Downward Slide

We have heard those who have gone before us describe this last blinding flurry of activity that leads up to leaving the dock, but it is quite another matter to find oneself in the middle of such a period.
This week has been FULL week or so to say the least. I am still consulting a bit for Swiftsure Yachts, trying to be available for any questions until I am not really available.
Brad has been tirelessly working on boat projects trying to move us from “temporarily no choice but tied to the dock” back to “ready to leave tomorrow”. The engine was undergoing its penultimate tune-up procedure and the pedestal to which our steering wheel is attached was out being painted and rehabbed. When it is completely back together, we will have a new chain in our steering system and the cockpit instruments will be “talking to” the nav station instruments. The cockpit floor is no longer hazardous to one’s health when wet (a condition that sometimes happens on sailboats).
Tuesday, we attended a barbecue at Golden Gardens to celebrate our friends’ and fellow leaving soon cruisers’ wedding which went off without a hitch the next evening also at the park. It was a great break in the middle of the week.
Thursday was spent putting things back together so that we could attend the final race in the Elliott Bay Series. Unfortunately, since it was the last one, we invited some friends who are non-sailors and don’t understand that racing is a rain or shine composition. Just when it began to look very promising that the boat would be functional in plenty of time, the skies opened up and it began to rain – HARD! We headed for Elliott Bay to meet up with the hardy souls, also coincidentally real sailors who went around the course with us one last time under dry skies and light breeze! Those of little faith missed a very nice evening.
Then, it was on to the next project: Friday morning it all started with a trip to Costco for the Welcome Back/Bon Voyage party at work. Grammy-Sue made it into town and took some pressure off of us by becoming a second vehicle driver capable of getting the kids to and from work without having to be dragged along on all of Mom and Dad’s errands. The party was a great success and we got to see a lot of people in a short amount of time.
Now we are sitting in a ferry line taking the kids over to Port Townsend to spend a week with their grandparents. Brad and I will be making a final list of the last things that we must achieve before we leave – hopefully it won’t be toooooooo long!