As we have mentioned, Herzliya is an excellent marina to catch up on projects, especially when you will be crossing the Atlantic in a matter of months. The list is always endless, but we really were making significant progress: the windmills finally were working (!), (and Dave diverted excess power from the windmills to the water heater so we would not inadvertently fry our batteries), he wired a monitor in our cabin so the one resting could view the E120/radar and keep an eye on the sailing status, new chocks were made so the dinghy was more stable on the back deck, Dave spent hours rewiring and improving the computers on board, the starboard navigation light and the anchor windlass wires were replaced after having dissolved over the years, a new spinnaker pole was designed and replaced on our deck since it would be invaluable during our crossing of the Atlantic, a morning was spent with Mardy and Paul at sea putting out the spinnaker sail out since our experience was limited, and I am sure I did not do the list justice, leaving some tasks out, but you get the idea.

I was Dave's right arm. I passed tools, reminded him where he set them down when he couldn't see them (typically right in front of his nose), and just kept him focused rather than frustrated. I was also the "gopher," purchasing supplies and food at the nearby mall to keep the projects going. And inside that mall...was this awesome coffee house, Cup O' Joes. Mardy and I frequented this place on a regular basis in the late afternoons. A terrific place to commiserate about boat life... and it was air-conditioned! The bistro servers got to know us and as soon as we sat down, started brewing our cafe lattes. What a treat! When you are working from early morning to late evening, you definitely savor these moments.