Well, here it is, April 9th and just 3 short weeks before we should be departing the upper Chesapeake to join other boats in the ARC Europe fleet who plan to depart from Portsmouth, Virginia, near the mouth of the bay.  But there is still so much to do….. I hope all the pieces fall into place very soon so we can make it!

The good news is that MAZU is back in the water, now with red bottom paint as opposed to the previous yellow.  We mostly completed commissioning the freshwater system over the weekend, and just have a couple of minor issues to take care of.  It’s a good thing the AC is working as the temperatures are still in the high 30’s and low 40’s F …. chilly!. Today the yard successfully commissioned the newly installed Northern Lights  generator but unfortunately the same could not be said for the main engine that they had given a major service over the winter.  Upon starting the engine, a knocking noise was eventually traced to a valve issue.  This has set back our plans to take the boat to Annapolis later this week by at least a week… and hence also the fitting of our new mainsail.  Meanwhile, our electrician, Scott, has to finish up installing the remaining electronics and the local rigger will inspect the integrity of the rigging and ensure it is tuned correctly.  That doesn’t leave us much time to empty the house and load up the boat for about 2+ years of living aboard!  I guess its amazing what can be done when the need arises.  Our crew, Mike and now Benjy, have been very supportive in helping with preparations.  Mike very kindly agreed to take on the job of provisioning for the trip, which is a huge load off my (Hope’s) back.