Scrambled Eggs

and all in one basket...called Elise :)

I put in another day of work last week and we are still missing three critical items...

1) mounting emergency steering
2) mounting the solar panels
3) installing 2nd bilge pump (somehow we missed that???)
4) permanent install for the SSB and sea trial
5) sail tune the boat
6) better secure the water bladders

A lot of this is started but with a temporary solution which we needed to replace with higher quality parts, etc... We also need to upgrade one of the batteries. Nathan's on that job.

Jason, from Argo Yacht Rigging is the most helpful person I have met. He sailed an Express 27 in the Pac Cup before and he has offered his help.

Technically he is a rigger but he knows a lot of things about boats and will find some time in his work schedule to fit us in. He will do a lot of the heavy lifting on the emergency steering (we have the rudder...), the solar panel and the 2nd bilge pump. He has copper for the SSB ground strip and most importantly, a friend of his is making us a custom dodger to keep the cabin dry in the first few days of the race. This is great because he seems to be very flexible and able to move his schedule around, very much in control of his work priorities. He will probably also be very diligent in getting the parts. I also trust immensely his ability to do something that work for Elise because a) he's a racer and he will go for light efficient designs, b) he's solved that problem once for another Express for that same race and so far he has always delivered on time.

On another front, the laptop should be here shortly :)

And I need to change the tires of the trailer and put some new brakes on...

I talked to Sarah Deeds this weekend (doing the Pac Cup on a Moore 24). They're also scrambling...

We can totally do this.