranged from giddy excitement that the year of preparation was finally coming to fruition, to trepidation wondering about the weather and storms, to nervousness about my ability to really sail this big boat with just the two of us and finally to the realization that I would not be seeing many friends and family for quite some time. So basically, it was an emotional roller coaster. However, excitement to finally be starting our cruising life and this new adventure took precedence.
Several friends and family had made the trek down over the last few months to see the boat and wish us well. Other friends stopped by the last few days to drop off food and wish us bon voyage. We enjoyed their visits and implored them to journey with us during some part of our adventure. I know we will make new friends, but we are fortunate to have numerous remarkable friends who have supported us during this past year.
Deb and Ron had been virtual life savers over and over as they only live a few miles from the marina. Ron had diligently assisted Ben with the mechanics of the boat, while Deb made us slipcovers for our very worn saloon cushions.
We have used their house as our mailing address, and they have received a plethora of Amazon packages for us. I used their washing machine on a weekly basis and will certainly miss this luxury once we leave dock.
It was hard to believe that when we leave for Key West on April 17 it would be just one day shy of a year since we docked from our Martinique trek on April 18, 2020. It has been a long year as we closed out our Fort Worth house and got it rented. Plus, we sold both our remaining cars. These tasks were completed while still incessantly working on our boat. During the last two weeks, we commissioned the water maker, got our new deckhouse stainless handrails, and had side enclosures installed.
Thus, ready or not it was time to leave as insurance requires us to be north of Cape Hatteras by June 1 and it was now the middle of April.
Begin this series at Crossing the Gulf.
