Preparing for liftoff and on to the Bahamas with Pandora

It’s Saturday morning, only a few days untill we head back to Pandora and the second half of our journey.  We’ve been back in Essex for nearly a month and really enjoying time with family and friends.  In spite of our both catching colds as soon as we returned to Essex, we have had a great time.

Here is Essex CT it’s been quite cold and snowy with something like 6″ of snow hitting the ground just after Christmas.   If this early snow is any indication of what the winter will be like here, it’s going to be a long one.  I am sure glad that we are going to be enjoying “winter weather” of a different sort.  For me, it will be my warmest winter EVER and none too soon.

We have been working for some time on a provisioning list for when we return to Florida and it looks like all of our work preparing Pandora with all sorts of food prior to our departure from Essex and along the way has paid off as our provisions are in pretty good shape.  Yes we still need a variety of things such as perishables as well as the all important wine and beer but we are in pretty good shape.  Our last minute shopping list, while impressive by usual weekly shopping standards, is not that overwhelming.   I expect that we will be able to get everything on the list in the two days that we have allocated for shopping prior to shoving off.

I have also ordered a number of spare parts that I have shipped to my friend Keith’s home in Vero Beach but it seems that we are in pretty good shape to leave.

I key milestone coming up shortly after our return to Florida is Brenda’s birthday.  Make a note in your calendar, it’s January 15th as I am told that there is consideration being made to declare this a national holiday.  However, national holiday or not, Brenda would prefer to celebrate with our boys.  However with a planned rendezvous with them in George Town on February 9th, we have to get back to Pandora so as to allow plenty of time to make the crossing.  Wish me luck in making this birthday a memorable one for Brenda, but in a good way.  Who knows where we will be on the 15th so I will have to come up with a fun birthday celebration for her.  Thinking hard….

Speaking of crossing to the Bahamas.   The weather for crossing the Gulf Stream has been very much on my mind.  With the constant parade of cold fronts barreling down from the US, we have to time our departure carefully so as to make the trip as comfortable for the birthday girl as possible.    Another issue to consider is if we will just make a run for it when the weather is good and continue all the way down to Georgetown or to break it up into segments.  Me, I’d personally like to break up the trip if we can so that it is as fun as possible along the way.  I’d love to make a stop in Nassau on the way so that Brenda can enjoy a short visit there on our way further south.

In spite of the fact that we aren’t even in the Bahamas yet, I am beginning to make plans for getting Pandora back to RI in the Spring.  As I have some favorite crew that I enjoy spending time with, I have already made a few calls to put the thought in their heads for late May.

Well, think of us on Wednesday as we wing our way south to Florida.  It’s pretty funny to make the trip that took us three months in just a few hours buy plane.

As I think about the crossing here’s what I should try to avoid with that birthday girl. This would surely be a CLM )(career limiting move) Perhaps a crossing more like this would be preferred.    Hmm…

Fingers crossed…

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