So close!!!

Unfortunately, we're still stuck in NJ and will be for a while, yo. (everyone in New Jersey says "yo" at the end of their sentences) Right after we posted the last enthusiastic blog on Sunday, we put Terrapin in the water on Monday morning and found a big leak around the shaft tube. The damage most likely occurred when the damage to the shaft and engine happened. We've had the insurance company's surveyor out to inspect the damage and are awaiting the coverage verdict. Tense times, yo.

The only thing solution now is to bore out the old tube and fiberglass another one which will take a few weeks to get the bore and materials.  

Since we can't get Kala up the ladder easily (no thumbs, yo!) and yard life is very dirty, Molly and Kala went to visit her mom in Michigan while I work on projects. It's just not the same on the boat without the girls. (yo.)

We should know more about repair timeframes and whether we have insurance coverage later this week. We're about ready for this part of the adventure to be over and get on with some sailing but at least NJ and NY are nice this time of year. 

Soooo close!!!

If you have to study the Yanmar manual, at least have a liter of Spaten Octoberfest.

Now THIS is a Home Depot. $14 in ferry tolls and 8 miles walking but it was cool.

The view is nice from the boat. I now have the hard dodger and solar panel on. 

All Roads Lead to Terrapin.

A week after leaving Salt Lake, we pulled into Liberty Landing Marina! 

We had not heard from the yard in almost a week (though they were supposed to give us a status 5 days before) or the insurance in almost three weeks, so we had headed to the boat on blind faith.  Our expectations ran from the boat could be completely scratched up, electronics trashed from the weather, and batteries dead to the boat could be in the water completely finished and ready to go.  We try to prepare ourselves for all situations, so we can objectively deal with the issues at hand, independent of emotion.  

Terrapin was smiling when we pulled up.  The new shaft was installed and the fiberglass was on.  We still had to see about the engine.  We grabbed a ladder and slowly climbed aboard, slowly pulled back the hatch and went below....the engine was in and for the most part wired.  Only a couple of tasks remain for the yard to complete the repower (exhaust hose and alternator took longer as the engine is a mirror opposite of the original Westerbeke.)  

The weather had cooled off in NJ (down to the high 40s last night) so I pulled a warm sweater out of my closet on the boat as we headed to dinner.  The sweater smelled like home...it's where we want to be and it is a smell of adventure, hard work, and lots of love.

Today will be a busy day with lots more right behind it, but we look forward to it and can't wait to be floating on the water again!

A great day on the farm

She had run all day and was completely exhausted, but still smiling.

Course is set and we are ready to be there.

Kala has grown used to sleeping among "stuff" as we travel along.

Crossing the Delaware River - little different than George Washington's crossing.

$23 dollars in tolls later, they let us in New Jersey.

Pay up sucka!

So excited to be back aboard, even though she is still on the hard.

The white stuff on the back of the keel is the new fiberglass around the shaft

Love this diesel engine!  Now let's crank her up and head out.

Reflecting On The Past but Moving Forward

I was talking to some good friends last night about where we have been and how things have unfolded over just the last seven months and it seems like a wild road trip, but when we take it day-by-day and we consider all the great things we have in our life, we feel so grateful for every single experience.  They all build on each other and take you down a road that you might not have chosen in different circumstances.

In the last two weeks, things for us have really gained momentum.  Kind of like what I imagine it's like being on an AC72 and you start foiling...suddenly all of the resistance is removed and you are flying through the air.

In summary, Terrapin is close to being ready with a new engine and transmission and the wheels are in motion to move back aboard and sail away.  We left Utah Sunday, Sept 15, exactly eight years to the day that we first moved there from Atlanta.  If we think back through all that we have done, places we have been, friends we have made and skills we have learned, we even surprise ourselves.  The way things unfolded and the opportunities we had by living out west have been so rewarding and leave us wanting more adventure.

So, after visits with family and friends along the way, we should be back in NYC later this week. We have fun plans for October, November, and beyond and we are so excited to watch them unfold.

Kala takes a moment to reflect.

Our temporary home in Utah.  It was great, but we prefer Terrapin. 

Loaded and ready to go.

Along the way, my sweet, super cute nieces, Lindsay Claire (left) and Isabelle (right) helped me celebrate my birthday with the best chocolate vegan cake EVER!

Its a long and winding road between Utah and New York.

Back in the south and the cotton fields are ready for picking.

It's great to have friends...