Walked The Gangplank

It looks like we'll close on the hangar next week, so there's nothing holding us back now.  We have a truck reserved for the weekend and we'll be taking the last load to Matt's house for storage.  I (Daniel) have been selling our remaining items at deep discounts, and Carla has been taking trunk loads of cloths to a local charity.  I took that most important last step off the end of the gangplank when I turned in my 2-weeks' notice at work.  It wasn't too surprising to most folks who know me, especially when they saw the dishes go up for sale on the company bulletin board.  This whole change probably won't really sink in for several more weeks.  Until then, we still have a lot left to do.

Like A Fish Out Of Water

This weekend we had the boat hauled at the Charleston City Boatyard about 5 miles up the Wando River.  This was our third time to use that boatyard and we're very impressed by the facilities and staff.  This was the last major step in preparing C-Time before casting off.  We had several tasks on our list, including repainting the bottom, waxing the hull, replacing the cutless bearing (see the Port page for details), and replacing a thru-hull valve.  As much fun as all this may sound, we were very glad to get her back in the water where she belongs.  Carla commented that it just didn't feel right not having the motion of being in the water.  Although this is the way boats are secured for a hurricane, I just don't like the feeling of it being stood up in the air like that.

Another final cleanup task that we've started is refinishing the floor boards.  We brought all the removable boards home, sanded out most of the scratches, and put two coats of polyurethane on them.  This may not help C-Time glide through the water any more efficiently, but it will sure make the interior sparkle.  We can't wait to get them back on the boat, as walking to the head in the middle of the night without floor boards can be treacherous.

As the countdown ticks down to less than a month and half, we're getting excited and worried at the same time.  Suspicion at work is growing, and we can't wait to spill the beans.  We still have a lot of stuff to sell, so it's a good thing we started nearly a year ago.  We don't want to wait too long about selling things like the washer and dryer, but we also don't want to sell those last things too early, so we're constantly evaluating our schedule.  We take the last load of things we're keeping to our son's house on Thanksgiving, so we'll be roughing it after that until we close on the hangar.  Christmas will be right around the corner, then the birth of our second grandchild, then off to the Caribbean!