The last month before leaving was a crazy window. Lots of planning, jobs to finish, weather to watch, a route to plan, goodbyes to be said, paperwork to file, really, the list seemed endless, and we were surprised several times at things we just hadn’t known about. Perhaps joining BCA fleet earlier and having more guidance would have been helpful. We managed to get the VHF station licence for Karma registered, Karma herself registered in Canada (BC was not good enough, and we hadn’t realized there were two separate registration processes when importing Karma in Dec 2022). We were so grateful for the company, energy, and fresh approach to the boat that came with Bella and Will joining us at the end of August and mucking in with all the various jobs. Lifelines were strung, jacklines fitted, radios installed, all kinds of things bolted down, organization all over the boat, inventories of food, parts and tools, chores on our little house (landscaping), weather watching, and SO much more.
We delayed leaving by a handful of days as my dad decided to use MAID and chose his date in September. We were fortunate to have had the last 10 days with him, visiting, letting his friends and family know, clarifying what he wanted in his estate, and just spending time with him. We were fortunate to be with my siblings and a couple of long-term friends as he chose to exit this life. I like to think of him enjoying time reunited with Fern, I know he hoped for that even if he didn’t really believe it would happen. I am still waiting for the promised post-it notes he said he would “send from the other side” if it were possible, yes, no feathers, or symbols one might actually see, but personalized post-its, that’s what he said to look for. Irreverent to the end, that was my dad.
Needless to say, we were all tired, some of us more emotional than others as we finished up: we got the last things into storage, out of storage, packed on to the boat, picked up from Trotac (the best boating store I have ever seen, and yes it is in Victoria!) and put away, all while keeping a sharp eye on the weather. We also reached out to a fellow called “MetBob,” a retired meteorologist who helps sailors with passage planning – some expert experience, along with what we were seeing, was very reassuring, as some nerves about heading offshore were developing as we got closer to that reality. We had an amazing send-off at our friend’s place (see photo), and then, all too quickly, it was time to cast off the lines.
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