Launched!
Launched in Slip 7-1-2016
I'll never forget this day. After seven months on the hard, working and waiting, Dolce Vento was put back into the water where she belongs, despite a few pesky tasks still to be completed. Yesterday there was one final crisis that could have derailed us -- the aft air conditioner does not appear to be connected to its raw water intake nor have a pump to push the water through the condenser (which is what cools the air). Much discussion and mucking about to trace lines beneath the sole will take place Tuesday.
Undaunted, with great enthusiasm and generating much sweat, we attacked our next preparation task -- preparing to live aboard, a substantial shift in our attention from the apartment, to work above and below decks to get us out sailing.
There's big stuff and little stuff to do. Today, was a little stuff day. I sorted and tied a dozen lines, cleaned electrical cords, storing the short ones and hooking up the long ones to shore power. We now have full power in the slip. Next came the first major cleaning task -- the fridge and the galley. Every nook and cranny needs either vacuuming or cleaning and wiping. While my sweat dripped in the galley, John sweat in the salon where he tackled getting the entertainment system to respond (one does have to have music while we work), then turned to hanging smoke detectors -- one for the main salon and one each for the sleeping cabins.
We found respite with our neighbor, Greg who had just returned from a three-year sail with his wife and two teenagers through the Bahamas, Caribbean, and some spots in South America. The trip fulfilled all their thrills and dreams along with several unexpected problems and challenges. Check out their blog (http://www.closequarters.us). It's full of great pictures, tips and snips of life aboard. It's all very inspiring and reassuring that we can do this adventure.
Home now. John's asleep in his chair and it's only 7:00 PM. We're headed back to the boat tomorrow. The project -- de-winterize the water system. A bit of big stuff. On Sunday we'll set up the dinghy so we can measure for a stabilizer -- it's missing from our new dinghy davits. Monday is a play day with fireworks, then Tuesday is back to work plus the installation of the sails.