We’re in a frantic pattern of late night takeout and 7 day weeks but are on target to make our scheduled departure Thursday evening.

We have new life lines and all new cordage. The holding tank and new macerator pump are buttoned up.

In concert with myriad other little mechanical projects, we’ve been testing systems like the stove, fridge, anchor wash-down pump and windlass:

All the while procurement of safety items (informed by our recent attendance of Safety at Sea at the Naval Academy) and provisions have been occurring apace. We’ve been pulling into docks at Lake Ogelton to facilitate the loading and have suffered scores of bug bites at the hands of such a wet spring.

The small repairs and checks have continued late into every evening…

…during which I finally figured out what was wrong with the centerboard crank: the pinion was out of one of its bearings and was looking for a way out of the second.

We’re carefully eying the tide charts and forecasts and currently plan on a stop over in Cape May on our way to Newport. Fingers crossed the remaining to-do items go off without a hitch and we leave on schedule.