Almost ready, Oh, the places we'll go, and electricity anyone?

We are almost ready but not quite.  Currently, the boat is still a tool shed and collection of parts.  It 

looks something like this:

It's getting better everyday and we're working long hours. All the systems on board are getting upgrades. We've added all new plumbing, supply and sewage, new hatches, re-wired the mast and navigation elctronics, switched lighting to LED, new refrigeration system, new mattress, added some new sails and tracks, and, among many other upgrades, new lines.  Who knew we have what most say is the world's best rope maker here in Ferndale.  Samson has given us many of our new lines and given us a great bargain on the rest.  We will proudly display the Samson logo on our blog.  I have learned there is only one rope on a boat, and that's under the bell that calls you to dinner.  Everything else is a "line".  Boats seem to have a different word for everything!

We will be sailing to at least 33 countries!  It is considered common courtesy to fly the flag of the country you are visiting, so along with other provissions, we have gotten a flag for each destination

Along with getting the flags for each country, we also got our typhoid and hepatitis vacines.  The doc  sent us off with a book he put together on the seasons and areas of various diseases for each country on our list.  For example, here's the entry for malaria in Vietnam.  Some of the diseases require prescriptions to be started a week before arrival and continued for two weeks after leaving. 

Finally, we are making additions to our electrical generation.  The boat came with four solar panels, which can produce 300 watts.  Not enough for navigation tools, water maker (desalination), water pumps and refrigeration, not to mention radio, stereo, and computer.  We have added a wind generator and a water generator, all located on our new arch.  Note the empty stern and coiled wires in the first shot give way to power generation systems:

 Here's radar and wind generator.

Here's the water generator, and yes, we're still working at sunset. Finally, here's the complete generation system, with the four solar, wind and water generators.

We will host an open "house" before we leave and we'll post the info here on the blog.  Please consider signing up for the blog so you'll get a notice when there are new posts.  You might also check out

www.blueplanetodyssey.com

to see our route and some of the research projects we'll be doing. Wish us fair seas and following winds,

Ginny and Jerry on s/v Heron Reach