After a last provisioning session and some more organizing around the boat we left Salpare Marina on 01st Sept.
Our provisioning wasn't as complex or complete as when we got ready for our Northern cruise 2 years ago. After all, we'll be on the river and expect to have access to various shops on the way.
After emptying the black water tank at the Salpare Marina pumping station, filling up our water tanks one last time, we made our way to Donaldson's Fuel about 1 mile up river from us.
Long complex calculations, better known as a complete guess and back of the envelope scribbling, I decided to grab 300 gallons of diesel. It'll bring the boat up to 600 gallons, 300 in each tank, which as per my accurate calculations should take us "very far" and give us "plenty of generator hours".
Again, we'll have other opportunities upriver to diesel up if needed, so I was happy to simply bring us back to 600 gallons. Any more and the fuel levels in the tanks are above the glass levels, so it's just a nice quantity to start a cruise with.
Di first went shore on the dock to help with the lines. I then went ashore myself. Both of us left Princess behind on the boat and for the first time in a long time we had a full husky concert of disapprobation. If you've never seen a howling husky tantrum I recommend looking at a few YouTube videos. Caution: May be addictive!
As usual when she howls at us we have a hard time not laughing our heads off, but we gently remind her good huskys don't howl and that's that. She's a good girl.
Enfin has such large tanks at 920 gallons total that we'd still have room for another 300 gallons if we wanted. She's made to go trans-oceans, sipping diesel at slow speeds to get the most miles of of every gallon.
We cast off the diesel dock for our long awaited adventure, big smiles on our faces.
Both of us feel we've deserved this little vacation, and we intend to make the most of it.