Runners take your marks.....

OK OK so I'm still in Arizona, but I'm now two weeks from a 7 Dec arrival back in hot and humid Panama. The rainy season ends in December, so I'll be able to work on the boat.  Expect it will take at least 2 weeks to clean and prepare it for the real work I have to do, such as install new porthole windows, install a refrigerator, install a new autohelm, install a new cabin sole (that's a floor, for you landlubbers), and a hundred other repairs before relaunching.  The boat is currently on stilts in a storage yard at Shelter Bay Marina, which is located at the old US Fort Sherman, across the bay from Colon, Panama (the Caribbean side of the canal).  As for my crew, which consists of my brother David and hopefully a third member (one of David's friends), I have no idea where they are. 
My plan is to try to get all the work done by the end of Dec, launch in early Jan, and get thru the canal by mid to late Jan.  Once we get thru the canal, we'll spend one day at the Pacific side in Panama City, and then head out for Mexico.  It's about 3000 miles.  We can make about 100 miles per 24 hour day, so it will take about 30 sailing days to cover the distance.  Allowing for multiple port calls for refilling the fuel, water, and pantry,  and for recovery from long hauls, I anticipate the sail with take 4 months.  (If you did the math, you noted that the average speed while sailing is about 5-6 miles per hour).
OK, that's probably all the boring you can take at one sitting, so I'll sign off for now. 
You can email me at wtucker4@hotmail.com or islandfever41@msn.com.
You can see an article with a schematic of Island Fever at the following website:  http://www.gulfstarownersclub.com/documents/GS41sSep72YachtingMag.pdf

30 Sep 2010
Today was my last day of work, and I'm now gainfully and gleefully unemployed.  This is my first attempt at establishing a blog, and a test of the system.  It will remain dormant for several weeks, as I will not head down to Island Fever for about two months.  Island Fever is currently in Panama, probably green with mold from the awesome humidity, and will require at least a month of preparation before sailing.  Once there my blogging will become more regular.