FINAL PREPARATIONS FOR THE GREAT LOOP

  We have been busy the month of July with last minute preparations before casting off all lines.  Our "shake down" cruise to Pittsburgh gave us more items to add to the "To Do" list.  Dan had to replace our shore water fixture and the forward shore power receptacle, just to name a few.  Those repairs were completed without a hitch.  The alternator, on the other hand, presented some difficulties.  Dan has gotten very good at taking the alternator off and putting it back on.


 Movers came and took the rest of our belongings out of the apartment that we were renting and put it in their storage facility.  We now are officially without a land based home.  We downsized to only one vehicle, so now all we own is Seahorse and a Honda Civic (another item that has to be put into storage).  


  Many have asked us about how we will get our mail.  We have signed up for a mail forwarding service called St. Brendan's Isle.  Our mail will go to them, and when we get to a marina or town where we will be staying for a few days, we call and have them send it to that location.  
  To help stay in touch with family, we set up a Skype account for video calling.  It was surprisingly easy to do and Angie has already Skyped with her brother and his family. 
  Since much of our downtime entertainment is reading, we got library cards that can be used to get ebooks on our Kindles.  Technology is a good thing.


  And last but not least, we spent a lot of time visiting with family and friends.  Angie's parents threw a Bon Voyage Party for her family and close friends. 

Dan and Angie

Bon Voyage Party

    Our friends at the marina also gave us a Bon Voyage Party.  Lots of food, dancing, and fun was had by all.  The main course was beef brisket and pork tenderloin which was smoked on a smoker that was made on a boat trailer (how appropriate). 

Smoker built on a boat trailer

  We will sure miss all these great people, but are looking forward to all the other new people we will meet along the way.  

The Quiet Corner Crew

Our "Inner Circle"

  We plan to cast off all lines tomorrow and start OUR GREAT LOOP ADVENTURE!!!

Bon Voyage