Thank you dear family & friends....

Before Leslie and I  depart on this adventure we'd like to recognize all this people that helped get Rocinante ready for the departure:

Joe of Viking Marine for getting the engine and transmission up and running

Fritz of Pacific Offshore Rigging for standing and running rigging and stories of his sailing adventures and expert advice.

Dan of Dan Fab for the excellent fabrication of the solar panel structure as well as designing the bend in the radar pole so our Hydrovane self steering would clear!

Lorraine Wilson for the perfect bimini cover and fun discussions of life on Shelter Island

Shea Weston of Offshore Outfitters for last minute heroics in the tweaking of our SSB and installing sailmail on our ancient PC computer.

Thank you to our good friend Steve Mushovic for his endless ideas and expert help in resuscitating a very tired electrical system while also incorporating solar panels. To Geoff, our good friend, dock mate and Beer can captain aboard Second Wind, for the encouragement, great ideas, free use of his tools, and help over the past year including final installation of the hydrovane system with Steve and I. Thank you to Geoff's wife Laura Ann for the farm fresh eggs that will last two weeks or more without refrigeration and the soon to be devoured almost ripe pears.  Bill Barsz for the use of tools and fabrication of parts that we could not make. To Jeri Barsz for the ingredients to make sprouts in a mason jar for greens while under way!  Our personal seamstress and great friend Carolyn Carswell for fabrication of our winch cover and designing mattress covers for the port and starboard lee berths.

A big thank you to Sue Travis who flew down from Seattle to help us with provisions and organization of goods.  To Walt Travis, Leslie's dad, for his encouragement and suggestions on food preparations, shopping expertise, storage and a cooked five pound ham that we will be eating for at least the first week of our journey. To my sister Chris for the fun gift pack and adding our 3rd mate chaperone Pepe.  You will see more of Pepe on the blog.  My little sister Pat for the jars of fresh honey from her farm as well as adding to our first aid kit. To Linda our good  friend and neighbor for watching our house and making my favorite cookies to eat with the above mentioned ham.  Thanks to our next door neighbors Doug and Terri for house watching, special departure cookies and volunteering to drive us to our boat on departure day.  All our "C" dock family for the fun going away party. A special thanks to all of you for giving us your encouragement and good wishes for a safe journey.  Special note to my poker family, don't sell my seat, I'll be back!

See you in August!