Monday, November 15, 2010
The Lone Dolphin!
We just got a visit from a dolphin, sporting around the boats here on K dock. One of the perks of living on a boat!
Friday, September 10, 2010
The latest home improvement project, turning the sun-tarps into a "Conestoga" type sun shield for the boat. A few scrap fiberglass rods, lots of experimentation with tying it down, and the end result is pretty decent:
Both can be rolled up and lashed to the deck for travel, and I'd say--now that I have the method--that they can be put up in under 15 minutes.
Both can be rolled up and lashed to the deck for travel, and I'd say--now that I have the method--that they can be put up in under 15 minutes.
Sunday, August 1, 2010
Taking (on) a Leak!
Well, the change in water temperature has opened up the leak around the raw water through-hull. This time it gets a permanent fix. I've put one layer of two-part marine putty around it, which has slowed the leak dramatically. I'll be putting a second round of putty today as soon as this storm passes. Then tomorrow, the final stage: glassing it over. I'm also going to teach Katie how to mix the epoxy and lay the glass!
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Delivery, Part 6: Sag Harbor, Long Island, and Manhattan!
Our final sunset, over Butter Fish Hole south of Long Island. I know, sounds like a badly-thought-out Long John Silvers dish, the butter fish hole:
Our last day at sea, and my last watch is 0300-0600. Easy seas, mild winds, and the breakfast of champions:
We motorsailed into Long Island Sound, greeted by the remains of an old fort. I looked it up later, it's Fort Tyler aka The Ruins:
Finally, after 12 days sailing, we brought Sled into Sag Harbor, none the worse for wear. Here she is tied up to her new summer home in New York:
Coda!
The owner, David, met us at the harbor while we were hosing down the boat. Brought us coffee and bagels, really a super-nice guy. He then drove us to his home in the Hamptons where we had showers, watched deer, and set up flights home.
Jerry and Sherry got flights out the same day. We dropped them off at LaGuardia and then headed into Manhattan. Since I couldn't get a flight until the next day, the owner put me up at the Guest Apartment ( http://www.baeblemusic.com/theguestapartment/ ) at his Greenwich Village home/studio/office, a five-story building with a view of the Empire State Building from the roof:
I'll say it again, he was an amazingly nice dude. I hung out with his family and ate 2" thick New York Strip steaks, and in the morning he had "a car"--a Lincoln limo--drive me to the Newark airport.
Final note, USAirways will screw--I mean nickel and dime--you quite nicely. The ticket did not include the cost of...luggage! $25 extra, good thing I stuck a blank check in my passport. And! Just like Spirit Air, everything beyond basic pressurized air is extra. And! They lost my luggage; it arrived at the marina the next day.
So, thus endeth the journey, my first job crewing a yacht delivery. I think I'll do it again.
Our last day at sea, and my last watch is 0300-0600. Easy seas, mild winds, and the breakfast of champions:
We motorsailed into Long Island Sound, greeted by the remains of an old fort. I looked it up later, it's Fort Tyler aka The Ruins:
Finally, after 12 days sailing, we brought Sled into Sag Harbor, none the worse for wear. Here she is tied up to her new summer home in New York:
Coda!
The owner, David, met us at the harbor while we were hosing down the boat. Brought us coffee and bagels, really a super-nice guy. He then drove us to his home in the Hamptons where we had showers, watched deer, and set up flights home.
Jerry and Sherry got flights out the same day. We dropped them off at LaGuardia and then headed into Manhattan. Since I couldn't get a flight until the next day, the owner put me up at the Guest Apartment ( http://www.baeblemusic.com/theguestapartment/ ) at his Greenwich Village home/studio/office, a five-story building with a view of the Empire State Building from the roof:
I'll say it again, he was an amazingly nice dude. I hung out with his family and ate 2" thick New York Strip steaks, and in the morning he had "a car"--a Lincoln limo--drive me to the Newark airport.
Final note, USAirways will screw--I mean nickel and dime--you quite nicely. The ticket did not include the cost of...luggage! $25 extra, good thing I stuck a blank check in my passport. And! Just like Spirit Air, everything beyond basic pressurized air is extra. And! They lost my luggage; it arrived at the marina the next day.
So, thus endeth the journey, my first job crewing a yacht delivery. I think I'll do it again.
Delivery, Part 5: Open Seas, Animals, Strafing Runs
With Bermuda behind us, we set out on the second leg to Sag Harbor. We got into a hell of a squall shortly out, with sustained winds over 30 knots. At its peak, for an hour or so, we had winds at 40 knots, gust to 49, and seas up to 20 feet. Oddly enough, I was never scared. Nor was I able to get pictures.
I learned also that foul-weather gear is only semi-waterproof; it does not let the water back out. Here is my damp grumpy face the day after:
We saw all sorts of ocean life on this leg: lots of porpoises and Atlantic spotted dolphin; bluebottle jellyfish galore; a 12' bull shark that cruised by about 3' from the boat. The problem with photographing random encounters is that animals, generally, are very damn fast.
Supersonic jets, on the other hand, are not. This guy buzzed us about a day out of Long Island, a Navy F-18. He did a slow pass, rolled and gave us a wing-waggle, then pulled up almost into a stall--a Pugachev Cobra, I think--then dropped his nose, powered away...we heard him go supersonic shortly after that. There's a dot in the pictures that's the jet, I assure you:
To be continued!
I learned also that foul-weather gear is only semi-waterproof; it does not let the water back out. Here is my damp grumpy face the day after:
We saw all sorts of ocean life on this leg: lots of porpoises and Atlantic spotted dolphin; bluebottle jellyfish galore; a 12' bull shark that cruised by about 3' from the boat. The problem with photographing random encounters is that animals, generally, are very damn fast.
Supersonic jets, on the other hand, are not. This guy buzzed us about a day out of Long Island, a Navy F-18. He did a slow pass, rolled and gave us a wing-waggle, then pulled up almost into a stall--a Pugachev Cobra, I think--then dropped his nose, powered away...we heard him go supersonic shortly after that. There's a dot in the pictures that's the jet, I assure you:
To be continued!
Delivery, Part 4: Bermuda, Stealing Showers, and Racers
Having made it into the eye of the needle and beyond, we settled into Saint George's Harbor. First stop, Customs. Piece of cake. Noted one of Jerry's business cards was already on the bulletin board there. We then found the local harbormaster--Sandra--and found a place to tie up...right next to the big freight shipyard:
Having cleared Customs and found moorage, the next two most important items: showers and drinks! Sherry knew of a small marina--not to be named in this blog--near the town where the showers were usually unlocked and unguarded. And so they were. Fully clean, we then headed for the White Horse Bar and Grill. Oh, in penance for stealing a shower, I did leave an unopened bar of Irish Spring as a payment offering. So don't give me any crap. Heh.
After some hot wings and Coronas, we went exploring. I stupidly left my cameraphone on the boat, since there was no T-Mobile service in Bermuda. But we met up with some interesting British characters on a racing yacht, the Vision 46 Nasty Medicine, a hypersonic-missile-looking sloop made entirely of carbon fiber, and crewed by 10 people, some of whom were also apparently made of carbon fiber. 10! On a boat half the volume of ours. Anyway, we had a few drinks with Steven the owner, Dick the captain, Tim the crew guy, and Leah the ship's dog, who regaled us with stories of tropical storms in the boat--which weighs about as much as a Starbucks coffee cup--and culinary tales of pot noodles. Not what you think; it's British for Ramen.
Brawl With the Locals!
Not. But it could've been. Back at the White Horse, closing time. Jerry and I are in reasonably responsible condition. Sherry, not so much. She decided it would be fun to ring the big ship's bell over the bar. She reached for it... Jerry and I both dropped into Matrix slow-motion... "Nooooooooooo....!" She rang the bell. Which of course means, "Buy a round for the bar." Jerry and I turned around to count heads. Seven. Long story short, he and I convinced the bartender that she'd bumped it accidentally. And skedaddled.
Leaving Bermuda!
23 hours after arriving, we went back to sea.
Outside the markers, we saw a beautiful barque heading into Bermuda, the school ship Europa:
Second leg of the journey has begun, Bermuda to Sag Harbor, Long Island NY.
To be continued!
Having cleared Customs and found moorage, the next two most important items: showers and drinks! Sherry knew of a small marina--not to be named in this blog--near the town where the showers were usually unlocked and unguarded. And so they were. Fully clean, we then headed for the White Horse Bar and Grill. Oh, in penance for stealing a shower, I did leave an unopened bar of Irish Spring as a payment offering. So don't give me any crap. Heh.
After some hot wings and Coronas, we went exploring. I stupidly left my cameraphone on the boat, since there was no T-Mobile service in Bermuda. But we met up with some interesting British characters on a racing yacht, the Vision 46 Nasty Medicine, a hypersonic-missile-looking sloop made entirely of carbon fiber, and crewed by 10 people, some of whom were also apparently made of carbon fiber. 10! On a boat half the volume of ours. Anyway, we had a few drinks with Steven the owner, Dick the captain, Tim the crew guy, and Leah the ship's dog, who regaled us with stories of tropical storms in the boat--which weighs about as much as a Starbucks coffee cup--and culinary tales of pot noodles. Not what you think; it's British for Ramen.
Brawl With the Locals!
Not. But it could've been. Back at the White Horse, closing time. Jerry and I are in reasonably responsible condition. Sherry, not so much. She decided it would be fun to ring the big ship's bell over the bar. She reached for it... Jerry and I both dropped into Matrix slow-motion... "Nooooooooooo....!" She rang the bell. Which of course means, "Buy a round for the bar." Jerry and I turned around to count heads. Seven. Long story short, he and I convinced the bartender that she'd bumped it accidentally. And skedaddled.
Leaving Bermuda!
23 hours after arriving, we went back to sea.
Outside the markers, we saw a beautiful barque heading into Bermuda, the school ship Europa:
Second leg of the journey has begun, Bermuda to Sag Harbor, Long Island NY.
To be continued!
Delivery, Part 3: Neptune, Phosphorescence, and Bermuda
A few days out, we made the traditional toast and letter to Neptune. Wishing for fair seas and a safe journey, and of course putting our emails on the letter in case it actually got found. The letter got double-wrapped in zip-loc bags and sealed in a Grey Goose vodka bottle. Sherry's iPhone does not like taking pictures on a moving boat:
Jerry cuts me a break!
After a few event-free watches at the helm, Jerry told me--because I asked him--that I actually did pretty bloody well on my first watch (previous post). He said most newbies didn't last an hour, and I made it to almost 3. So I will definitely have to thank Mid-Ohio Raceway and my Miata days for that. He then explained the secret of keeping the boat on course in heavy seas and strong winds. No, you don't get the lesson for free. Heh.
That night, Jerry and I threw the autopilot on, did a visual and radar sweep, and shut off all the nav lights. We then sat on the swim platform--boat going about 7 knots--and dangled our feet in the phosphorescence kicked up in our wake. Awesome experience. Learned to identify several constellations, plus Mars and Venus.
Weird dreams, part two!
We got pulled over--in the dream--by a USCG cutter at night, blinded by their searchlights as the boarding party came over to us. They were very polite in the dream, professional, with very sharp working uniforms. They were also anthropomorphic iguana-men. As I said, they were very polite. They inspected our passports and ship papers, took all of our hard-boiled eggs, and wished us a safe journey.
Bermuda!
We made it. The entry channel is very very narrow. Here we are heading into the murder hole into Saint George's Harbor:
To be continued!
Jerry cuts me a break!
After a few event-free watches at the helm, Jerry told me--because I asked him--that I actually did pretty bloody well on my first watch (previous post). He said most newbies didn't last an hour, and I made it to almost 3. So I will definitely have to thank Mid-Ohio Raceway and my Miata days for that. He then explained the secret of keeping the boat on course in heavy seas and strong winds. No, you don't get the lesson for free. Heh.
That night, Jerry and I threw the autopilot on, did a visual and radar sweep, and shut off all the nav lights. We then sat on the swim platform--boat going about 7 knots--and dangled our feet in the phosphorescence kicked up in our wake. Awesome experience. Learned to identify several constellations, plus Mars and Venus.
Weird dreams, part two!
We got pulled over--in the dream--by a USCG cutter at night, blinded by their searchlights as the boarding party came over to us. They were very polite in the dream, professional, with very sharp working uniforms. They were also anthropomorphic iguana-men. As I said, they were very polite. They inspected our passports and ship papers, took all of our hard-boiled eggs, and wished us a safe journey.
Bermuda!
We made it. The entry channel is very very narrow. Here we are heading into the murder hole into Saint George's Harbor:
To be continued!
Delivery, Part 2: USVI to Bermuda!
Having left The U.S. Virgin Islands behind, the next stop planned was Bermuda. We had already secured the boat for sea, storing all items that could go crashing about in the forward head. We ran up the sails, leaving a reef in for now, and said buh-bye to Saint Thomas:
Six Days At Sea Begins!
Quite a learning experience for me; I quickly learned two astoundingly handy new knots, how to steer a compass course--more on that shortly--and how to plot our course and position on a chart, as well as becoming familiar with the boat's extensive electronics. I also got used to the 3 hours on, 6 hours off watch schedule. That worked quite well once we started sleeping in the cockpit of the boat. It also rotated the chef duties: whoever finished watch at 1500 cooked dinner.
Weather kicks up, and I drive the boat!
My first-ever watch steering a compass course on the open ocean: nighttime, 20-25 knot winds, 8-10 foot seas, and unfamiliar boat. Captain Jerry had to take the wheel and get us back on course four times, finally relieving me of helm duty 15 minutes early. I felt like a complete idiot and knew the next two weeks would entail me being basically useless.
Weird Dreams at Sea!
They say people have weird dreams at sea, and they're right. Once I got to sleep, I had very odd--but kind of sexy--dreams about Katie and me on our boat, sailing this bizarre phosphorescent sea on the S/V Sovereign. In the dream, we saw a giant sperm whale breach, but it had bright South American poison-arrow-frog coloration. Why, I wonder, would a 60-ton whale need markings that say, "I'm poison, don't eat me?"
Close Call!
My afternoon watch the next day, there's a blip on the radar. It becomes a spot on the horizon. Then a ship. Then a big ship. Then a big ship that's on a stinkin' intercept course! We hailed her on the VHF for 10 minutes. No response. We finally had to turn off-tack to avoid being run over. Much FCC-approved verbiage from us over the radio. Finally they acknowledged our existence. Beware the freighter Fre Pride out of Milan:
To be continued!
Six Days At Sea Begins!
Quite a learning experience for me; I quickly learned two astoundingly handy new knots, how to steer a compass course--more on that shortly--and how to plot our course and position on a chart, as well as becoming familiar with the boat's extensive electronics. I also got used to the 3 hours on, 6 hours off watch schedule. That worked quite well once we started sleeping in the cockpit of the boat. It also rotated the chef duties: whoever finished watch at 1500 cooked dinner.
Weather kicks up, and I drive the boat!
My first-ever watch steering a compass course on the open ocean: nighttime, 20-25 knot winds, 8-10 foot seas, and unfamiliar boat. Captain Jerry had to take the wheel and get us back on course four times, finally relieving me of helm duty 15 minutes early. I felt like a complete idiot and knew the next two weeks would entail me being basically useless.
Weird Dreams at Sea!
They say people have weird dreams at sea, and they're right. Once I got to sleep, I had very odd--but kind of sexy--dreams about Katie and me on our boat, sailing this bizarre phosphorescent sea on the S/V Sovereign. In the dream, we saw a giant sperm whale breach, but it had bright South American poison-arrow-frog coloration. Why, I wonder, would a 60-ton whale need markings that say, "I'm poison, don't eat me?"
Close Call!
My afternoon watch the next day, there's a blip on the radar. It becomes a spot on the horizon. Then a ship. Then a big ship. Then a big ship that's on a stinkin' intercept course! We hailed her on the VHF for 10 minutes. No response. We finally had to turn off-tack to avoid being run over. Much FCC-approved verbiage from us over the radio. Finally they acknowledged our existence. Beware the freighter Fre Pride out of Milan:
To be continued!
Delivering a 52' Sloop from Saint Thomas to Bermuda to Sag Harbor NY (part 1)
Where to start, where to start? Well, I got the opportunity to crew a delivery finally, a 2006 Beneteau 523 Oceanis, the S/V Sled. Here she is at Sapphire Bay in St. Thomas:
Here's the crew: First Mate Sherry Burger--a captain herself most of the time--Captain Jerry McCarthy in the middle--260k sea miles, 11 ocean crossings, 2 circumnavigations--and deck hand Me.
And here are provisions for 12 or so days at sea, just in case we needed to skip Bermuda ($641 USD):
Jerry and I flew out of Myrtle Beach on Spirit Air, where they charge extra for water and pretzels. We met up with Sherry in Fort Lauderdale for the second leg, landing at the bustling aeroplex in Saint Thomas:
Before leaving, we ferried over to Tortola in the BVI to hang out with friends, Cris and Thorpe:
Both of them are also experienced captains, so I just kept quiet and listened. The club was a jazzy little place with a visiting band from...New Jersey! And they rocked.
After spending the night at Cris' condo on Nanny Cay, we ferried back to Saint Thomas...or so we thought. Our return tickets got mis-keyed and we ended up at the wrong ferry stop with no way to ferry to the right one. We spent 55 minutes waiting in the Customs office, standing in line while they had lunch or something. After that, we grabbed a ride in one of the $3 taxis shuttles that cruise around the town. The shuttles are neat: pickup trucks with bench seats bolted into the bed and a bimini top overhead.
But finally, we got underway! A quick stop to fuel up and top up fresh water, and off we went. Saint Thomas behind us, next stop Bermuda:
To be continued!
Here's the crew: First Mate Sherry Burger--a captain herself most of the time--Captain Jerry McCarthy in the middle--260k sea miles, 11 ocean crossings, 2 circumnavigations--and deck hand Me.
And here are provisions for 12 or so days at sea, just in case we needed to skip Bermuda ($641 USD):
Jerry and I flew out of Myrtle Beach on Spirit Air, where they charge extra for water and pretzels. We met up with Sherry in Fort Lauderdale for the second leg, landing at the bustling aeroplex in Saint Thomas:
Before leaving, we ferried over to Tortola in the BVI to hang out with friends, Cris and Thorpe:
Both of them are also experienced captains, so I just kept quiet and listened. The club was a jazzy little place with a visiting band from...New Jersey! And they rocked.
After spending the night at Cris' condo on Nanny Cay, we ferried back to Saint Thomas...or so we thought. Our return tickets got mis-keyed and we ended up at the wrong ferry stop with no way to ferry to the right one. We spent 55 minutes waiting in the Customs office, standing in line while they had lunch or something. After that, we grabbed a ride in one of the $3 taxis shuttles that cruise around the town. The shuttles are neat: pickup trucks with bench seats bolted into the bed and a bimini top overhead.
But finally, we got underway! A quick stop to fuel up and top up fresh water, and off we went. Saint Thomas behind us, next stop Bermuda:
To be continued!
Thursday, June 3, 2010
A two Afghan night
Before Mike left to go sailing, he removed the wind scoop and put a tarp over the v-berth hatch. The theory being that tarp would keep rain off and I could still have the hatch open to keep it cool. It works really well if the rain is coming straight down. There are a few small holes in the tarp but not enough to cause a problem. However, the tarp is so low and tight it is a struggle to get the hatch closed. The hatch is a big, heavy piece of fiberglass and awkward to move at the best of times.
At 2:15a.m. I woke up to the sound of thunder and flashes of lighting. A big thunderstorm was starting. I jumped up and closed the forward hatch as the wind started driving rain in. Then went back to the v-berth to close the hatch. The rain started in earnest as I reached up to start closing the hatch. I struggled for five minutes with rain whipping at my face and shoulders. I couldn't get the hatch to budge. My hands were slippery, rain was coming into my bed. The lightening began striking closer and closer. I grabbed my big, blue afghan and covered as much of the hatch as I could. I held it in place until the wind died down a bit. After about 15 minutes the Afghan was damp enough to stay in place. I dried off and got back into bed hoping the afghan would hold.
At 3:15 a.m. I feel the splat of water hit as the afghan reached total saturation and began dripping water into the v-berth. It is still raining. I grab a new afghan, push the saturated afghan out of the way and cover the hatch with the new afghan. I hold it in place until I'm sure that it isn't going to blow away. I finally get back to sleep ignoring the occasional splat of water. The alarm goes off at 4:19 a.m. and I hit the snooze button. I do that several times and finally just turn off the alarm clock.
I wake up at 5:30 a.m. I'm not going to work today. I have to empty out the hatch cover, take the tarp cover off, empty the dinghy before it sinks, and take the afghans to the laundry, What a marvelous start to a Thursday morning.
I haven't heard from MIke since Friday. I'm worried that he has been going through some of these thunderstorms at sea. I bet he isn't having fun either.
At 2:15a.m. I woke up to the sound of thunder and flashes of lighting. A big thunderstorm was starting. I jumped up and closed the forward hatch as the wind started driving rain in. Then went back to the v-berth to close the hatch. The rain started in earnest as I reached up to start closing the hatch. I struggled for five minutes with rain whipping at my face and shoulders. I couldn't get the hatch to budge. My hands were slippery, rain was coming into my bed. The lightening began striking closer and closer. I grabbed my big, blue afghan and covered as much of the hatch as I could. I held it in place until the wind died down a bit. After about 15 minutes the Afghan was damp enough to stay in place. I dried off and got back into bed hoping the afghan would hold.
At 3:15 a.m. I feel the splat of water hit as the afghan reached total saturation and began dripping water into the v-berth. It is still raining. I grab a new afghan, push the saturated afghan out of the way and cover the hatch with the new afghan. I hold it in place until I'm sure that it isn't going to blow away. I finally get back to sleep ignoring the occasional splat of water. The alarm goes off at 4:19 a.m. and I hit the snooze button. I do that several times and finally just turn off the alarm clock.
I wake up at 5:30 a.m. I'm not going to work today. I have to empty out the hatch cover, take the tarp cover off, empty the dinghy before it sinks, and take the afghans to the laundry, What a marvelous start to a Thursday morning.
I haven't heard from MIke since Friday.
Saturday, May 15, 2010
12-Volt rewire is finally underway!
So far, I have rebuilt the new switch panel that I rebuilt several months ago--added a second 12VDC outlet and made it smaller. Both sides of the boat have their house circuit totally rebuilt--no more incandescent lights! We have 8 new light fixtures, all LED, and three low-power-draw (360mW) fans. Eight terminal blocks allow economy of wiring with the 14AWG bus lines carrying power to the 16AWG breakouts, so there's a minimal line loss for the weight. Power from the main battery switch is carried on three 14AWG duplex wires to the three switch panels.
No pictures yet, as the panel is just kind of leaning against the space where it will be mounted, in violation of all sorts of OSHA regs no doubt. Shh.
Pulling the old wiring was, um, interesting. This boat has apparently been wired and rewired several times by Han solo and other previous owners. Bits of extension cords, single-strand wire, lamp cords, speaker wire, and something with hieroglyphs on it that seemed to be insulated with papyrus.
Anyway, the second-hardest part is done: the house wiring. The hardest part will be the mast wiring. The remaining onboard electronics will be less of a challenge, comparatively speaking.
No pictures yet, as the panel is just kind of leaning against the space where it will be mounted, in violation of all sorts of OSHA regs no doubt. Shh.
Pulling the old wiring was, um, interesting. This boat has apparently been wired and rewired several times by Han solo and other previous owners. Bits of extension cords, single-strand wire, lamp cords, speaker wire, and something with hieroglyphs on it that seemed to be insulated with papyrus.
Anyway, the second-hardest part is done: the house wiring. The hardest part will be the mast wiring. The remaining onboard electronics will be less of a challenge, comparatively speaking.
Monday, May 10, 2010
Motor Vessel Vassal!
S/V Sovereign is now properly served by the T/T Vassal. I found a 2006 Tohatsu 5hp outboard. A bit more power than the little dink needs, and it does push the bow up quite a bit, but it's in great shape. Even came with a manual!
Looks a bit big from this angle.
A better perspective on the size. That's Professor Bob's excellent RIB next to her.
Been years since I handled an outboard, and the little hard dink is a bit unstable. But we'll get used to it. So, another small step towards independence!
Looks a bit big from this angle.
A better perspective on the size. That's Professor Bob's excellent RIB next to her.
Been years since I handled an outboard, and the little hard dink is a bit unstable. But we'll get used to it. So, another small step towards independence!
Blue Angels Show Over Charleston!
Okay, this was a couple of weeks ago, but I've been busy. We got to anchor out in the harbor and check out the Blue Angels airshow. We went out with Professor Bob and his girlfriend Andrea on his Island Packet 35. Great boat, great view!
Katie chilling in the cockpit:
Me on boom watch:
One of the beautiful boats out for the show:
It was a good day with good friends. Thanks, Bob and Andrea!
Katie chilling in the cockpit:
Me on boom watch:
One of the beautiful boats out for the show:
It was a good day with good friends. Thanks, Bob and Andrea!
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Sovereign has a Vassal!
Okay, maybe it's a little trite, but hey. S/V Sovereign now has her tender named. May I introduce the T/T Sovereign, "Vassal."
Monday, April 12, 2010
Gotta Get Current!
It's been too long since we updated this. We finally have everything we need to do the 12VDC rewire. Terminal blocks, lighting, fans, outlets, the panel, and 500' of wire in 14 and 16 gauge. Wish us luck!
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Everything fits on the boat!
With the giving up of our car, we are now able to put everything we own on the Sovereign. Two bicycles are our only land transport now. And we finally took a picture of the hundred-dollar dink:
The two bikes are great, way more gears than we need--hers 18, mine 21--but they were freebies:
So, a sailboat, a dinghy, and two bicycles. Life just got simpler.
The two bikes are great, way more gears than we need--hers 18, mine 21--but they were freebies:
So, a sailboat, a dinghy, and two bicycles. Life just got simpler.
Sunday, January 31, 2010
I Need Wolverine!
The latest problem--I mean opportunity--is that the propshaft keeps slipping free of the balancer. The retaining bolts can't keep a grip on it. I tried drilling some dimples into the shaft and the special steel-drilling drillbit wouldn't even scratch it. It's good to know we have an indestructible propshaft that was either forged in the mines of Moria or in some special secret Canadian supervillain factory, but I've got to find a way to either drill or grind some notches into it.
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Giving up and letting go
I am amazed that the things I have strived so hard for through out my life, the long hours, and the dedication to my employers have gained me nothing. I am 51 and have nothing to show for my years of service. I have no pension, no 401k, no medical insurance, and no prospects for further employment.
What I do have is my loving husband and partner, our boat, our wonderful son in Mississippi, a loving family, good friends, and three useless cats.
Since February of last year, I have worked exactly 2 1/2 months. We have survived this year because of the generosity of our family and friends. Mike's father and my mother have consistently helped us throughout this year. My mother, brothers, sister, nephews and nieces, ex-brother and sister-in-law, and friends in the technical writing community have supported us both financially and emotionally.
I count our family and friends as the miracles that have kept us going. Thank you.
Now the letting go. Our goal over the next month is to be able to live on the hook. Mike has met a person that is a genius with diesel engines. He and Mike worked on the engine for a full day and he did not ask for anything but beer. He identified what needs to be done to get the engine running. As we fix something new on the engine, the next system shows it's new problems. So far, Mike has fixed the o-rings on the injectors, fixed a screw that did not have the correct opening to allow the fuel to come out, and changed the thermostat. The next step is rigging the prop shaft so that it does not fall out of the transmission when the engine is running.
We had three major finds. A friend at a different marina had a dinghy that he sold for $100.00 We had to pick it up, literally, from his mother's azalea garden. It was covered in dirt, spiders, and vines. The only thing it needed was drain plugs. Mike fixed it and it is now parked beside our boat. We needed a gas powered generator and Mike found one. The man he is working with now went to a pawnshop looking for a vacuum cleaner and Mike spotted the generator. He talked them down from $150.00 to $125.00. It is an older model but it works and fits nicely into the cockpit. The third major find was a bimini cover that fits Sovereign perfectly. It was a trade for an old Gateway desktop computer that we no longer have a use for and was so old that the pawnshops would not buy it.
Now all we need is enough wire and about $100 in additional lighting and fans to complete the DC rewire. Mike already has the DC panel ready to go. We've changed out the old light fittings for new LED lights that draw less power. We have a new automatic bilge pump that is keeping up quite nicely with the bit of water still seeping in.
Mike also has is eye on a high gain antennae to help with our WiFi access, we hope to be able pick up enough writing contracts to keep us alive and sailing.
Let us know where you want us to go and if you would like more stories about sailing and living on a boat. Oh - and thanks to Steve, we have a new digital camera and as soon as the memory card comes, I will be able to finally capture pictures of dolphins playing in Charleston Harbor.
What I do have is my loving husband and partner, our boat, our wonderful son in Mississippi, a loving family, good friends, and three useless cats.
Since February of last year, I have worked exactly 2 1/2 months. We have survived this year because of the generosity of our family and friends. Mike's father and my mother have consistently helped us throughout this year. My mother, brothers, sister, nephews and nieces, ex-brother and sister-in-law, and friends in the technical writing community have supported us both financially and emotionally.
I count our family and friends as the miracles that have kept us going. Thank you.
Now the letting go. Our goal over the next month is to be able to live on the hook. Mike has met a person that is a genius with diesel engines. He and Mike worked on the engine for a full day and he did not ask for anything but beer. He identified what needs to be done to get the engine running. As we fix something new on the engine, the next system shows it's new problems. So far, Mike has fixed the o-rings on the injectors, fixed a screw that did not have the correct opening to allow the fuel to come out, and changed the thermostat. The next step is rigging the prop shaft so that it does not fall out of the transmission when the engine is running.
We had three major finds. A friend at a different marina had a dinghy that he sold for $100.00 We had to pick it up, literally, from his mother's azalea garden. It was covered in dirt, spiders, and vines. The only thing it needed was drain plugs. Mike fixed it and it is now parked beside our boat. We needed a gas powered generator and Mike found one. The man he is working with now went to a pawnshop looking for a vacuum cleaner and Mike spotted the generator. He talked them down from $150.00 to $125.00. It is an older model but it works and fits nicely into the cockpit. The third major find was a bimini cover that fits Sovereign perfectly. It was a trade for an old Gateway desktop computer that we no longer have a use for and was so old that the pawnshops would not buy it.
Now all we need is enough wire and about $100 in additional lighting and fans to complete the DC rewire. Mike already has the DC panel ready to go. We've changed out the old light fittings for new LED lights that draw less power. We have a new automatic bilge pump that is keeping up quite nicely with the bit of water still seeping in.
Mike also has is eye on a high gain antennae to help with our WiFi access, we hope to be able pick up enough writing contracts to keep us alive and sailing.
Let us know where you want us to go and if you would like more stories about sailing and living on a boat. Oh - and thanks to Steve, we have a new digital camera and as soon as the memory card comes, I will be able to finally capture pictures of dolphins playing in Charleston Harbor.
Saturday, January 2, 2010
Victory - the white whale is dead
I've been struggling over a post for the past two weeks. Today is a good day. Michael and Adam (the engine whisperer) have made our diesle engine work. Yes - today I am heady with the possibility of adventuring outside of Charleston harbor.
After another cold and long day - Delilah is working. The engine has started and run until we were out of fuel. One step closer to living our dream. Thank you to everyone.
Oh - to my family - I love the microwave. I made hot sandwiches and soup for Adam and Lisa today. Happy New Year to all.
Without you - none of this would be possible.
God bless and keep you.
Katie and Mike
After another cold and long day - Delilah is working. The engine has started and run until we were out of fuel. One step closer to living our dream. Thank you to everyone.
Oh - to my family - I love the microwave. I made hot sandwiches and soup for Adam and Lisa today. Happy New Year to all.
Without you - none of this would be possible.
God bless and keep you.
Katie and Mike
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)