The Last Minute

If it weren't for the last minute, nothing would ever get done, right?? Sure seems that way, for the amount of work we got finished this week!! The weather cooperated (finally!) to give us some much needed sunshine and dry weather to complete all the outside projects: the boat yard finished installing the hard top, Martek came and moved the satellite domes from the pilothouse roof to the hardtop (as wire runs and chases were planned and built for those as well as the lights in the hard top), all the re-glassing and gel-coat work was finished, along with a list of odd jobs (spreader lights needed changing, new LED breaker panel lights installed where old ones burnt out, etc...). LOTS accomplished!! Plus, on Thursday and Friday, the detailing guys (Dean's Yacht Service -- LOVE them!) came to wash, wax and wash yet again to detail the upper deck and topsides post-gel-coat work, so Equinox is looking pretty!!

The hard top is lovely...John Norton at AHBY did a fabulous job with the custom design, as its curves echo the classic upturn of the Kaden-Krogen pilothouse roof, and the stainless supports are superbly done and gorgeous! Ron is very happy we went with the stainless over the aluminum, it just matches so well with the rest of the stainless stanchions and railings.

Shots of the new hardtop

While all that was being accomplished, Karyn was at the house, going non-stop: sorting, discarding, packing, and labeling boxes for the move, hauling trash away to the dump, putting out tons of boxes and bags of household goods for donation for Purple Heart pick-up, meeting with the Boy Scouts to donate all our backpacking and camping gear (quite an assortment of goodies!), and generally exhausting herself in the process. Ron was at the boat, coordinating the yard work, while doing work himself: changing the Seagull H2O filter for the boat's freshwater system, getting the propane tanks topped off, coordinating a fuel delivery to the boat, meeting with CruisAir Annapolis re getting the watermaker system up and running at long last....you name it, we both had our hands full! But, we both got a great deal accomplished.

Of course, with hard work come rewards! We took a break Tuesday afternoon to watch Ally compete in her final game as a Oldfields senior in a tough match against a very talented McDonogh player. Ally played some of the most brilliant tennis we've seen her play all year, fighting hard to several deuce points in nearly every game, but wound up with a loss to close out her high school career. Nevertheless, the season ended on a high note, as Ally was chosen as one of this year's B Conference All-Stars at Varsity Number 1 Singles! It was a fitting award; her coach was quite complimentary of her play and leadership as a co-captain this year. Again, we are so proud of her and her hard work!

Another small reward came Wednesday evening, as the day was simply so lovely, Karyn joined Ron aboard for the afternoon and night. It was a treat to cook aboard once again...feels like ages since we've had a quiet moment home! We grilled cedar planked salmon, pairing it with shallot risotto and steamed asparagus, and enjoyed a lovely dinner for two on the back deck facing west as the sun set over Annapolis proper. Now THAT is what cruising is all about: appreciating the moment!

View from our aft deck: sunset over the Annapolis Yacht Club