Not being people to waste time, we have jumped right into preparations for our planned departure. There are so many things to do that at times it is overwhelming. Other times we think, “we have eight months to get all this done.” In the last two weeks we have quickly discovered that THE LIST of things to do is growing faster than we can scratch items off the list.

The PURGE has begun. One room at a time we are going through the house and sorting things into 4 categories. First, what things are going with us? We have a location in one room of the house where those items are now being stored. Next, what items are designated as yard sale items? These are things we think will have some value to others and monies generated will go directly into the cruising kitty. Third is the donation pile. This will mostly be cloths that we will no longer need living in a tropical climate. Anything not sold in the multiple yard sales we will have coming up, will also fall into this category. Last but not least, what can we simply throw out? It is hard to believe the THINGS we keep just for the sake of keeping them. We were able to get rid of a lot of little touristy things purchased on various vacations as well as personal papers. We are sorting through income tax paperwork and will keep the required 7 years’ worth of filings and receipts just in case. These will remain behind with friends who have offered storage space for us. We appreciate this very much and have promised to keep storage requirements down to storage bins and one trunk. We are also packing one full suitcase each with cooler weather clothing that will stay at a relative’s house just in case we have to make a trip back in colder months. Each room takes a full day. Two rooms have been completed so far.
This purging has two purposes as well. It allows us to sort things as we have said, but it also helps us “de-clutter” the house as we prepare to put it on the market. We are hoping for a closing date on the house of Jun 1st, so the decision still has to be made of when to put it on the market. One of our neighbors is a real estate agent and will be listing our house. We will defer to his expertise when it comes to timing. However, we want to get him in early enough to give us tips on things we can do to make the house more saleable.

For the boat, we had our sails sent in for inspection and any required repairs. Our mainsail had some UV damage that required repair. Our genoa however, was deemed non-repairable. So, considering where we are going and for how long, we bit the bullet and ordered a brand new one. We were also experiencing some transmission problems late last season with our reverse. This week we pulled the transmission on the boat and immediately found one problem. This may have been the only problem but we decided that since the transmission was out, we will disassembly and refurbish it to make sure there will be no more surprises.

We want to thank all of the people at Shearwater Yacht Club that have already stepped forward to offer their support and time to help us get ready. We also want to thank our friends that are already out there. Their words of advice and the wisdom they share with us if greatly appreciated. To do what we are planning on doing would definitely be made more difficult without the support of our family and friends.