Well with all the preparations in full swing for the trip we are running almost to schedule albeit a few day late. However, it seems the Arctic was not content to wait for us. Right now there is a heavy snow falling around the yacht and I am hiding out inside with the diesel burner on full blast rising out the weather. Today I was supposed to be painting, and with only one full day to go before we launch it is getting critical that another layer of paint is applied to the hull and the antifouling paint is applied to the bottom – this latter is important as without it we will carrying more than just two in the blue on the boat …. Beneath us we would be dragging marine organisms all around the globe where they may end up being major pests and ecological nightmares. So it looks like come rain, hail, snow or sun I’ll be out lathering the hull in paint. Then it’s just a matter of slipping into the water and sailing away!