@ 22:00 GMT
Position: 26º 06.169 N x 80º 06.892 W, Alongside in Fort Lauderdale, FL

Do you remember the classic tale “Twas the night before Christmas”? That is how it feels right now. Over a year of preparation and in 16 hours we will disembark for the Azores. This has been a dream for so long and its finally here. The crew and I (five of us in total) have been in Florida for a week making last minute preparations which include upgrading the safety features on the boat, getting provisioning for a month for all of us, and the list goes on. Now we are ready to go. All that is left is to have dinner, sleep and set sail. I wonder if I will be able to sleep tonight or if the excitement will wake me.

We have not been certain of the exact departure date as it is so dependent on the weather forecast. We are working with a professional crew at Commanders Weather, and we have a great weather window to leave tomorrow. Since the duration of the sail (up to 3 weeks) is longer than a predictable weather forecast we are using the next weeks weather outlook to guide us to a position that is likely to be good for the following week. Of course, every day we will download new information and adapt our course appropriately. We are set to initially head to just north of Bermuda but will revise as necessary. Follow along on the tracker.

Yesterday was a very busy day with calls to a News channel in Portugal, a Facebook live with the Epilepsy Foundation New England and a send-off event in Fort Lauderdale. We were lucky to meet two of our virtual shipmates, Teresa and Jenny. I really enjoyed talking with them and learning more about their lives and personalities. Hopefully we can connect again soon.

I want to give a big shout out to all of my family who have been so supportive, as well as our fantastic team at Sail For Epilepsy. This happens because of our crew. But most importantly, I want to thank our virtual shipmates, who are taking one more step to lead a fuller life. Keep challenging yourselves, and I look forward to hearing what you have accomplished. It’s now time to focus on final preparations, a few calls to my family and a good night’s sleep. 

Keep following along, we will post regularly 

Good night Phil