June 20 2008 Bellingham, pre-departure day

Silent Partner is in veteran fashion, ready for yet another Alaskan voyage.  Colleen and I spent the day running around like hyper chickens, doing all those last-minute tasks that go on and on and on….  The list only gets longer as the time to leave draws nearer.  Tomorrow we’ll untie from the dock and become a self-contained pod, cutting our link with the wider world, heading out into the really wide world.  Tonight feels like the night before Christmas.  I am an astronaut on the launching pad, and all systems are go.  I’m too excited to sleep!  Today some of Colleen’s family from Snohomish came down for a sail in the bay, bearing gifts for the voyage.  While leaving the harbor my little Honda 9.9 conked out, and we drifted to the nearest dock.  We discovered a clogged fuel filter, and quickly made the fix.  I am glad to get that out of the way today, for it would have been an ominous beginning to our voyage!  We didn’t leave today because it is bad luck to begin a voyage on a Friday.  So, the fuel filter must be just a bit of Friday bad luck.  We had a fine sail on the bay.  I am so proud of Silent Partner.  After so many years, she’s the perfect boat for the trip north.  We’re loaded to the gills with food, fuel, water, and wood.  Tomorrow another chapter begins.  Life cannot get any better than this!

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