As is always the case, there are a hundred little things to think about and do (fresh batteries in the flashlights, remove covers and cushions from deck, inflate fenders, clean sea strainers, etc) and a lot of major things (check engine operations and fluid levels, fill fuel tanks, secure emergency life raft, and ditch bag, update navigation firmware and charts, check status and functionality of AED, provisions for two weeks, plan and map out trip, make dockage reservations, etc). All that said, it does provide some peace of mind to have our check list complete before starting out.
While we had originally planned a more leisurely trip back "home" to Longboat Key this year, a number of places along the east coast are either closed or recovering from the effects of Hurricane Florence and Michael. We still hope it will be a relaxing and fun journey but also understand we may find things more challenging.
Most of our trip will be "inside" the Intercoastal Waterway (ICW) but with restricted bridge openings, revised no wake zones and limited dockage, we may opt to run "outside" in the Atlantic Ocean for some of the legs in order to bypass the trouble spots.
If all goes as planned (which it rarely does), we expect the entire 1300 mile trip to take about two weeks while running five to six hours each day.
To fair winds and following seas....
A solid plan, capable crew and worthy yacht in store for another exciting adventure. We'll be following closely and hope very much to see you down south!
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