It's November Already!

SHIP'S LOG:

Well, that was a fast October. I guess that it wasn't God's intention that I stay here to watch the Red Sox win another World Series. I am not sure the reason why i am still here, according to God's plan, but the "secular" excuse is that "I am awaiting the prop!" It should show up sometime this week . . . . . but then again it may not. When it gets here, it gets here and when it gets here, I am gone!!!!

I have laid in a supply of winter clothing, mostly sweats and turtle fur stuff - hats, pants, shirts, etc. - and fuel for the fireplace - pellet logs and charcoal - so I am ready for the cold as it comes. With the shortening daylight hours it means that I must be an early riser so I can do all my cruising in the bright sunshine or at least not in the dark. It basically means that the day hops will be shorter than planned or hoped for. Ah such is life!

A I have mentioned before, the "toughest" part of the journey - the actual sailing part that is - will be the first few days as I go through NYC, down the New Jersey coast and up the Delaware Bay to the head of the Chesapeake at the D & C Canal. There is lots of traffic in and around NYC, there is a lot of open water sailing along the Jersey Coast and not a lot of places to put in, and the Delaware Bay is best done in one shot of 58 miles. A week of nice, relatively warm, settled weather would be wonderful but Ill just have to take what comes. The Chesapeake is loaded, and I mean loaded, with anchorages and marinas and all sorts of services for sailors that are open year round. It is like Narragansett Bay on steroids. Once I get there, I could do 10 - 20 miles day hops all the way to Norfolk and beyond. The weather there will be more moderate than up here and the farther south I go, the warm it should be come. I look forward to the day i "have to" start wearing tee-shirts and shorts again.

O by the way, the check that I thought was from the Insurance company wasn't. Turned out to be a promotional $10 to sign up for a something from Budget Rent-A-Car. If it isn't here by Monday, I'll have to place a call.

Well, that's about it for today. Back to waiting for "the call." Hopefully I will be hearing from the Yard Boss early this week so I can get out of Dodge before the snow actually does fall.

MASTER'S PERSONAL LOG:

I am getting moderately tired of waiting. I have tried to keep busy, logging every anchorage, marina, bridge, lock, historical sight, point of interest and anything else I might possibly be able to use onto my electronic charts. I am working out the wrinkles in my mail forwarding service and electronic bill paying arrangements. I am trying to figure out what God wants me to learn or do or experience before i get to go. Perhaps it is none of these and it is just another opportunity to practice patience and self-surrender. Not being in control of things, even if such control is really only in your head, is hard. Trusting is hard. Not quite knowing where you are going is hard. I hope it gets just a little easier in the future.