Little by little, we're eliminating the reasons for not leaving.

The injector project will not be completed. I simply could not get the injectors out and forcing them could result in a ruined head (on the engine!) and a lot of blood and treasure to repair. These injectors work. I'll bleed the system tomorrow and that will no longer be on our list.

Jeffery Walker, our rigger, stayed up the mast for several hours on this blazingly hot day to help me pull the new wind indicator cable down the mast. His clever ideas and preparation made the task easy. I re-connected all of the wiring so as soon as we have the transducers in place tomorrow, we'll be in business.

Conni and I removed and cleaned the speed transducer: a tiny paddlewheel that spins as the boat travels through the water. The trick is to remove the paddlewheel quickly since removing it reveals a two-inch hole in our hull! I HATE seeing that green water standing in a fountain in my boat! We got the thing cleaned and replaced without sinking the boat.

We tested the water maker today. It just rocks! Turn the dials, flip some switches, and amazingly clean water flows into our tanks. It's not quiet, and we aren't even using the generator, but we'll do it during the day, make our water, and put things back to sleep. Really, it's a new day.

The EPIRB (our emergency locator beacon) is back in its place. Our Lifesling, the device for throwing to a crew overboard. The repairs on the flux gate compass and the solar charge controller were successful so those projects are done. Last night, I put in a small switch in the AIS circuit so that it can be switched on and off independently from the VHF radio. That will increase its utility, since when we're offshore, the VHF will be useless and off, but the AIS will continue to provide our location to other vessels.

Tomorrow, Jeff will return and we'll pay him to replace the two wind transducers and the radar reflector. We've carted that damned reflector from Alaska and not installed it, but now it's time. It's huge, relatively speaking, and its place is making us more visible, not taking up room belowdecks.

Jeff will also be around when we install the jib on our new roller furler. We've never used it before and don't want to make a mistake. He'll also give us hints on using the double headsail system and whisker pole.

Ah, yes, whisker pole. Not here yet. Nope, not here. We're supposed to get it on Saturday morning, but we'll see.

We also need a Zarpe, a document that we've described before. With Semana Santa (All Saint's Week) starting next week, we're in dread of being stymied by Mexican bureaucracy. We're hoping that the US$300 that we're paying for the Zarpe will help cut through the red tape.

Our take-off is planned for Tuesday morning. Wish us luck.