Fall whispered in last night. After a day of blazing sun in cloudless skies we wake up to overcast. The air has that musty smell of dying leaves. A tendril of wind brings the damp smell of encroaching rain. Yellow leaves swirl in the air at the slightest movement. Corduroys and boots appear where cotton and sandals were just yesterday. The 10-day weather report shows 10 grey clouds and rain. Sailors look south and wonder if just a few more days will do it.
We had a great day yesterday so that we might join the southward immigration quite soon. The windlass problem appears to be that the new-to-us chain is actually the wrong size as the older chain works fine. The second bay of solar panels is now hooked up. The new nav computer is finally recognizing the AIS – the navigation screen fills with symbols of the other boats in the harbor. The Pactor modem is also hooked up correctly so we can send emails over the radio and pick up weather files. A minor setback – the galley sink drain hose has to be replaced – should be solved with a hardware store trip and an hour’s work. A bit of rigging work and we can head to Port Townsend for a couple of purchases and then onto the ocean. The south beckons and the rain clouds and cold hurry us along.
