The journey begins!

It has happened! Dave has retired! After many years of friend and family listening to us say "this year Dave will retire" He finally made the decision that he was ready! I personally was ready years ago (just kidding). Now that the choice was made there was a LOT of preparing to do before we set off sailing! Dave had some major projects to do on the boat - I had lots of goodbye parties to plan! We are going to be busy!!  Dave's retirement day happens! December 31st 2010 - of course there was a party. Dave then started working on the boat. We had some of the To Do list done already. A 16 a gallon an hour watermaker had been installed. A small apartment size washing machine had been installed. Dave took off on Cat's Eye to Tortola to get hauled out - we had a dirty bottom. Dave took that opportunity to redo the drive shafts. I stayed behind in St.Thomas - I was still working after all! I really could not get off to spend days in a hot sweaty boat yard!
Dave returned and did LOTS of engine work. Getting these lil Yanmar engines ready to go proved to be a HUGE project but he got it done! We kept Cat's Eye on the dock in Frenchtown Marina, this is also where I worked. It made a very easy commute to work every morning (and yes I also worked everyday that Dave had the engine pulled out! It was safer there!) This also proved to make it easier to get home after all the "See ya Later" parties we had lined up!
As February rolled in the To Do list got smaller - parties where often and we felt if we did not set a leaving date we might never leave. We decided on February 26th (our anniversary) The date was set and we where sticking to it!