The Great Escape

After years of planning and months of working to get ready for starting the Loop, the last day in our NY house has come. So, alarm systems are turned on and security cameras are up and running. Deb has been working tirelessly to get the house ready for the market and getting rid of our life-long accumulation of stuff. Deb’s parents, who will be joining us on the first leg of the trip, have also been a tremendous help over the past month.  We have been a little handicapped in getting some work done this past week since a week ago when we posted Deb’s car on line and had a buyer in 10 minutes.  Now, if we could just get an offer on the house! 

Maggie’s stuff is going into a shipping container today for eventual delivery to Buffalo where she starts her new job next week. Now we really have to go since the beds have are being packed! Some of Maggie's stuff was delivered upstate earlier in the week when Deb and her mom, Sammie Lou Green, delivered the Green's car to Syracuse to pre-position it for the beginning of July when we will drop the Green’s off to drive home to Florida and we will move on into the Great Lakes. They flew back to JFK from Syracuse last night.

We have spent the last few weeks saying our good-byes to our NY friends. Deb’s Girl Scout Service Unit gave her a terrific send-off celebration and our friends at Commack United Methodist Church did the same for us. We have been wrapping up our obligations with both organizations. Mainly, that is the hard part about leaving. 

Mike's last day of full time employment is today. Both Mike and Deb have been asked by their companies to continue to support them from time to time on an hourly basis. It is a great opportunity but we will have to see how much that intrudes on our new life style.

Getting Carousel ready for the trip has also been a focus of our attention. She is now properly registered in her new home state, Florida. We started last fall with a long list of seasonal commissioning and preventive maintenance for her. However, it has been difficult to focus the engine mechanic on anything preventive in nature as his business has grown a bit out of his capacity to address anything but urgent work. He is very good and has been trying very hard but we have some items on the list that will have to be completed as we get time along the way. Hopefully we will not be sorry for that decision. Incidentally, the staff at Brewer Stirling Harbor Marina, where we have been customers for over 13 years, have been fantastic in accommodating our temporary status this year in the harbor.

Earlier this week Deb’s dad, Don Green, and Mike ran a supply mission to Carousel. There is an amazing amount for storage aboard Carousel but we seem determined to carry way too much stuff. Hopefully we can do a better job of sorting out and removing some stuff as we proceed. The first run of provisions has been loaded and stored. Another run for meat, veggies, and fruit will come aboard just before our planned departure tomorrow, June 4.

Our target is to make that departure around mid-day after the early morning grocery run, squaring up with the marina, and returning our rental car. We will then be heading towards New York City but may have a rainy day to deal with on Sunday. 

Our rough plan for the next few days is to work our way down Long Island Sound, probably stopping for a night at anchor along the way, continue towards NYC, travel under the Whitestone and Throngsneck Bridges, and then battle the current at Hell's Gate to spend a night behind the Statue of Liberty before moving up the Hudson River.

More to come...