On A Roll

It has been almost 2 weeks since we have had a full day of sunshine. I am still not quite over the flu but have gotten some of my energy back, I am thankful for that! Since the weather broke, we have been on a roll so to speak.

(now for the progress report)

Yesturday we finished cutting out the port side windows. We have found another area of dry rott in the bathroom. We have been suspicious of that for some time but were not quite sure. Thanks to Neil's new handy dandy Craftsman all in one tool, the removal of rotted wood was a breeze. We have used this little tool to replace most of our bigger conventional tools for the sheer storage factor and have been very impressed with its ability. One of the bigger windows was installed. The stern lazzerette door, which was a bit squishy, has been sanded down, repaired, and is ready to paint. The navigation station is almost complete. We will have added storage for canned goods and other dry foods under and around the chart table and seat. I cut the previous cushion down to size and it makes it very cozy. Neil is almost done re-doing the floor to make it level underneath. We need a rail for the new shelf and it will all be ready for prime and paint also. The weather was nice enough that I was able to sand the stern wooden trim, put a coat of penetrating epoxy, and the first coat of Epiphane varnish. I am still not done with all the brightwork but the first layers on all pieces is just about done. Having it sealed is good, even if it is one coat. We took off the port side cosmetic trim piece and filled with structural filler. Sanded and ready for gel coat. One day of sun, and a lot gets done. As the sun went down we rallied round the dock with a few friends which is always nice at the end of a busy day.

Today was spent running errands for this and that. It was a rainy day so I don't feel so bad. The next 2 days are going to be sunny. We will be ingesting a fair amount of caffiene and listening to some good rock. I have high hopes of finishing the windows, navigation station done (minus paint) and the wood will all be sealed!

Thoughts

Well the rain has subsided today. Too bad that we have a touch of the flu and feel fairly unmotivated to do much else other than internet research and some epoxy work. As far as the electrical on the interior goes, we have replaced all the wiring inside now. Bow to stern. We have also replaced the light fixtures to fit the more effecient LED lights. Neil tweaked the keel cooled refrigeration unit to where it hardly runs at all and will still keep my ice cream cold in tropical weather. (yep, I am spoiled). As for the lighting I must say I am very impressed with the LED lights. The amount of light they put out is comparible to that of the conventional lighting with little drain on the batteries. We have also replaced our steaming ,deck, and anchor lights with LEDs and it is amazing. You will definately see us coming. My biggest worry before was being without power. Not so much the lighting, tv, or other on the inside, but more or less having the ability to have others see us when offshore and having battery power separated so that we can always start our engine if need be. Problem solved. We separated the battery banks so that no matter what, our starter battery is 100% isolated from the house. We have the two battery banks divided well enought that there will be no significant drain on either bank. A new panel allows room for new additons to our electrical draw. This will include the SSB radio, radar and auto pilot. With the wind generator and solar panels this will charge most of our daily usage. We have other sailing friends who have given reports of no wind, no sun (cloudy) and this poses quite the problem. So to remedy this I think we will invest in a suitcase generator for such an occasion without giving up the starter battery for such an instance. Hoping to get over this flu quickly as we have so much to do in such a short time. In the meantime I am taking advantage of having shore power by cranking up the heat and playing video games with the family without worry of power distribution. Tonight I am missing our oldest whom at last report was headed to an indoor rodeo. Our dog and mascott has spent most of the day looking at the door and barking at every little noise. We are beginning to wonder if she thinks we took Katie to the pound!

Raining Cats and Dogs

Well we have made it through 2 of the 3 big storm cycles with no major problems. The winds have stayed around 25 knots with gusts up to about 45 knots here in the bay. Nothing like being tied to a dock and feeling like you are sailing accross the bay and heeling over 20 degrees because you have tarps up to protect all your various projects. Since the rain hit we have been messing around with the SSB and weather fax. We got our weather faxes coming in and software updated and ready to go. Neil is in the process of tearing out the quarter berth which gets no use other than storage and making it into a Navigation station. This will also allow us to remove a wall and add a wall for more secure storage. We are also making a sliding door storage area directly under the stairs as this was negative space. Things are going well. We are staying fairly dry. The new windows are awsome. No leaks in the new ones, a few drips in the old ones, but that will soon change when the weather breaks. Katie off to visit family in the Northwest for a couple of weeks. After putting up with below zero temps I think she will be more than ready to shove off to tropical weather! (haha). We will be starting the dodger and bimini contruction by the end of next week. This will add structure for the wind generator and solar panels to rest on. I have not done such a major sewing project before so wish me luck with this one. Good thing one of our neighbors here in the Marina specializes in this sort of thing. In the meantime we hope to get the interior odds and ends finished so we can focus on the outside next week without getting cabin fever in the meantime.

Change of Scenery

We pulled into Pt. Richmond from Half Moon Bay (hailing port) for a re-fit of Hand Full. It is much more convenient to get around to the local marine centers here in the bay without a long trip every time you need something. We have pulled back into a marina where we had berthed before and much to our delight have been able to see and enjoy old friends company while we work. We have had a bout of bad weather lately. Rain is in the forecast for the next ten days. Perfect weather for putting in windows and trying to patch holes! ( :o)not really!) We were hoping to be heading south towards Mexico at the end of this month but because of a few hiccups here and there it looks to be more like the end of February. Hard work now, play time to follow. We are still learning the ins and outs of the SSB. Learning some spanish, and finding innovative ways to cram all our wants into our compact vessel amoungst all of our other "to do's". The new mainsail was just finished and the starboard side has new windows installed. The bow has been reinforced for offshore conditions and the brightwork is slowly but steadily getting done. Most of the electrical re-wiring inside is finished. I swear that some days it feels like we work in circles and the fact that we live aboard while re-fitting has been quite a challenge! Not to worry though as morals are high and so is the excitement level! We are pressing on.

Happy New Year

Happy New Year one and all! We are anxious for the events to come, this year. We are getting ready to re-fit Hand Full and we will be posting pics of progress and blogging the events for those who care to follow. Please send me your emails and contact info so we can keep in touch!