I went and visited the boat today to make sure I was clear on what equipment is in the boat.  For example I wasn't sure if there was refrigeration, there is.  Getting on the boat today really amped up the anticipation!  I looked around, opened all the drawers and cabinets, checked out the control panel and the nav. station. I reviewed the electronics aboard and scoped the cockpit again. Danielle at Seaforth even gave me their packing and checkout lists so I know exactly what will be on the boat and what they'll have checked prior to us getting there.

Damn I love the smell of a boat!  So all looks good on that front.  We're currently scheduled to head out Sunday evening sometime, hopefully before 7. I got the go-ahead from Seaforth to arrive and start loading around 4PM.  With that I don't see why we can't get off the dock by even 6...  We'll see.

Kurt and Sylvia got in last night and Kurt and I started in right away talking about the trip, looking at charts, sharing ideas...  Good stuff.  We're both excited!  We're going to catch a game tomorrow night then probably make a big Costco run on Saturday.

As for the trip itself, everything looks pretty straight forward.  Head out Mission Bay, we'll probably sail west for while before turning north.  That is if the winds keep up for a while, we could actually sail much of the way.  If the wind dies we'll just fire up the engine and plot a straight line to the southern tip of Catalina.  Our only concern is crossing the shipping lanes up near LA.  The boat has a radar reflector but somehow that doesn't give me all the comfort it might...  We'll keep a flashlight in the cockpit, and have the flares nearby just in case. We'll also be extra-diligent in our watch-keeping.

We talked a little bit about the return trip too but somehow that seemed pre-mature...  Although it looks like we'll probably make a quick circumnavigation of the island before pointing south and setting up for our 80 miles reach toward home...

Hopefully I'll get to update before we leave.

Seaman Ray