Before we headed west

After weeks of improvised plans and an extended road trip to Florida, at long last Wind-Lass has a new rudder!

Those who have been there know that installing a new rudder isn't exactly the easiest job. It isn't just as simple as putting on the rudder itself, since this carefully crafted piece of fiberglass and bronze must be lined up and installed perfectly to align with the internal steering system. Which is, incidentally, located under our bed in the aft cabin.



Scotty worked diligently to get the job done as soon as the weather allowed when we returned to the yard and only needed a few hours of muscle power from the boatyard staff to help do the heavy lifting and lend a blowtorch to loosen a stuck part.

I'm so proud of his skills and hard work to get our boat back in one piece. It looks just like it did before, yet a lot stronger, too.

Overall, the last few weeks have been a blur of activity. Between the rudder replacement and prepping the boat for another extended absence, there hasn't been much extra time at all left in each day.

Decommissioning a boat is a time consuming operation, even without throwing in a complete rudder replacement. It's a topic deserving of a post of its own.

After another intense packing session for our return from North Carolina to Alaska (which felt more like moving than packing for a trip), we said goodbye to Wind-Lass and finally pulled out of the boatyard on February 19th. Once again, the West was calling us...

Driving past New Bern, NC (just north of Beaufort)

But first, we stopped in Asheville, North Carolina for a few days to visit my mom.

On the highway near Asheville (February 19, 2014)

Mom picked a really nice place to live, surrounded by nature and the mountains. In her backyard, in the westernmost corner of North Carolina, we saw the earliest signs of Spring.



We're all still struggling with the loss of our dear Eric and dealing with it as best we can. It was really good to spend time together.

Mom and Tala

Next, we drove three hours south to northern Georgia to hang out with Scotty's folks for a few days.

More signs of spring in northern Georgia (February 21, 2014)

Scotty and his dad even managed to fit in a round of golf on a particularly nice day.

Scotty and his dad

If you're in the area and like to golf, this course is definitely worth visiting for the scenery alone. I don't golf (yet), but it's worth noting the course seemed enjoyable too. ;)

The setting sun meant a pretty cold end to the round, but the purple red glow on the surrounding Blue Ridge Mountains made for a gorgeous distraction.



You couldn't even tell that just a week earlier it had looked like this in their area:

North Georgia (February 13, 2014- Photo by Scotty's dad)

I'm starting to think that the word "bipolar" is a pretty accurate descriptor of this winter's weather...

On Sunday, February 23rd, we began making our way west again. That evening a single unexpected event changed everything. It's the reason we've dropped off the map, the reason we're still in Oklahoma, and the reason I haven't been on the blog or Facebook. But we're doing okay and I'll be back soon to share more about recent events and our plans for the journey ahead.