Many have asked "what is your full sailing plan?"  We have been working on aspects of this off and on, but our itinerary is now pretty clear.  So here is it is (short of exact dates, since the weather will dictate that!....and we will be back home with family several times during this itinerary)...  In our next leg, we will leave Guernsey, Channel Islands and sail to Kinsale, Ireland where we will base ourselves until early September; during that period we will sail the southwest coast from Kinsale to Dingle, frequently returning to Kinsale, with family coming and going (both the Irish and the Americans).  Then we will sail about 5-7 days to the northwest coast of Spain, where we will base for 4-5 weeks; during that period we will visit family in Spain.  The next leg will probably be a long sail (about 10 days) from Spain, touching in at Lagos, Portugal, near Lisbon, and arriving in the Canary Islands at the end of October.  We will then visit family in the Canaries, and explore the various Canary islands, as we prepare the boat for "the crossing".  Serious preparations take place from November 15 to November 25...boat inspections, rigging inspections, crew arrives, day sailing preparations, provisioning, safety briefings, and more!  Then, on November 25, we leave with the ARC (Atlantic Rally for Cruisers) heading for St. Lucia, where we will arrive about 18-21 days later...2800 nautical miles!  We will do Thanksgiving at sea, but will certainly be home in Denver/Annapolis for Christmas!  "Arbella" will then be in the Caribbean until June 2013, at which time we will be sail it to Annapolis!  Mike