Pushing off the dock

We finally cast off the lines this weekend and left our home port.

We arrived in Hamilton for a couple of days to hang out with friends, swim and rest a bit before completing the last few details and pushing off for good.

The past two weeks were filled with long days of preparations that seemed unending.

In one of the hottest weeks, John was contorted for days in the engine room and putting the final touches on several other boat systems.

 Reassembling that tricky water pump

It's about 40 deg C in here

I unpacked, stowed, reorganized and returned items to the house that would just not fit. The mountain in the cockpit slowly melted into the lockers of the boat. Our water line rose significantly after I managed to cram eight boxes of books and home school materials aboard.

Functioning galley

The stacks of books

During all of this, the kids completed two weeks of sailing school and came back tanned, blonder, and more confident in their swimming and sailing skills. They enjoyed a few extra visits with their friends and chilled in their new hammocks.

Hanging out with Noah after sailing school

More to come....