Weather forecast for February 12, 2018:
Turner Marine, Dog River, Mobile, Alabama,
Chance of showers, low 52 high 63.
North winds 10 to 15 knots becoming northeast 8 to 13 knots.
Waves around 1 foot.
Captain’s Log: February 11, 2018
It has been raining for three days now, it is comfortable though, warm, but not too hot. The world is strangely beautiful; in a soggy, blurry, slick like cellophane kind of way. We certainly do miss Ra, and are told by the TV weather wizards that He will once again be sharing His luminosity with us in two days. As wet as it has been down here, we are quite content to be nowhere near the frozen north.
Tonight we sleep in the main salon; Shirley is sound asleep on the starboard settee while I am stretched out and wide awake on the port settee. The cabin is spacious, cozy, inviting. I am reluctant to close my eyes; the rain’s soft, steady, drumbeat on the deck is so soothing that I want to enjoy this sensual experience for as long as possible.
We are sleeping in the salon tonight because Shirley has torn the Master’s Cabin apart, trying to solve the problem of condensation buildup between the mattress and the wood base of the berth caused by body heat. This is a common problem on boats and Perfect Love is no exception. If left unresolved we could end up with mold growth on the mattress. I have no doubt that my XO will come up with a creative solution before too long.
Our down-hill run from Cincinnati to Mobile started on October 1st and ended on October 23rd. We have been sitting at the Turner Marine dock for a little over three months now. Business travel, health issues, family affairs, work on the boat and, of course, Mardi Gras, have extended our stay well beyond our targeted departure date of December 15th. Jealousy grows as fellow cruisers arrive and then depart after a stay of just a few days or a few weeks. We are having fun but are extremely anxious to set sail.
Perfect Love is now fully rigged and there are only a few items left on our pre-departure task list. As soon as the weather cooperates we will venture out onto Mobile Bay for a shake-down cruise; testing the sails, tuning the standing rigging and verifying all of the new electronics. Then, after a short adventure in New Orleans to celebrate our anniversary, followed by a quick business trip to Dallas, we should be ready to provision, top off the tanks, bid our farewells, slip the dock lines and point our bow east and south.
Almost every evening now we can be found pouring over electronic charts, studying tide tables and watching weather reports. We are finally rounding third and heading for home! Once underway our blog will be updated at least twice per week, if not more.
Until next time, may your tomorrow bring fair winds and following seas!