Day 111- Deltaville, VA

I think we've gotten over the hump.  When preparing to depart there always seems to be a period of time during which we're not sure it will all come together.  The water maker was a complex installation and required Pablo to access many fairy inaccessible parts of the boat.  This is disruptive to living on the boat.  There is no extra space to put things temporarily while accessing areas under storage areas.  Pablo and I have been sleeping in sleeping bags where ever there is room at bed time.  Now that most of the boat is put back together I've started provisioning with food.  This requires pulling everything out and trying to put it away in some organized manner.  Ideally in a way that I can remember and find ingredients when I need them.  I've started taking photos which helps since my memory has failed me more than once.

Tentatively the weather looks good for a Sunday or Monday departure for our non stop offshore passage to the Caribbean.  The passage is about 1500 miles and will take us about 2 weeks. The time frame is completely dependant on weather.  We are checking in with the Salty Dog Rally, a loosely organized group of boats transiting from the Chesapeake to the Caribbean.  We'll communicate by short wave radio with the group daily and compare notes on weather conditions and our experiences.    I'm in the process of making meals for the first 4 days or so.  We'll cross the Gulf Stream around day 2, where currents cause unusual conditions which can be unpleasant.  And I've heard from more experienced cruisers that it usually takes about 3 days to settle into any long passage.  The pre-prepared meals will hopefully make the transition easier.  With Pablo's brother, Sterling, to help we'll have three people for the night watches which is great for more sleep, among other things.  We're expecting cold conditions for the first 3-4 days and then hopefully more tropical air.  I am desperately looking for our long johns.  I know they are in some crevice on the boat but I didn't take a picture when I put them there... 
Planning a passage to the Caribbean from the East Coast is a little bit of a juggling act.  You have to wait until the end of the hurricane season but want to leave as soon as possible since it gets cold quickly and nor' easters become more prevalent along the coast.

The Deltaville Marine Museum put on a great Halloween Bash. Deltaville is very rural and not ideal for trick or treating so the businesses in town put on an event with candy and a haunted trail through the woods. We all had a blast. See below for photos.
There are many cruisers here but unfortunately no other families. The girls have made friends with a local girl and wait at the bus stop after school for her to come home.

Note the serious faces in the misty haunted house

The message:  "Don't Play in the Street"!