Pre-Departure Thoughts

It's getting scary now! We are only days away from our departure deadline. (We've given up our slip at Elliott Bay Marina (EBM) as of 5/1/11.) What will the future hold? Have we brought on board everything we need? Have we forgotten anything critical?

What if we forget to turn off services at home that we no longer need (and don't want to pay for) while we are gone? Will I get all of those last minute things done or will I space them out in those moments of hectic panic as d-day rears its ugly head? Things like taking the plants to our dear, plant-killling friends, Ed and Jen, or turning off the thermostat at home? Have we given our renters everything they need from us? Will we remember to disconnect the battery terminals in all of our vehicles so we don't come home to cars that won't start (like we did when we returned from two months in New Zealand?)

Will I remember to send family and friends e-mails with links to this website and to our boat position and that all-important contact information?

The itinerary Brad wants to do is called the "dream itinerary" in the guide book "Exploring Southeast Alaska". (Please refer to the selected pages above.) It has us moving to a new anchorage nearly EVERY SINGLE DAY and moving about 25-30 miles per day. At our boat speed, that's going to take us most of the day. When will I have time to get the dinghy off the roof, get the oars, the gas can, the pfds, and the motor on so I can get to shore and go hiking? Or will I just have to use my exercise bicycle connected to a generator so I can charge the batteries and forego frolicking on solid ground?

Am I going to be able to make adequate meals with all of the dried food Brad has brought on board? Will the meals be so bland that I want to jump overboard? Will I gain weight because there is nothing else to do but eat in such a confined space, or will all of this survivalist provisioning result in a new approach to severe weight loss?

Oh, and what if the boat hits a deadhead or a rock or we get attacked by a pod of killer whales and we sink? Will we have the calm necessary to deploy our life raft, deploy our dinghy (as a backup), grab our ditch bags and survival bags - I think we have three! - and save ourselves, or will we go down with the ship?

Have I included enough exercise gear, toys, games, and books to keep me occupied and happy, or will I be bored out of my gourd and shoot my husband with the shotgun we're bringing for bear protection???

Will our engine fail and the current throw us on the rocks? Will I be able to get to the internet to update this blog?

Do I have to be a worrier just like my dad? Yes, apparently I do. And, just like he was, I am, now that we are so close to departure, also unable to get a continuous, full night's sleep. My husband says I need to chill...