We sail tomorrow AM

Last minute projects and provisioning today. Went to the Mount Maunganui farmers market and solidified my estimation that Mom would love it here. Except they drive on the wrong side of the road and there are no Cadillacs.

We are almost out of here. NZ Customs is scheduled to check us out at 9AM tomorrow morning. As soon as we are processed, we sail north along the east coast of NZ until we clear the cape, then we head for Brisbane. As soon as we are under sail, I will start posting our position here every 10 minutes.

NZ seagulls are colored different than North American seagulls and have a different call, but they are flying scavengers just like their North American cousins. Every small thing not attached to the boat gets taste tested by a seagull.

If everything goes to hell - like if Catnip sinks - we have a small dingy with a small sail (that I have named our Shackleton Escape Pod), hand held radios, signal flares, a hand-pump desalinator, an EPIRB, my satellite communicator, ...

And we can always row to Australia.

I may get a post and a few emails off tomorrow AM, but otherwise will be incommunicado for 2 weeks or so.