A Cruise to Hawai'i

Our trip to Hawai'i just got a dozen steps closer. We have just booked a 14 Night Hawai'i Cruise aboard the Golden Princess leaving from Los Angeles on Oct 24, 2012. Yes that's next year but it gives us time to pay off the credit card and save up some more money for the trip.

Our cruise will take us from Los Angeles to Hilo on the Big Island (where I used to live), to Honolulu, to Nawiliwili on the Island of Kaua'i, to Lahaina on the Island of Maui, to Ensenada, Mexico, then return to Los Angeles.

Shakedown Cruise

We launched the Shangri-La last Sunday but I still had to complete some systems before going out with her. So after finishing hooking up the fresh water system, and making sure I had a working head (toilet) on the boat, Barb and I left the docks for a short shakedown cruise down the Oconto River, out a quarter mile or so into the Bay of Green Bay, then returned back to the yacht club. The boat run good and handled well.

We're In!

After working on our boat almost everyday for the last 2 months, we finely got it in the water today. We still have a lot to do on our renovation, but at least the problems that I was dreading with hull issues are fixed.

As we were getting ready to lift it off it's jack stands, I had Barb get our camera to take pictures of today's events. But unfortunately, the camera batteries were dead. But fortunately, another member had his camera and took these pictures for us.

Paid Off

This weekend finds our boat, the Shangri-La, with a lien-free title. Yesterday Barb and I drove down to Sheboygan, partied, and spent the night. Today at breakfast we made our last payment to our friends Frank & Jill Welti and now fully own our boat. Now to get our pickup and motorhome paid off.