We got the jib on today, so she (Wings) looks like a sailboat, finally. The foredeck is almost clear with only stowable stuff cluttering it. We started the Honda generator for the first time: marvelous machine, started on the second pull. Impressive.

To enter French Polynesia, we must prove that we legally left Mexico and that's the purpose of the zarpe. We elected to have our local agents perform the complex procedures but, as mentioned, at a cost. The trump card in all of this is the planned arrival of the whisker pole. It's supposed to arrive tonight and be available for pickup on Saturday morning. If not, we're doomed to stay until it does. Nothing for it. La Paz has decided that a "health inspection" is required for the zarpe but that costs another US$100. Hmmmmm.... no other cities require it. Scam?

We also filled our two five-gallon gas jerry cans, and our collection of small gas containers for outboard fuel. We have ten gallons of extra diesel in containers (140 gallons in our main tanks for 5 days of motoring across the Equator), ten gallons of gas for the generator, and 3 gallons of gas/oil for the outboard. Of course, we won't need the outboard gas for a while.

There wasn't time to bleed the diesel engine's fuel system today, but it's high on the list of things to accomplish soon. We need to run the water maker with the generator to see how that system works together. Since that system will supply our fresh water, it's good to confirm that it all works as advertised.

Tomorrow, with luck, the whisker pole will be delivered by our agent, along with the other box of goodies. If it arrives, we can leave La Paz as scheduled. We have made arrangements to get taken to several important stores. We've had terrible problems in getting our propane tank filled. The locals don't seem to know about the new valves required in the US, and they think that the tanks are faulty. They aren't, but we need to get the tank filled since we want to start with both tanks filled.

We'll also buy some wood so that I can mount the fuel tanks on the side decks with some hopes that they'll stay aboard. There are several other items that my projects need. Conni has some major provisioning to do. Things like toilet paper and paper towel are not things to run out of, so she'll be stocking those, as well as the last load of fresh supplies. The local bagel deli will be on her list, too. Bread won't last more than a few weeks, so we'll be eating sandwiches on whatever. And, if we don't catch a lot of fish, we eat a lot of Spam!

There is no official "Pacific Puddle Jump" radio contact system as there was for the Baja Haha, but a group in Puerto Vallarta has organized and has a regular SSB schedule planned. They've been on the air for the last few nights, but we can't get anything while in the marina. I've even been unable to send email via SSB, but it's worked before and I think that it will when we get out of the marina's forest of metal masts.

We're so close now. Tuesday is not that far away. We're so tired of working so hard and sitting in port, that we're ready to cast off now, but we all know that things must take their course. If the zarpe appears and if the whisker pole appears, we'll be out and off for the Pacific.

As I say those words, I do feel that we'll be moving along. In four days, I think, we'll head out of La Paz for the last time and toward our adventure. I'll bet that I have a tough time sleeping tonight.