It finally rained. Woohoo! The rain started with a small, filthy burst during the night. We looked at Quest this morning – and for the first time in a long time, wished we were in the marina. With endless (not free, but endless) water.

Then the sky got heavier and the clouds purpled like a bruise. It started – steady sheets of fresh water. Jack got the broom and wiped Quest down. I was helping with school and intended to help him after. By the time I finished though, it was so heavy I let the sky do the work. When the rain stops, I’ll go and give the windows a final wipe I thought, then a little perspex wax. I do like the windows to be shiny.

They will soon enough be salty. We are starting to picture it: a month of Quest’s nose pointing into rolling waves. No wax will be needed then. It’ll be enough for the hatches to hold.

We’ve been awakening to the reality that this is the last week of the ‘normal’ life we’ve been living. Since last July, Bonaire’s snug marina and then on this mooring buoy with the striped sergeant major fish hovering and hoovering below. It comes with a definite gulp. This floating home will be turned into a moving object?

The rain can wash us down first. And today was Lu’s penultimate assessment: Biology. We had such a bad internet signal first thing – perhaps with the approaching weather – that Jack dinghied me opposite the park with free wifi so I could download the assessment on my phone. Wont forget that moment in a hurry.

Last exam is tomorrow. Lu had a final online tutoring session with her Physics tutor and friend, Joe. She’s been doing strange dances around the boat ever since. I guess this is normal?

Meanwhile, Delphine is on her last week of regular school – though with no exams. I wrote to Delph’s teachers last night to tell them our plans. Many of them kindly wrote back to extend their best wishes for our voyage. And Delph – who is becoming more difficult by the day with little motivation to do her lessons – she seems to be itching to change tack.

This is not like her, I thought. Well, she is lazy. But she is still pretty good overall – until now. And this is despite her lessons being excellent. For Geography for example, they watched a documentary about the Congo and focused on its size, position in Africa and the myriad of its beauty and challenges. When Lu was that age, she was endlessly studying river erosion. Endlessly.

Alas, there’s no stopping time. We are all starting to itch. The only smile I got out of Delph today was when I told her she will be excused from homework – from next week. Not this week. And there will be work during the crossing too. Delph’s teachers gave me a list. No way I’m missing the terrible Tudors in History. Haven’t quite told Delph yet. My bad.