One week on board and taking care of business

We arrived at Herrington Harbour North on Halloween afternoon just as Virginia Dare was being relaunched.  Since then, we've been hanging out at B dock and ticking things off our to-do list as well as tackling additional and unforeseen tasks........most notably, replacing the freshwater pump.  Nothing like arriving at your new "home," filling the freshwater tank, and turning on the faucet to nary a drip.  Thankfully, David is very knowledgeable and capable and we had running water on Monday.

Saturday and Sunday were spent unloading the car and U-Haul trailer and finding places for everything.  Well, not everything.....a few items are going back to storage in Michigan, a few others went to the FreeCycle bin at the marina, and a few items hit the dumpster.  Someone, and I'm sure you can guess who, brought quite a lot of stuff (much of which was yarn-related).  There is now an "active knitting projects" locker and the rest of my onboard stash is stowed deep in a "dormant yarn" compartment that's not easy to reach.  But I'm happy to report that all the yarn I brought is safely stowed in one of those two locations!

David replacing the fresh water pump in the engine room

So far, I have been assigned two (non-mechanical) tasks: getting our wifi working [check] and having our home port lettering installed on her stern [check].  Mind you, I have been the able-bodied assistant, but David's to-do list is long and technical: registering the boat with various agencies, getting an MMSI number, arranging for AIS installation, installing software, etc.  I'm happy to help, but also happy to take care of domestic things, like laundry :) and replacing all of the non-skid shelf liners.

Using the old shelf liner as a template for the new

Probably my favorite kitchen gadget: the Bodum stainless steel French press

Interior is getting organized

It's very comfy and cozy

Wednesday was a balmy day to wash down the deck

After a month on the hard, there was a lot of bird poo to remove

Peaceful evenings earlier this week

Looking east one evening

And yesterday was spent driving around Annapolis gathering pieces and parts we need before relinquishing our car to Alex on Sunday.  Thank heavens for GPS or we would not have found Vosbury Marine, the local Volvo marine engine dealer.

Happy to buy an air filter for our diesel engine

And always a treat to celebrate our accomplishments and end the day with some bubbles!

Nautical label in these parts!

Empty nest

Well, is certainly wasn't pretty, but we got it done.  Sorting and packing took on a whole new meaning when we considered the following:

• Items to keep and store for 5 years
• Items that our kids wanted
• Items to donate to charity
• Items for the yard sale
• Items to trash
• Items that are coming with us

It's been a crazy two weeks since we got the offer, but on Friday morning at 11:00, we closed on our house......and closed a chapter of our lives.  We spent the rest of the day packing, loading the car and U-Haul, and cleaning the house.  We pulled out of the driveway at 8:30 pm and can officially say the nest is empty.

We had stuff EVERYWHERE!

Elsie stopped by to help us load the trailer :)

Our worldly possessions are getting stored at the Cooper barn for five years

The beer fridge rolled down the street and right into Todd and Julie's garage :)

Empty nest

We knew we could count on our neighbors to empty the keg from our farewell party!  Saying that we had fantastic neighbors on Leeward Court would be an understatement.  We're going to miss them all!

And the sweetest present of all from our darling little neighbor.....I'm going to miss her smiling face and wonderful hugs. 

Thankfully, David had the brainwave for us to visit his mom in Northport and get a little R&R under our eyelids before heading south to Maryland.  It's been a lovely fall weekend with a nice balance of chores, rest, home-cooked meals, and good company.

Everything that's coming on this five-year adventure is packed in here!

Now we're feeling rested and ready to start our trek to the Chesapeake Bay!

Whirlwind trip to Annapolis!

We spent Wednesday afternoon to Saturday morning in Maryland.  Since Virginia Dare is on the hard for a few repairs, staying aboard was like sleeping in a top notch tree house :)

Our "tree house" for three nights

The stilts!

We spent most of Thursday at the Annapolis Boat Show -- excellent advice from Bob and Christine to spend a couple extra bucks on VIP day where admittance is limited.  You get a lot more time with vendors than the following days.  David had a list of vendors and their locations when we arrived.  It made our "recon" very efficient.

We bought an Australian grill and are quite eager to install it and give it a whirl.  Considering that David grills our dinner several times a week (on land), we can't wait to try this!  It even bakes cakes :)

Marine Barbeques Australia -- our new grill :)

We also bought Gill foul weather gear and a SPOT Gen3 which will broadcast our exact latitude and longitude on a daily basis (I will link it to the blog when we're back on board).  We also got a ton of information about AIS systems and radar upgrades, but that's far too technical for me to explain.

Back at the boatyard, we found out that the propeller was fine (yay!), but the rudder bearings were not.  So Eric at Chesapeake Marine Engineering is making sure everything gets fixed properly.  All the new parts came in this past week; she's expected to be back in the water this week.

Rudder bearings

Rusty rudder bearings, detail

Rudder shaft housing

We managed to have dinner all three nights at Skipper's Pier -- two of the three nights we sat outside.  Friday night brought rain and indoor dining.

Sunset from Skipper's Pier

Virginia Dare at night -- and the full moon rising on Wednesday evening.

Nighttime in the boatyard

Full moon rising

Time to get down to business!

Just like the squirrels gathering acorns in our yard and running them up to their nests, we, too, are gathering and storing..........items we're going to keep and save while we sail.  The packing started in earnest this weekend.  It was the perfect weather.....rainy and cool with football providing entertainment on television.

Until now, we've been gathering things in the garage and mentally remembering in which pile they belong: 1) save for post-sailing adventure, 2) take to the boat, 3) yard sale items, and 4) donate to the Father Fred Foundation.  There used to be a fifth pile: donate to our kids, but they've all been through the house and claimed this and that.  And little by little, we're purging and organizing.

I bought all the 27-gallon HDX totes that Home Depot had on display (14).  I'm sure we'll fill each one and need another 14!  I opted not to get the 37-gallon Rubbermaid containers because I feared they'd be insanely heavy when full.  As it is, these are pretty hefty when loaded and I'm glad they aren't 10 gallons larger!

And so the packing begins!

Everything we're saving is going in the black totes in this trailer: 8.5' wide x 16' long x 6.5' tall. Not many square feet, but enough to store our "treasures."

Purge all the non-essentials and store the rest in here!

So, we've been chipping away at packing over the last several days, but we're also packing for a trip to the Chesapeake to see how Virginia Dare is doing at the marina.  She should have a new coat of bottom paint -- and we hope that the few repairs suggested in the survey are finished, too (fingers crossed)!

For now, it's back to packing and organizing.....

Successful survey and sea trial!

We couldn't have asked for better weather for our survey and sea trial today at Tracy's Landing, MD.  As we suspected, Virginia Dare needs very little work before we set sail next month.  Bob, our surveyor, did a thorough job and David took notes, lots of notes.  Bob (different Bob :))and Christine, who have lived aboard and sailed her for the last three years, couldn't have been more helpful -- pointing out efficient ways to do this or that, telling us what works and what doesn't.  They are lovely people who are genuinely happy to be selling their beloved yacht to another couple eager to get cruising.

It's been a long day, preceded by a night of little sleep, so I'll leave you with some images from our day.

Haul out at Herrington Harbor North

It's not often that you can stand underneath the boat!

Virginia Dare on an Indian Summer afternoon

Sea trial on the Chesapeake Bay - gorgeous day

Friday afternoon and not a whole lot of traffic

Back at the marina, surveyor Bob was hoisted up for inspection of the mast and all her pieces and parts

Green and purple

Bow.  Anchor.

She's ours!

Virginia Dare, Rockland (Maine) public landing

Well, technically, she's not ours yet.  But, we made an offer-counteroffer-offer and a deal was sealed with a handshake (for the men) and a hug (for the women) and a subsequent sending of earnest money.  Virginia Dare is her name and she's a gorgeous Hallberg Rassy 39 that's been meticulously cared for and loved.

Last weekend, we trekked to Rockland, Maine, to see Virginia Dare and meet her owners, Bob and Christine.  They couldn't have been more lovely -- and we four instantly hit it off.  Over the course of Saturday and Sunday, we pored over the boat and talked endlessly about every topic we could think of.  They provided a wealth of information for all of our questions and offered advice for future voyages, whether they be coastal excursions or overnight passages.  Heck, they even offered to crew for us when we transit the Panama Canal!

We later meandered south along the coast, back to the Portland airport, with smiles on our faces as the realization that our dream will soon be reality.  The thought of living 100% on board couldn't please us more!  The world will be ours to explore.  Wow.  Just wow.  I can't wait to take pictures of our journey.

Camden harbor

Giant nest on someone's chimney!

Rockport harbor lobster boat

Now, we have to kick "it" into high gear and sell our home before we take possession in October.  ZOIKS!

Dream big.

Every time I walk into our room, I see it.  Dream big.  Right there.  On the whale.  With anchors.  A reminder that our dream is slowly becoming a reality.  We're making plans to see a Hallberg-Rassy 39 in New England later this month.  It's so exciting to think about and wonder, where will we be next year at this very moment?

For now, we're dreaming.  And it's good.  It's all good.

Dream big.