This is how boats are moved from land into the water. This is another sailboat at Green Cove Springs Marina about to splash.

Less than a month and we begin our sail to the South Pacific!

Later today, after a 6 month sailing hiatus, our boat is “splashing” (going from dry land storage and work yard into sailable waters) — fingers crossed.  It’s both incredibly exciting, and a true gut-wrenching time.  We’re hoping and even silently praying to Neptune that Journey is as or more ready to go than we are.

Assuming all systems are “go,” Wayne will solo sail — well, motor as not much wind is predicted today– our Pearson 365 sailboat the several hours it takes to arrive at Jacksonville Naval base’s Mulberry Cove Marina.  I will drive there to meet him with our car — one of many silly small but important logistical details that need to be planned ahead.

Ann aka “Krazy Lady” demonstrates how to properly demolish a Boston bug the night before our splash at  the St. Augustine Legion of Honor $12.50 lobster dinner night.

We’ll tie off, spend the next two nights there.  Then we’ll begin transitioning from our temporary land-lubber apartment to the boat, provision what we can load that we’ll need for the next two years for our 8,000+ nautical mile sail to Australia, or, as I prefer to call it, “Oz.”  We officially vacate our apartment December 1st.

More soon, backtracking on our life in the yard, current preparations and plans!  Meanwhile, please wish us a smooth start of this first leg of our return to the great wet blue beyond.

Journey, our Pearson 365 sailboat on the stands at Green Cove Springs Marina work yard.

Location, Location
Temporarily land bound in Jacksonville, FL, USA.  Journey’s on the hard in Green Cove Springs (N29.58.9 W81.38.8) until hurricane season ends in November.  Then we’ll finish up our pre-cruising provisioning, boat maintenance, repairs and upgrades and set sail for the South Pacific, through the Panama Canal.  Target date to set sail?  December “something” 2014.