The Transformation!!!  It was to be an entire repaint and refit.  I sanded for days, the under wing was particularly difficult for the shoulders.  Other boat owners were shocked at what I had undertaken, some probably a bit dismayed as I started at day break and quit at dawn for 6 weeks.  The rig came off and got new paint and wire, the old bottom paint was really ugly and took tons of work to grind off.  But it was a work of love and dreams and as the metamorphosis took place I began to really get excited.  In the pictures you will see alot of taping and priming, I actually painted the hulls twice.  The first time I sprayed them and it looked so good, but it got late on me and the dew made the paint flash and by morning I knew I was whipped.  So back to the sanding between coats and the next time I had to roll and tip as the yard said no more spraying, I kinda snuck under the wire the first time and did it on a weekend.  Finally the hulls where done and all I had was the cockpit and deck area, does this ever end?
I met a wonderful bunch of cruisers during my stay and all were so helpful, from changing the zinks on the shaft legs to dinners when they felt sorry for me.  Tom and Lisa on Symmetry became great friends, they had a cat also and we did the Annapolis boat showed together.  They left a few weeks ahead of us but where always emailing keeping us posted on anchorages and what to look for.  We finally caught up with them in Marathon city marina.  They had arranged a mooring buoy right next to them so we were neighbors for a few months.
Kinda got side tracked but when all is said and done it's the people you meet and befriend that makes cruising.
Eventually we splashed the dream maker and I had to motor into Annapolis where the rig was waiting and have it steeped and motor back,  my first solo cruise and what a delight.  All went as planned except for the autopilot that was not going to work at all.  Funny how during survey the are just fine.
Well a few weeks later Patty arrived to help with the final interior touches like, new cushions, pillows, bedding, pillows, cook wear, towels, and lastly food.  She had a map of every Whole Foods Market from Maryland to Florida!  What a surprise!!!!  But it all went very smoothly and eventually it was time to cast off, oops right in the middle of football season, my only regret!