Getting Ready

We are in full-on prep mode.   Linda is now off work, the house is a staging warehouse full of rubbermaid tubs of boat contents, the boat is a workshop of final projects.  Route planning is underway.  Preparation has been underway for almost 2 years, and here is where we stand:

• 30 boat projects left to do
• 52 completed project including major ones like refrigeration, dodger and bimini
• 3 projects left to do now that mast is up
• plus, bonus project ... repair lifelines and stanchions that were used to lift the boat!!! (doh!)

The boat will get a full cleaning on the inside, and then carefully re-loaded with supplies and provisions.   There is lots of space on board, but it is composed on many compartments, with variable size and accessibility, so planning in important.  Linda is a master as this sort of thing ... but I may need a map!

We have been studying our charts, tide atlases and cruising guides to plan our likely stopping points and to determine where will will be on which dates.   With limited experience in tidal waters, and with the particular quirks of the St Lawrence river, we have found a few cruising guides to be invaluable resources to help us plan.   Quebec City, for example, can have 16' tides and currents up to 7 knots in the surrounding area and it's downtown marina has it's own lock!

A May departure means we will be dealing with cold water, weather and fog for sure.   So keeping warm is a focus.   Warm clothes, boat heaters, and some additional insulation in the our berth are part of the plan to keep us warm. 

Finnish Line 2.0, our partner in this adventure, is also busy with his own list of tasks.  Bob & Tarja's experience with their trip to the Bahamas last year is a great benefit especially because they have covered the New York City back to Kingston portion already and know the in's and out's.