TOMORROW! TOMORROW! TOMORROW!!!!!!

SHIP'S LOG:

TOMORROW! TOMORROW! TOMORROW!!!!! . . . . . . well, that's the plan. I will be taking ABISHAG to New London with good friend, Ken, and possibly old sailing mentor, John Plante. As of right now, the mooring is still not in. Again it is a question of waiting for someone else to do their job though this time I am waiting on someone because they are waiting on some else. In this case, the divers are waiting on the foundry to deliver the mooring anchor they have forged. Until it gets in, I get to hang off a mooring owned by another member of the club. The fact that the mooring has "GRACE" painted on it seems to make it clear that God is involved in the whole process. What a surprise!

This week has been the week of setting things in order to go to sea. I went into the anchor well and cleaned it out. Along with the windlass, there were two anchors, another plow anchor and a Danforth type. Since there is already a plow on the bow, I moved the second plow to the stern and tied it to the stern rail so that I can use it there should the need arise. Having two different type of anchors at the bow means that I should be able to handle whatever bottom I will have to anchor in as different types of anchor are better or worse on different bottoms. Now, I am covered.

Also in the anchor well was a hose and the faucet for the anchor wash-down, good for getting mud and gunk off the anchor and the rode before it goes into the boat after anchoring. In addition, there was a line snubber, use to take the strain off the anchor line, and two pieces of holistone, which is traditionally used to rub-down a wooden deck and keep it in good condition. Two last items were a bronze gear and a small bronze piece, something like a lever, that both seem to have come from the windlass. I now have to find out if they are spares or necessary to the operation of the windlass. I have no idea which is which.

Went into the forepeak and open the bench locker furthest forward. It was quite large but when I took out the liner to get below it ( a possibler location of the anchor chain storage) I found a set of blades for a windgenerator (I wonder if they will fit mine?), a fine grill-screen which can fit nothing I can fine, and a large bolt/ cable cutter. Unfortunately the cutter was a large mass of rust and the was no way to do anything to even getting close to functioning again. I trashed it.

I spent a lot of time storing things and getting things in place so that they could take the heeling. Another step closer to being underway.

MASTER'S PERSONAL LOG:

I probably not sleep well tonight. It is scary and exciting to be going over to TYC after all these months in Mystic, but I can't wait. Even though it will probably be raining, it never "really" rains when you are sailing. Considering I expected a three to six week repair stint last August to get ABISHAG ready, I am really, REALLY ready to be going. To quote Capt. Jack Sparrow, "Now bring me that horizon."