Sailing Vessel Promise, Tartan 28 Sloop

So, here we are on July 5^th, 2012, ten days out and counting from our 07/15 permanent departure from what’s been our home for what – 67 years? That’s 67 years in Connecticut, only 10 of which have been here in Preston.  Our daughter Joanna is flying in from our new digs in Titusville on the 13^th (she’ll be following our motor-home in the Prius to our new home) and we’ll have another adult within shouting distance for the three cats and her dog Kincaid the Cavalier on the 1300 mile trip.  All of our “must keep” stuff is at the town-house in Titusville, and we’re only bringing the remnants that we’ve used to live here for the last month or so.  They’ll be a fairly large pickup from Goodwill Industries after we’ve cleared on the 15^th.

We have several different lists going, some of which are time sensitive.  The newspaper subscriptions have been converted to all digital or canceled, the propane and oil service contracts have been discontinued, the change of address’s have been processed for the most part.  We have new checks with our new address in Florida (for mail use: P.O. Box 1055, Titusville Fl 30781) and for e-mail r.payette2@gmail.com and for telephone 860.460.7945. )  Lose the CT landline telephone #, and we will not have a “house land line” in Florida.  All cellular, all digital, all the time J.

It seems weird doing a final packing for the motor-home.  Normally we’re packing for a trip, either a camping weekend with the Club or a winter hiatus for three to four months.  It feels different to be actually leaving, like breaking camp at a place you know you’re not liable to be back to anytime soon.

We (Alice and I) were talking about our feelings on this move on our way back from Wal-mart this morning.  It wouldn’t be human if you didn’t have mixed feelings about moving away from family and friends, even if it’s just a reversal of snow-birding and we fully expect to come back to the Northeast periodically to touch base with everyone.  The analogy I gave Alice is this: Many years ago, when we had our sailboat Promise, we both noted that many people rarely left the dock.  If the weather was in the least suspect, if there was a risk of it getting a bit uncomfortable, many people spent the entire weekend at the dock.  They’d BBQ and drink and party…and rarely leave their comfort zone and go to sea.  We were very active in the New London Power Squadron, and I taught boating safety and was a Squadron Commander, but we loved sailing Promise when it was hard, when it wasn’t a milk run so to speak.  She was a Tartan 28 sloop, built strong, and capable of handling more than I could probably sail her into.  And, when we’re talking around the campfire it’s not about the milk-runs but the exciting runs, the sails where the weather was nasty and the conditions tested you….where ball bearings are blowing out of traveler fittings because of wind pressure and you can’t hear each other talking because of that wind….  They call it sailing, and that’s what we’re doing now.  We’re leaving the safety of shore and heading into the wind.  Luckily we’re secured with good equipment and jack-lines but we’re doing it, and it’s going to be an exciting ride!