Chapter Three (Patience)

Well as of today February 26, 2017, we have everything provisioned for the boat.  We are now waiting for a last minute late delivery that is being sent from Colorado to us.  It will most likely be here tomorrow or possibly as late as Tuesday.  However, if it takes until Tuesday, then we don’t have a weather window to sail off until the weekend?  It is so frustrating?   In addition we had some unexpected issues with one of the wind generators.  On Friday we took it down, headed to Fort Lauderdale to an electronics business.  They fixed it and we came back 6 hours later. I hoisted Steve up the Mizzen,and  then he put the generator back into place.  He is now making sure all of the electronics are in working order.  It was a long day for both of us.  Me because I don’t understand all that goes into maintaining a boat and him because he is only one guy trying to take it all on!   So, here we sit on the boat not knowing when we can leave?  What I do know is that we can’t push it and leave until everything in place, wind speed and direction as well as tides?  Tomorrow we will return our rental car so we need to have everything that we need in place. And then we wait! And then wait for appropriate weather to cross the gulfstream.

Chapter two

This has been a very busy month. Even more so than the previous year or so. We have had so much to think about and so much planning to get ready for our first big adventure.  As you know this is a first for Steve and I.  Steve has been working very hard to get “Solmates” ready for this “First Adventure”.  Now we have to work on getting our house and our Colorado life on hold and secure to be sure that it is here when we return. Also, getting things at my work at Advanced Neurology organized so I can be gone without major Chaos?  I am very thankful that I have been given the opportunity to be gone and return when we are back.  I hope I have done enough to make this happen.  We have an amazing staff at work!  I have assured them I will be as available as possible, to help them via email and phone.

Imagine trying to plan on having everything you could possibly need for 3 months?  Here in Colorado we needed to get our home secure.  We have people looking in on our home on a regular basis.  We are so thankful for them.  Our trip was delayed when we found Steve’s Mom was ill.    We were able to help bring her home after a long battle with her illness.  She is finally on the road to recovery and has lots of family and friends to help in any way they can.  We will stay in touch with them. We have tried to assure all of our family and friends that we will be safe and take care of each other. Captain Steve has investigated and purchased all the latest technology to assure our safety.  As I mentioned, it is difficult thinking about what we could possibly need from home for the next 3 months?  From Clothing (We don’t need much) to emergency supplies, first aid equipment etc..  I guess if we forget it we buy it when we get to Florida and make lists of things we would do different next year?

So, on February 20,2017 we fly away to Fort Pierce Florida.  We then will board “Sol Mates”, get her  provisioned and ready to set sail.  Steve has been watching the weather closely.  There are so many factors to take into consideration.  The tide, the wind and wave speed and direction and approaching weather systems.   Once all of those things are in place, we leave Fort Pierce, we will then sail south to Lakeworth.  We will probably try to connect with others that are headed to the Bahamas.   We plan to leave early in the morning before sun rise and sail across the gulfstream onto the Bahama bank before night fall the next day. Depending on the weather we will be able to clear customs a day or two later at Spanish Cay or Green turtle Cay.

We will post again with pictures once we get to Florida, until then!