Whether or Not: The Weather

Warning: Red sky in the morning!

Here we are in Hampton, VA finishing the last details for our final inspection. I can't tell you how many trips to West Marine we have made! I don't want to get the American Express bill when we get home! Every seminar gives us a few more suggestions and items to acquire for our safety and comfort.

Today we are getting briefed on sea sickness and various safety procedures. The key point was that sea sickness is mostly a state of mind. Like Henry Ford said, "If you think you will be sick, you will!" A little paraphase of Henry there. I am not going to be sick. I am not going to be sick. I am not going ...

We are getting hit with the winds you had in Michigan a couple of days ago. The wind is out of the north and the temperature dropped 25+ degrees overnight. We had two days of on and off showers with intermitent sunshine and blue skies. I can see why everything is on hold until the last minute for the final weather forecast. We will know on Sunday if we are, indeed, leaving on Monday.

They are suggesting that we may be delayed a day or two if this blow and low pressure system doesn't get out in front of us. I am real glad we have the boat we do as she is built for offshore sailing. There are a couple of 34' and 37' boats that I would not want to be in. We have put up our enclosure which will keep us warmer and drier than most. I am not too sure about line of sight issues with it up, though. We will all have to keep our eyes looking for danger: other boats, big ships, weather, floating objects, etc.

The marina is full of big beautiful yachts. There are over 80 boats in the Caribbean 1500 so it should be a spectacular sight when we all leave the harbor and head out to the ocean. We have met the couple from Germany with a Hallberg-Rassy 40. They sailed double-handed from Sweden to the Med, then to the US and down the coast to Hampton. Now they are going south to the islands. Another couple from the Netherlands has a huge catamaran. It will probably fly all the way down. Here are photos of Sophie and Pikutidu (her flags spell her name).

You can follow us by going to http://www.carib1500.com/ and clicking on the FOLLOW THE FLEET area at the top. We are in Crusing Class 7 and are a yellow track when you click on positions. If you go to the bottom of the photos, you will see Sherry on the way to the laundry! Just like at home - it is never done!