Cruising at last

I've been in possession of Aelena for about 5 weeks( my Newport 17 daysailer). The work has been rewarding, if sometimes difficult. Some projects that I thought would be a breeze have taken longer and been more involved than I anticipated. (Refinishing the bright-work took two weeks.) And some jobs have gone off without a hitch. (The new roller furler fit well and worked perfectly on the first attempt.)

I've spent more time and money at the West Marine store in Portsmouth than I ever did in such a short period at Woodworkers Warehouse (when they were in Portsmouth.) The checkout girl there now says ' See you tomorrow', when I leave the store.

But finally, my shopping trips are becoming a little less frequent (I haven't bought a boating supply in two days.) The boat is well-equipped and suited out for day sailing. Besides the roller furler, I've painted the bottom, refinished the brightwork, filled the holes left when the previous owner removed all of the deck hardware, installed new deck hardware, replaced all of the lines, cleaned a ton of crud out of the bilge, cleaned the mast and boom, and rubbed out the topsides with compound. She isn't going to win any beauty contests, but I don't think this boat has looked this good or been this well-trimmed in a long time.

Lori has been very patient, but I know she's getting tired of the garbage that's piling up in the garage - not to mention the piles of sailing detritus. And she went so far as to mow the lawn herself today. The pool needs some long-overdue attention and I've been completely ignoring the stuff I should be doing on the house(es). Bear with me , Sweetheart.

So, when will Aelena be ready to sail? Funny you should ask. Barring a major shift in the weather, I hope to have her on the water by 10:00 AM tomorrow. I don't know what to expect. Will she float off of the trailer like a good girl, or will I have to coax her out off with muscle and cussing? Will she sail well to windward? Will we be able to get her back into port once we're out on the ocean? And if we do, how will we get her back on the trailer? And my biggest concern - will Lori's seasickness keep her from enjoying this life-ambition of mine. I should be able to answer these questions by this time tomorrow. Stay tuned.