We're 26 days from 8 May, our departure date. Both Conni and I are getting a bit nervous and anxious about things. You'd think that this was our first trip rather than our 5th year in the South Pacific!

I ordered a new raw water pump today, the "just in case" item that's been gnawing at me for months. I did my best and spend a lot of money trying to rebuild the old pump, but to no avail. Without more details, the shaft was frozen into the bearings and no method by either my friend Peter or I could budge it. Damn!

We've purchased almost everything that we had listed. That's good. The problem, as usual, is trying to get it all packed! Holy smokes! I made a boarding ladder, for example, since I couldn't ship one, and it takes some space.

Our crew is set, finally. Our friends Robin and Hillary learned that they got seasick, so excused themselves early. Our West Marine friend, Julia, is excited to go with us and will meet us in Rarotonga, Cook Islands, and make the long uphill beat back to Bora Bora in French Polynesia. She'll then stay with us another two weeks. We're very excited that she'll be with us. She'll be a real asset.

I've designed a T-shirt that we'll have printed. They look nice, I think, and they're printed locally so we can have a set made anytime we want or need them.

We'll be staying, once again, at the Pension Tiare Nui on Raiatea. The boat's been watched by a wonderful young woman who's been doing a good job, or so we hope.

More later when we're further along.