38:56.9N 76:31.2W  The crew is assembled…the boat is ready…the crew is ready…but….  The crew arrived on Tuesday, carried out safety preparations and provisioning on Wednesday, and began familiarity with all the ships systems.  Our crew on this passage is:  Paul as 1st mate, "Cap" as galley chief and experienced watch captain (Paul and "Cap" were with me for the Atlantic Crossing in November, 2012…3,000 miles, 14 days, from Canary Islands off the coast of North Africa, to St. Lucia in the Caribbean);  then,  Rich and Ralph,  great friends from Chicago and Maine (Vicki and I first did her first ocean passage on Rich's boat, from St. Thomas to Maine, in 1996); and then, a "newbie" for "Arbella" crew, Dave, who is our neighbor on Aberdeen Creek.  ALL the crew are very experienced "blue water" sailors….regulars with offshore ocean sailing!  The boat has had a number of challenges with the engine, the generator, and the computer…but all have been fully resolved ..  and all systems are "good to go".  BUT THEN COMES THE WEATHER….in short, it is not cooperating as conditions in the Atlantic, outside the Chesapeake Bay are expected to be quite challenging at the time we planned to leave the Bay.  Pictures show  Arbella behind the "Pirate Beach" at our home as she sits at our pier, crew with Vicki and Dave's wife, Caroline, at the Annapolis Yacht Club on Wednesday night, and crew having dinner at the Boatyard (at the "Arbella Table", with our half-hull hanging on the wall up high) on Thursday.  With dinner at 5pm, we then returned home and left the dock at 8pm.   We expect to arrive in Little Creek for fuel, and "hold" until Sunday, while the offshore weather clears.  Presently, 50 knot winds, gusting to 60+, with Gulf Stream waves ("Elephant Waves") of 30+ feet … a little more than we will take on!  Now 30 knots and 10 foot waves, with this crew, is fine…it's all about the weather!!  Captain Mike  (Pictures for this entry  to follow in another day…check back)