LEAVING THE BOAT ... FOR PARIS

Brunswick, GA

A serene morning at the marina. No, Cara Mia isn't in this shot.

We'll be leaving the boat in the water on floating docks in Brunswick while we spend a month in Paris. It turns out that our TO DO list for leaving is longer than the one for hurricane prep. It goes something like this:

Empty and turn off refrigerator (I've been working toward the 'empty' part for a couple of months.)
Pump out and flush holding tank
Get gas out of dinghy engine
Fill diesel tank
Close seacocks
Open internal hatches to let them breath
Dry out hatch around air conditioning (condensation drips a lot of water in there)
Check bilge pump
Turn off all switches
Water tank: haven't decided whether to leave any water. Thoughts?
Reseal mast to keep rainwater out
Vacuum bag winter clothing
Unplug from shore power (solar panels are facing south getting optimal sun)
Put foil in port lights to block UV and help keep the cabin cool
Put DampRid out to absorb moisture

Pack up our worries in the old kit bag. It's so stressful to leave the boat, but I don't worry so much here in this safe spot with floating docks* and conscientious folks to watch out for her.

I can already tell you, a few of these things are not getting done, since Chip has been so sick. :-(

What are we forgetting? What do you do to leave your boat?


*Floating docks mean that the boat is tied to a floating walkway (no pilings!) that also rises and falls with the tides, which are extreme here (6 feet). That makes it much easier to secure the boat. See the photo above.