The final blitz is on. We really are going to probably leave the dock tomorrow, ready or not. A friend will sail with us -- whose name is actually Friend. Next land stop will be Wakefield, RI, where we will pick up Bob's brother, Rich, we think. I think Art goes on hold until our second stop, Boston, where we hope Bob's son, Mark, will join us for the next leg. Friend and Rich will leave us there. By then, we will have our sea legs and will be settling into the routine of the boat.

The boat is a Valiant 40 -- a good sea-worthy vessel, equipped for blue water sailing. But this year, we are coastal cruising -- largely because I like to sleep at night -- in a secure, at least relatively quiet harbor. I am not fond of the all hands on deck routines, that although not that common, are what one remembers of offshore sailing. The long lazy downwind days of idyllic passages are lovely, but for me they are spoiled by those midnight firedrills. None of that this year, please.