We begin. After many years of preparation, effort, and expense, we are finally beginning the preparation for the Big Crossing. I leave on Sunday afternoon and fly to La Paz, Mexico where I'll work on boat projects for ten days.

I will be carrying a single blue box and my big duffle, both stuffed to their tops with supplies and gear. Amazingly, most of the items are already in La Paz, courtesy of friends' efforts and Econaviera's (our ship's agents in La Paz) efforts to ship items directly to La Paz from various points in the US. The desalinator and roller furler are in La Paz, as are the paint and other items. I called the Chula Vista West Marine and ordered paint. That store very kindly trucked it to a freight expediter which trucked it to La Paz and Econaviera's office. I fetch the items when I arrive. We pay for the service but it sure makes things easy!

Wings is on the hard in Atalanta Boat Yard. My chores will begin with painting the boat's bottom with anti-fouling paint. I'll change all of the zincs and grease all of the sea cocks, at which time we'll launch the boat and I'll take her the 1/4 mile to Marina Palmira. There, I'll install the water maker (desalinator) and complete as many other tasks for which I have time and return on Feb. 15. Conni and I leave on Feb. 28 and return to Mexico. We'll spend a week at Playa Grande, then take a bus to La Paz. A few weeks of prep and stocking will have us ready to go. Our shipmate, Chip, will meet us there, and we'll head across the Sea of Cortez to Puerto Vallarta (on the mainland), from which we'll leave for the South Pacific. We're working on a place to leave the boat.

I'll have some email and web connections so I hope to post photos and progress reports during this time in La Paz.

Wish me luck.