Getting a little antsy here. 4 days till we head to St Lucia. 12 days till we set out. Wiped out on the ice last week and tore the rotator cuff in my right shoulder. Then again at the gas station 4 days later. I swear the midwest knows I am leaving and is making a pretty good effort at killing me before I can escape. So I got that going for me. Should be awesome. Maybe I can find some island doctor to fix it. Or maybe if I eat enough bananas or something.

Anyway. A couple of people have asked what the Parasailor is that I mentioned in the list. Its a new (in the last ten years or so) type of downwind sail. A big billowing spinnaker with a lifting wing built into it. Four of us went to Florida a couple weeks ago to train with it. I was quite impressed.

Neither of these is Vivo. Just some shots from the manufactures website.

And this bloody thing is huge! 2,000 sq feet. Our first house was 900 sq ft. Microplastics started in 1,500 sq ft. We have some rigging to do to get this set up on Vivo but I can't wait to fly it. Boats talk about setting it and having it fly for a week solid without having to make adjustments. Which is just unheard of.

We have said goodbye to family and friends. And used way to much rum in the process. Heck, maybe I didn't even say goodbye. Cant remember. Especially the Microplastics send off. Thanks for that guys!

Countdown continues.

peace

M

Preparations for the World ARC circumnavigation.    Jan 11 2014 – April 2015

http://www.worldcruising.com

It’s been quite a while since I last posted here. Had a good season in the carib and a long summer. We have been completing the preparations for the World ARC. Quite a bit to do, it turns out. I have been asked what is involved with getting ready for the circumnavigation so allow me to respond. At length. Sorry. Grab a bevy.

New Parasailor

New Genaker (Code Zero)

New main sail

New electric main winch

Spares Spares Spares

New water maker. 50 gal/hr capacity

New house bank batteries. 800 A. Gels

A/C pump replaced

3 new IOTA battery chargers. 2 24V, 1 12V

Safety lines replaced

Osmotic blisters repairs

Bottom paint

Tri-Color LED masthead anchor light

All 3 engines gone over

Topping lift, Main halyard, furling lines replaced

Radar reflector installed

Jib wheels installed

Knot Log repaired

Fuel bladder fill line replaced

Update flare set

Life raft repacked

Dingy steering cable replaced

Dingy bottom interior epoxied

Replaced Isinglass in Bimini

Sail bag overhauled

SSB checked out

New starter batteries

Port side diaphragm grey water pump

Delorme Aux GPS and email system

60 lbs of paper charts for entire trip

CMAX chips for same

Fuel polishing system on board

Furuno weather fax

Immunizations and meds for the trip

Personal AIS transmitter for MOB

And a Partridge in a pear tree

That’s what I remember. From my notes anyway. So how exciting was that? Kept me busy for the better part of the last year and a half.  As of today its 23 days till go time!!

The Route

The Itinerary

Month	Details	Miles
January	Saint Lucia to San Blas, Panama	1100 NM
	Transit Panama Canal
February	Cruise Panama
	Las Perlas to Galapagos	850 NM
	Cruise Galapagos
March	Galapagos to Hiva Oa, Marquesas	2980 NM
	Cruise French Polynesia
April	Tahiti rendezvous
	Cruise Society Islands
May	Bora Bora to Suwarrow	690 NM
	Suwarrow to Niue	540 NM
	Niue to Vava'u, Tonga	230 NM
June	Cruise Tonga and Fiji
July	Fiji to Tanna, Vanuatu	450 NM
	Cruise Vanuatu
	Port Vila, Vanuatu to Mackay, Australia	1150 NM
August	Cruise the Great Barrier Reef
	Thursday Island to Darwin	830 NM

Route: Second Half from Australia

Month	Details	Miles
September	Darwin to Bali, Indonesia	990 NM
	Bali to Cocos (Keeling)	1100 NM
October	Cocos to Mauritius	2350 NM
	Mauritius to Reunion	130 NM
November	Reunion to Richards Bay, South Africa	1370 NM
	Cruise South Africa
January	Cape Town to St Helena	1700 NM
	St Helena to Salvador, Brazil	1900 NM
February	Cruise Brazil
March	(TBC) Brazil to St George's, Grenada	1700 NM
	Cruise Windward Islands
April	Final prize giving in Saint Lucia