Is it really going to happen?

Welcome to the log of the sailing vessel Blue Note. It is my intention to use this site to allow those of you who are interested in where the boat is and what I’m up to to stay abreast without having to call the Coast Guard because you haven’t gotten a phone call or email in a week or two. You who know me well know I am not the best at timely correspondence. That characteristic with the circumstance that the only time I will be able to update this log is when I am in range of an internet connection dictates irregular entries. Please bear with me. I anticipate passages and anchorages with no wifi or cell phone service in addition to my own slothfulness.

This is my first experience with blogging. I understand you can leave comments. I encourage you to do so. Hopefully I have set this up with that capability. Email me if you find that’s not possible and I will try to correct the situation.

I write this from slip A-5, Valdez Small Boat Harbor, my residence for the last eight years. Today is rainy with a small stream flood warning in effect. More importantly, it’s windy with seas to 15 feet in the Gulf of Alaska. It will have to be considerably more settled before I will attempt to cross to southeast Alaska. Further more, I still have shtuff to deal with. So, the current plan is to leave here sometime Friday the 21^st or Saturday the 22^nd with a stop at Ellamar to say goodbye to friends, then out to Port Etches on Hinchinbrook Island to await suitable weather for the crossing.

I finally realized the majority of the anxiety I’m experiencing has to do with leaving Valdez and very little to do with the coming solo crossing of the Gulf. This has been home for over 29 years. I’ve lived here longer than anywhere else I have ever lived. I’m also feeling the anticipation of doing something I have dreamed about for almost four decades. It’s a tumult of emotions.

May the adventure commence.

ap