SO happy to be mostly over the blasted cold. Nothing like losing five whole days with so much to be done.

Not to be negative, but after discussing it, Marty and I think the boating magazines and industry in general understate the effort needed to get ready to depart. We are fairly competent, organized, high-performing kinds of people. The people we must hire to fabricate and install and help, with most big projects, are, seemingly, not. They don't seem to have schedules. These are HIGHLY RECOMMENDED people, very knowledgable, and good at what they do - but they don't seem to have any concept of scheduling work, doing it on that schedule, reporting if it gets behind, or ahead, or runs into issues and meanwhile updating the estimated schedule. It's utterly frustrating and perplexing. Also ubiquitous.

Moving on - the photo you see is the documentation of the documentation for just about every system, gadget and piece of equipment on the boat. This has all been organized into FIVE large notebooks, with instruction sheets and brochures in plastic sleeves, by the area of the boat in which the system, gadget or equipment is located. PLUS one extra (and an accordian file) for the documentation, FCC paperwork, insurance paperwork and other legalese and folderol required for clearing in and out of countries.

Today I acquired Mexican Liability Insurance and ordered boat cards. Boat cards are like business cards for your boat w/ your contact info to give to people you meet while traveling. They were "free" and recommended at another cruising website I frequent. Except, of course, they weren't truly free: if you didn't want their AD on the backs of the cards you had a little fee, and if you wanted shiny paper there was a little fee and of course you had to pay for shipping. AND you had to look at about 15 advertisements for different things they wanted you to consider buying or signing up for. Whatever. They are ordered.....

The mold project has been dropped from the list. Just not important at this point.

The rigger has five tasks - radar reflector, VHF antenna, second flag halyard, autohelm cable and stern light. (You don't even want to know why all those things are suddenly part of the list. Really.)

Meanwhile, we wait for the engine and plumbing specialist to bring the newly-cleaned heat exchanger back, install the replacement for the broken part of the engine water pump and hook up a sump hose to the sump pump in the forward head. (On the last return from Catalina, I thought the engine was running hot. This is what I get for that observation!)

Haulout for bottom cleaning is to commence by Monday - also while out having the topsides waxed.

Friday we are going to purchase a Costco card, find a 10X10 pan metal pan for the galley stove, browse Smart & Final and visit Westmarine for various and sundry items. (There are, in fact, numerous sub-lists!)

Hardtop Dodger - well. Since we really have no firm idea of whether this is happening or not, we are implementing Plan B, which is to contact two 'reliable' canvas operations to alert them that we MAY, in the next week or two, need a very fast eisenglass replacement job into our old canvas dodger.

So - also remaining:
Saltwater faucet in galley - IN PROCESS
(Leaks) (sooommmedaaaayyyyyy.....)

Meal planning - IN PROCESS

Purchase and stow stores - IN PROCESS

Freshwater Leak - locate and repair

Rig and test asymmetrical spinnaker

Prepare Clearing In/Out Documents, Crew Lists - SUNDAY

Prepare Emergency Information IN SPANISH