It's been a long winter with lots of planning.

                            Things we need to do before we leave.
1. Get rid of our belongings. We got rid of everything but the cloths we can fit on the boat.
"Yikes"
2. We updated our passports, and applied and got our Nexus pass.
3. We sent away for our OHIP 2 year extension .
4. We bought a 2 year medical insurance plan.
     CAA is great if you are a member. You get a discount rate.
5. Made doctor appointments for prescriptions for 2 years and medical checkup.
6. We ordered a Cruising Decal to Cruise the USA.
7. We updated the boat registry.
8. We applied for maritime radio station licence
9.Applied and received a "Maritime Mobile Service Identities" ( MMSI #)
10. Updated our boat insurance.
11. Applied for Small Vessel Reporting System. This is like a sail plan that is given to the   boarder patrol.
12. Purchased and registered our new ACR Aqua Link. Personal Beacon that send emergency signal to the Coastguard  with our position.
13. Updated Flares
14. Bought new instruments.  Garmin AIS Automatic Identification System. It is like having the same thing as a transponder on a plane.
15.Purchased new Mantis anchor for better holding in the Caribbean.
 16. Purchased new Waterway Ports books for the Intercostal waterways and Paper Charts and Electronic Charts for Florida and the Caribbean.
17. Purchased a new computer and extra hard drives to save pictures and blog.
18. Updated our Wills
19. have Roy the mechanic replace the injectors and tighten the head on the engine.
I hope we have covered all aspects of leaving the dock,,,, If anyone thinks we have missed anything then please let us know.
Whew!





BACK TO THE GRIND

tThe weather is not cooperative and time is a ticking,,,,There is still a lot more to do. In March we built a tent around the base of the boat. So we can get at this big job. 













We have built this tent around the boat to do sanding. Over the winter I found some blisters in the bottom and they have to be opened up to dry out. After sanding the bottom I will apply 6 coats of epoxy and 2 coats of salt water anti fouling. I am having a bad time sanding off the VCTAR. This stuff is not coming off easy. I have to find and purchase some 24 or 36 grit sand paper and see if that will get it off.

This is a picture of the VCTAR

 

“Well It's Official"
After attending the Toronto Boat Show we committed to joining a fleet of boats at Deltaville Va.
We will be due to arrive on Oct. 19th 2016. " Sail To The Sun Rally".
At Deltaville on the Chesapeake Bay, we will rally up with a fleet of boats, 18 I think. We will
Cruise together 1125 n. miles and we will arrive in Miami Dec.15th. Along the way
we will use marina slips, mooring balls, city walls and anchorages. Time will be taken to explore
some amazing cities filled with History and diversity.
Our Fleet captain is Wally Moran. Wally is an expert and well known to the ICW. Wally has also
cruised south to the Bahamas, Cuba and the US east coast. Wally also writes for the Waterway
Guide and for Sail magazine.
Going on this rally we will develop a much deeper cruising experience and gain confidence to
go further south. Our experience will be a lot different than sailing the Great Lakes. We are up
for the challenge and the adventure and also meeting other boaters with the same dreams.
If you want to read more about the "Sail To The Sun” rally go to....www.icwally.com

Late August I started having maintenance work done on the engine by Roy of Roy's Marine Service. So the boat has been on the dock for most of September. We haven't been able to do much sailing this season due to all the work being done. I'm sure we will make up for it next year.

This fall the boat came out early so we could sand the old antifouling paint off the bottom in warm weather. I hate working on the boat in cold and wet October weather. Well we had a beautiful day for sanding. We were working hard as we watched everyone set out for a great day on the water. Sanding the bottom is a nasty dirty job. We had to tarp around the boat and place a tarp on the ground to catch all the old paint. Laurie say's she has never been this dirty before. Here's a picture of the hard working girl taking a break. She did a great job!

We anchored at Fifty Point Beach for the night. We always get a great sun set.

Just under one year before we leave and there's still more work to do on the boat. There has been a lot of upgrades to do before we leave. Last year we had a new Dodger Bimini and Sail cover installed. Not very happy with the work done by Sportech. One year later and it's still not finished.

This year we have done a lot of work. I have had some work done buy Northshore Boatworks and they do good work. I have had an Macerator Pump for pumping black water overboard when we are in the ocean.

Also they installed a water maker ( Desalinator ) for making fresh water from salt water.

We have installed two new Solar Panels with the help from Dan Klick at Kweld
Dan designed the frame and installed the panels.

To go with the solar panel I had to buy an new Xantrex inverter that was installed by Peter at Northshore Boatworks

There's still more to do and test before next year.

Some people have asked me what Mauna Kea means so Laurie has found a little bit of information.

Mauna Kea means" White Mountain" Known in
native traditions and prayers. Meaning" Mauna A Wakea" The mountain of Wakea"
It is 1 million years old. The last eruption of this dormant volcano was 6,000 years ago.
It is known to the locals for a great place for skiing and snowboarding. It is 9 km.
above the ocean floor.
The air is thin and the winds are gusty up to 50-70 m.p.h. This makes Mauna Kea the tallest
Island mountain. It is a sacred site among  the natives for sky watching and star gazing.
the 4200 meter high mountain of Mauna Kea house the worlds largest island mountain
observatory for optical, infrared astronomy.


I don't know why the name of a volcano would be a good name for a boat. It's bad luck to change the name unless you go through a ceremony that involves a lot of drinking. For now Mauna Kea will have to remain the name of our boat.

365 days to go

 

The day we leave the dock to start our adventure.
How lucky we are to go to the great warm sun and know we will have
lots of fun. We will also have lots of experiences and challenges along
the way. We have completed a lot of upgrades to the boat for this adventure.
We have also prepared ourselves mentally to leave the rat race of work and
discover places we have dreamed of going.

We are happy to share this blog and our experiences along the way with
our family and friends. Hope you are part of this adventure with us because
we will miss you all!!.