And all the rest of it

Slowly but surely, the ship is coming together. Slowly but surely, the deck equipment is getting built. Slowly but surely, the lab is getting organized.

I started the morning with a run to Home Depot for last-minute supplies. Andrew gave me a list of miscellaneous things to grab - cable ties, duct tape, paracord - everything you might need on a ship. I also stopped by a local marine lab to grab some chemicals and non-standard supplies that had been delivered for us there. Have you ever driven through urban southern California with 10' fiberglass poles strapped to the top of a rental car? 'Cuz I have.

I got back to the ship a little after noon and found Andrew on the deck. He had already added some equipment to the lander and was working on putting together a flag. We lashed a piece of bright orange fabric to one of the 10' poles and then bolted it to the top of the lander. When we recover the lander at sea, the tall orange flag will ensure we can see it from far away.

After organizing some things in the lab, we tackled another mess: Andrew's tool bag. We ended up dumping it out on the deck, clearing away the trash, and completely re-organizing the tools. I breathed a sigh of relief  - organization makes me calm.

At this point, cruise preparations are down to the details. I think we might have to grab a few more things tomorrow, but that should be it. Not much longer until we steam away toward adventure!

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