Preparing the boat to leave

I have been working on getting the boat ready for my departure by filling my water and diesel tanks. I didn't want to compete with the other 76 boats in the Salty Dawg Rally all trying to fill up their tanks at the same time so I made 2 trips to the local gas station and got 80 gallons at $2 a gallon.

Usually I pour the diesel into a Baja filter sitting on the top of my fuel tanks but today I tried my new syphon hose shown above. All you do is stick the copper end in the yellow jug and after shaking the hose, the fuel stats to flow. Lots less mess!

I checked my 4 bilge pumps and they all worked except the small manual one had split where it was bent so I had to run out and get a new one.

Ok I am about to use some very annoying nautical jargon here to describe what you are looking at. In the middle of the photo is a wire that helps hold the bowsprit in place. The left side has a flat bar that is called a tang and a turnbuckle connects to a wire stay. All stainless steel of course and the 306 kind that is supposed to last longer. Anyway for the longest time, this "whisker" stay has been loose and I finally got around to finding a shorter turnbuckle so that I could tension it.

I hope to run out to the store today and buy supplies that will last me 6 months in the Caribbean.