Cinderella at the St. Pete Ball !!

Our first goal, after launch, was to take XYZZY to her debut boat show in St. Petersburg, in the beginning of December.  This is an important show for Mondo Marine, as it is local to their business, and a good first show to get our boat show feet wet at.

 

After the launch, our team worked night and day up until 3AM the night before we had to leave, to get as much done as possible.  The boat would be displayed as "still under construction", but we wanted to have it as near perfect as we could.  I do have to admit that the night before we departed, I went home at 11:30PM in tears - there was just no way I could see this coming together.

But we did leave the next morning, with 11 electricians and carpenters working away all through the four-hour trip from Sarasota to St. Petersburg. I put all my concerns aside during the smooth ride north, and enjoyed being back on the water again, the first time in our own boat in almost two years. 

Here are some photos from our trip:

Captain Dennis takes her out onto the bay

Heading up the Bay to St. Pete

Under the bridge we go!

Once we were tucked into our slip, and the Mondo Team began setting up the dock area, we slipped away back home.  The next morning, we arrived back at the boat for opening day around noon, to crowds of people streaming through - asking questions, admiring the layout, fingering the cushions - it was utterly amazing.  Overnight XYZZY had been transformed from a construction project into a gorgeous luxury catamaran! I had to pinch myself to make sure I wasn't dreaming - Fairy Godmother Lari and her amazing sidekick Patti Trusel had cleaned and decorated until our pumpkin became a golden coach. 

Spruced up for the Holidays

The Mondo Booth

The next three days passed in a blur of people, questions, hellos and goodbyes...we had well over 2000 signatures in our log book.  It has been a long time since a new catamaran name came onto the market; the response was really overwhelmingly positive.  All six of us were busy every minute of each day, chatting with people, explaining, discussing our decisions - so busy that we didn't have any time to go visit other booths!  It was very satisfying to experience such validation in our choices.

Here are some photos from the show:

Bumfuzzle Presides over the Crowds

Custom Cockpit Decorations

The Joys of Boat Ownership!

Our Salon

Master Head

Cockpit at Dusk

Master Cabin

 On Monday, we packed up and headed XYZZY back to Sarasota.  It really did feel like coming home after the ball, watching the coach and four turn back into a pumpkin-under-construction.  But we had a gorgeous, peaceful ride back and the dolphins came and played along side us as we headed back down the bays.

Heading back to Sarasota

My First Lunch for the Crew!

When we returned from St. Pete, work resumed and family and the holidays intervened in our plans for a New Year's departure.  But we extended our lease one last time, and we've made great strides these last few weeks, bringing most all the projects to a close.  This past Tuesday XYZZY parked at Marina Jack's and went out under sail on Sarasota Bay for the very first time, having the rigging and sails assessed and adjusted.  This week we are cleaning and moving aboard, closing up our apartment, packing clothes, selling our car, donating even more things that we have no room for to Goodwill. 

 

My Life in Space Bags!

Plugh the dinghy goes on the stern

At Marina Jack's before our Test Sail

Test Sail under Way!

We hope to leave early next week to head down to Key Largo, where XYZZY will be hauled to have her water line repainted, and then we will sail back up the east coast to Miami, in time for the Miami Boat Show in mid-February.  What's after that?  The Bahamas!

After so long working at making this dream a reality, it is very hard to believe it will finally happen, yet it is.  Our next blog posting will be from underway!

XYZZY on the Bay