The last few days have been really busy. Neil has been a welding fool with tremendous results. The dinghy is hung. The solar panels are on. The wind generator is on. The bimini cover is being stitched up and fitted. The hatch covers are done. The radar is wired in and is amazing! The wind generator should be wired in today along with the switches for the solar panels. The solar panels are already producing so much juice. It will be something to see how much we get today and tonight as the storm hits the bay. Between the two I don't see having much of an energy crisis while offshore or anchored. We have been sailing for years with little energy stores and have gotten used to running things low. The LED lights inside and out have made a huge difference. The way its going the kids will get to enjoy a movie every day along with some game time if so desired. This is of coarse after studies are out of the way! :0) I am excited now as to how the sewing is coming along. It took some tweaking of the thread tension in order to produce two sides that look good. I have really learned alot in the last few days and my anxiety over building our "covered porch" has become less. We have a storm coming in today so that puts us back down below which is good since we have just a small amount of wiring left. I hope to have the bimini roof piece done today and will plan on getting sides measured and started tomorrow. Busy Busy Busy but I like it.
Earlier this week Katie and I were able to run down to Monterey to retrieve our mail and have a much too short visit with friends we regard as family. Mike , Jada, Mikey, and Krislyn. I am looking forward to a much longer visit before we head out.
We had a fun evening,earlier this week, visiting on James's boat (Dreamgirl) with friend Eileen. There was a lot of sailing talk and hopes of Eileen visiting us in Mexico. After all doesn't everyone want to visit us in Mexico?? But of coarse!
Friday, February 26, 2010
Sunday, February 21, 2010
How the cookie crumbles.
We can stay a little longer, however it will be a daily rate. This definately gives us plenty of motivation to hustle.
Neil has done a wonderful job welding the bimini rails together. He has made it so stout that you can stand on it with extra weight, hang a hammock from it if you wanted to, and it won't budge. He has almost finished with the dinghy davits and is still trying to decide exactly how to mount the radar dome and wind generator without anything getting in the way. The challange is to make sure that our windvane auto pilot is not sheltered at all, as we intend on using it much more than the electric auto pilot. We had a few issues with our tri-gas tanks for the mig welder not being filled properly earlier in the week which made for a lot of time wasted going back and forth. Not to worry though as they gave us a 5 1/2 foot tall tank, properly mixed on the house! :0) Between that and 10lbs of stainless wire, I think we will not have to worry about that untill it is finished. On Friday we picked up close to 100 ft of steel to finish things off. We went ahead and sold our aluminum skiff and motor. That 25hp was a bit too much for the inflatable.
I was dreading looking for a 4 stroke 15 hp that was in near new condition or having to haggle with the salesmen for a good or reasonable price for one. ( although I am getting better at this one! ) The day we went to put the engine back on the aluminum skiff so we could "show the boat", there was a note taped inside on the seat. It said something like, "Looks like you could use a nice 4 stroke 15hp engine to go on the back here. I have one, give me a call." You bet your bottom I did! Friday afternoon, we picked up an incredible engine that was used only a "hand full" of times. The gentleman who sold it to us said, "Ya know, I have never done that before. I have never put a note like that on someone elses boat, but I felt compelled to." We were glad he did. Isn't it amazing how the big guy works?
We had hopes to be out of here sooner, but for whatever reason we are being kept here just a little longer. However we absolutely have to shove off this week even if all the sewing isn't finished. Speaking of which...
...I had to purchase a new sewing machine as my old faithfull "Singer" sewing machine had passed away.*sniff* I have been practicing with a new hatch cover and wind sock for our V Berth hatch. I plan to make propane tank covers for our new lightweight fiberglass tanks. By the time I finish with those I hope to have all the kinks worked out. The thread for the heavy weight Sunbrella fabric is thick polyester. Unlike any I have used before so it has to be wound just right or else it makes a huge mess....don't look too close at my hatch cover!haha. I am getting the hang of it though.
Growing up I spent more time in the shop with my dad working with wood and greasy things. My mother with al her patience tried to teach me to sew. I think I made a few doll blankets. I am good with squares and rectangles! (hatch cover)I am regretting not sitting down with her more often to learn as she was and is an amazing seamstress. However, the woodworking has come in quite handy. You are never too old to learn as long as you can get passed the being stubborn part of it that makes it hard to "listen" to suggestion. I am hoping to overcome that. Correction. I will overcome that; with my sanity fully intact!! (that is where the "hopefully" will come in).
Neil has done a wonderful job welding the bimini rails together. He has made it so stout that you can stand on it with extra weight, hang a hammock from it if you wanted to, and it won't budge. He has almost finished with the dinghy davits and is still trying to decide exactly how to mount the radar dome and wind generator without anything getting in the way. The challange is to make sure that our windvane auto pilot is not sheltered at all, as we intend on using it much more than the electric auto pilot. We had a few issues with our tri-gas tanks for the mig welder not being filled properly earlier in the week which made for a lot of time wasted going back and forth. Not to worry though as they gave us a 5 1/2 foot tall tank, properly mixed on the house! :0) Between that and 10lbs of stainless wire, I think we will not have to worry about that untill it is finished. On Friday we picked up close to 100 ft of steel to finish things off. We went ahead and sold our aluminum skiff and motor. That 25hp was a bit too much for the inflatable.
I was dreading looking for a 4 stroke 15 hp that was in near new condition or having to haggle with the salesmen for a good or reasonable price for one. ( although I am getting better at this one! ) The day we went to put the engine back on the aluminum skiff so we could "show the boat", there was a note taped inside on the seat. It said something like, "Looks like you could use a nice 4 stroke 15hp engine to go on the back here. I have one, give me a call." You bet your bottom I did! Friday afternoon, we picked up an incredible engine that was used only a "hand full" of times. The gentleman who sold it to us said, "Ya know, I have never done that before. I have never put a note like that on someone elses boat, but I felt compelled to." We were glad he did. Isn't it amazing how the big guy works?
We had hopes to be out of here sooner, but for whatever reason we are being kept here just a little longer. However we absolutely have to shove off this week even if all the sewing isn't finished. Speaking of which...
...I had to purchase a new sewing machine as my old faithfull "Singer" sewing machine had passed away.*sniff* I have been practicing with a new hatch cover and wind sock for our V Berth hatch. I plan to make propane tank covers for our new lightweight fiberglass tanks. By the time I finish with those I hope to have all the kinks worked out. The thread for the heavy weight Sunbrella fabric is thick polyester. Unlike any I have used before so it has to be wound just right or else it makes a huge mess....don't look too close at my hatch cover!haha. I am getting the hang of it though.
Growing up I spent more time in the shop with my dad working with wood and greasy things. My mother with al her patience tried to teach me to sew. I think I made a few doll blankets. I am good with squares and rectangles! (hatch cover)I am regretting not sitting down with her more often to learn as she was and is an amazing seamstress. However, the woodworking has come in quite handy. You are never too old to learn as long as you can get passed the being stubborn part of it that makes it hard to "listen" to suggestion. I am hoping to overcome that. Correction. I will overcome that; with my sanity fully intact!! (that is where the "hopefully" will come in).
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
can we stay?
The bimini rails are up and looking good! I am amazed that with just a tarp over the top (temporary) how much of a room we have. I knew we had a large cockpit but, wow! I am very excited about it. If all goes well today we can have the solar panels mounted and perhaps the radar and dinghy davits as well. I am going to go up and see if they will let us stay a few more days here at the Marina. It seems like the weather has just not been in our favor and the time waiting for this and that has put us behind. I am on my way to find out. Fingers crossed!
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Saturday
The day started off with gorgeous sunshine and we had the intent of welding up a storm. By noon a bunch of big yachts pulled in for a weekend of fun right across from us. Neil and I decided to stop our noisemaking for a while and took a skiff ride to look for another slip to pull into for the day so we wouldn't disturb anyone...no one likes that. We noticed outside the Marina a huge tanker was being maneuvered into a side tie by the Foss tugs. We sat there a while and watched and then saw that a little 20 ft. power boat had lost the use of its engines. They were starting to drift a bit and in their view, or anyones view who has gotten close to one of those monsters, it looked like it was coming straight for them! We zipped on over there and offered a tow just as they were scrambling to try and drop anchor. They eagerly accepted. We still had the 25hp engine off the back of our little inflatable. There were about 4 adults and 2 kids onboard. The kids were more interested in what our dogs name was than what was going on. As we got going one of the little boys was yelling "faster!" We pulled them back into the launching ramp and were met by an overley anxious bunch of mothers. Funny how the "forces" seem to push you into an area where you didn't plan on going and the result was helpfullness. Afterwards we went back to the dock. The "Yachties" seemed to have gone to dinner or something. All was quiet so Neil got back to welding frames again.
On another note we took the advice of our good friend Jim (Warrior) and bought the same foam to put under our mattresses. So far, no moisture. I am amazed and am thankful to the suggestion! ( Way to go Jim!). TAP Plastics has a roll of "single cell foam" and it will keep your bunks dry as a bone....also we took and drilled some big holes under the berths for ventilation.
The weather is starting to show serious signs that spring is here. We hope to be out of the bay by Friday of this next week. My tummy is tied in a knot with excitement. So much to do. To quote from a goofy movie..."Enhance your calm John Spartan!"...**we will see who gets that!:0)...
On another note we took the advice of our good friend Jim (Warrior) and bought the same foam to put under our mattresses. So far, no moisture. I am amazed and am thankful to the suggestion! ( Way to go Jim!). TAP Plastics has a roll of "single cell foam" and it will keep your bunks dry as a bone....also we took and drilled some big holes under the berths for ventilation.
The weather is starting to show serious signs that spring is here. We hope to be out of the bay by Friday of this next week. My tummy is tied in a knot with excitement. So much to do. To quote from a goofy movie..."Enhance your calm John Spartan!"...**we will see who gets that!:0)...
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Addiction?
As I was driving around today it occurred to me that I may have an addiction problem. I am starting to stock up with food, various medicines, cleansers and paper supplies. I know that I can go days without a cold beer or a glass of wine. I can forego the tv. I can leave my convenient cell phone and internet days behind me, but I just don't know what to do. So my dilema is, will they have Red Bull in Mexico? We can only pray! (donations are accepted)
My MY my
We just got the welder in. The dodger and bimini material is on its way. The pipe bender we got is just a bit too much power and always wants to kink the pipe. We rented a different style of bender and it still just does not want to bend anything over about a 35 degree angle neatly. This means Neil may have to use his skills to cut and bend than weld to make the angle we need. Not as pretty but very strong and functional. Besides it will be covered with material anyway!:0) We hope to have all the materials here by our date of departure and we may finish up the "this and thats" in Monterey on the hook. We shall see. My my my how things change day to day, delay delay delay, but no worries. It is getting done and we are so close now!
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Dinner with a great friend
Last night we had dinner with a great friend named Bob who owns one of the loveliest looking wooden schooners I have seen. He re built this classic and has put his heart and soul into her over the years. Bob is an experienced sailor who has been all over the world and has even won a few races here in the bay. It was a great privelage to have dinner with him in his house. I was completely fascinated by all of his "knick knacks" that he had picked up from the various islands and countries he has been to. Along with his journeys he was and is a phoenominal photographer and I learned a thing or two about lighting. It realy put the whole reason why we are doing what we are doing into perspective as we watched a few short films on sailing and heard some of his stories. I can't wait to be able to experience that with my family.
Just one of those days
Friday was a bit on the "just one of those days" side. Katie had delay after delay getting going but she was able to squeeze in a bit more time with Aunt Stacy! After a day of airport hopping we were glad to have her home.
As far as the boat goes, the welder that is needed for stainless was a bit of a challenge. It is almost impossible to find a place that will rent out a MIG welder. The other issue is the voltage. Most run on 220 and that won't work very well dockside. So long story short we have to bite the bullet and buy one. This puts us back a bit as far as scheduling goes but it should be here Thursday at the very latest. That has turned out well though. We have gone ahead and purchased a pipe bender for the steel and a plastics welder to repair the water tank leaks. We are hoping to purchase the steel tomorrow morning. The bathroom window has been one of those things... Basically we have had to re build the entire upper half around the window from scratch since the rott in there was much more extensive than the others. So as soon as the epoxy dries we can cut out the window frame and pop the new one in. It will be structurally sound and no worries when it is done. Stewart has been the most helpful little "Gopher" in the last few weeks..."Go for this, go get that = Gopher." He is learning alot about boatworks and patience. Katie helped me today,Saturday, to finish sanding the port side handrails. She is an excellent little helper also and we are both very proud of them. The rails should all be ready to re bed and mount by Tuesday. I will be glad to have the headliner back on also as it poses an eyesore. I myself have really had to learn not to stress over having things turned upside down. (perhaps I was a bit obsessive over things looking "pretty" haha) This experience has cured me of that, to some degree. It will be nice to have things done soon and enjoy the fruits of our labor cruising down the coast, chasing whales and racing with dolphins once again.
As far as the boat goes, the welder that is needed for stainless was a bit of a challenge. It is almost impossible to find a place that will rent out a MIG welder. The other issue is the voltage. Most run on 220 and that won't work very well dockside. So long story short we have to bite the bullet and buy one. This puts us back a bit as far as scheduling goes but it should be here Thursday at the very latest. That has turned out well though. We have gone ahead and purchased a pipe bender for the steel and a plastics welder to repair the water tank leaks. We are hoping to purchase the steel tomorrow morning. The bathroom window has been one of those things... Basically we have had to re build the entire upper half around the window from scratch since the rott in there was much more extensive than the others. So as soon as the epoxy dries we can cut out the window frame and pop the new one in. It will be structurally sound and no worries when it is done. Stewart has been the most helpful little "Gopher" in the last few weeks..."Go for this, go get that = Gopher." He is learning alot about boatworks and patience. Katie helped me today,Saturday, to finish sanding the port side handrails. She is an excellent little helper also and we are both very proud of them. The rails should all be ready to re bed and mount by Tuesday. I will be glad to have the headliner back on also as it poses an eyesore. I myself have really had to learn not to stress over having things turned upside down. (perhaps I was a bit obsessive over things looking "pretty" haha) This experience has cured me of that, to some degree. It will be nice to have things done soon and enjoy the fruits of our labor cruising down the coast, chasing whales and racing with dolphins once again.
Friday, February 5, 2010
Crunch Time
Today our daughter, Katie, comes back from a 2 week stay in chilly Montana with her Aunt Stacy. She was scheduled to leave at dawn but heavy fog delayed the flight until this afternoon. Regardless we are very excited to have our little girl home.
The boats "inards" are just about done. A few cosmetic fixes are all thats left. We are going to be measuring for the dodger and bimini today and hope to have some steel by this afternoon. The auto pilot, depth sounder, and new helm station is just about finished with remotes to all of our electronic gadgets. The bimini is going to be tricky. We plan to mount the radar, wind generator and solar panels from the frame. It is going to be a bit of a challenge but since Neil was a metal fabricator in his previous years this will not pose as much of an issue. The watermaker and auxillary tank will be one of the last things we address along with a patch on our drinking water tank. (we have just noticed a small leak). We have about 10 days left here in the city and will be pulling out. Any other tweaking will happen back in our home port of Half Moon Bay while on the hook.
We have 2 inflatable skiffs for shore travel. One has a little 2hp kicker and the other a hard bottom inflatable that we just took the 25hp engine off of our old aluminum fishing boat. Nothing is funnier than watching Neil and Stewart going about 45 mph in a little inflatable with an engine bigger than them off the back. (I will try and post a video of that later). A bit of overkill but hey, there are times when get up and go will be a good thing!! If not just for the thrill of it!
I am curious to see how the dog will respond when she see's that we have not taken Katie to the pound after all. Daisy has spent her days watching the dock for her to come through the gate. Katies face will be wet with kisses for sure!
Almost all of the woodwork is finished despite the crappy weather. All is looking good and the countdown to take off is fast approaching.
However as with all things related to boating, its best to make goals and not get caught up in rigid deadlines. Just keep moving forward, hope for the best, take breaks from the chaos to have a little fun, and never regret anything! Life is good!
The boats "inards" are just about done. A few cosmetic fixes are all thats left. We are going to be measuring for the dodger and bimini today and hope to have some steel by this afternoon. The auto pilot, depth sounder, and new helm station is just about finished with remotes to all of our electronic gadgets. The bimini is going to be tricky. We plan to mount the radar, wind generator and solar panels from the frame. It is going to be a bit of a challenge but since Neil was a metal fabricator in his previous years this will not pose as much of an issue. The watermaker and auxillary tank will be one of the last things we address along with a patch on our drinking water tank. (we have just noticed a small leak). We have about 10 days left here in the city and will be pulling out. Any other tweaking will happen back in our home port of Half Moon Bay while on the hook.
We have 2 inflatable skiffs for shore travel. One has a little 2hp kicker and the other a hard bottom inflatable that we just took the 25hp engine off of our old aluminum fishing boat. Nothing is funnier than watching Neil and Stewart going about 45 mph in a little inflatable with an engine bigger than them off the back. (I will try and post a video of that later). A bit of overkill but hey, there are times when get up and go will be a good thing!! If not just for the thrill of it!
I am curious to see how the dog will respond when she see's that we have not taken Katie to the pound after all. Daisy has spent her days watching the dock for her to come through the gate. Katies face will be wet with kisses for sure!
Almost all of the woodwork is finished despite the crappy weather. All is looking good and the countdown to take off is fast approaching.
However as with all things related to boating, its best to make goals and not get caught up in rigid deadlines. Just keep moving forward, hope for the best, take breaks from the chaos to have a little fun, and never regret anything! Life is good!
Thursday, February 4, 2010
sail mail test
We are testing our sail mail system so we can communicate via SSB from anywhere in the world!
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radio email processed by SailMail
for information see: http://www.sailmail.com
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
A Quick Update
All of the windows except for the bathroom are in. The navigation station is coming along nicely. We had hoped to get a little more done but are happy with the progress thats been made. We gathered together with friends last night aboard their Islander for a wonderful feast and great story telling. Joyce and Barry are a real fun couple and Joyce is as sweet as it gets. It seemed strange being onboard someone elses vessel and having no power tools sitting next to you at the dinner table!
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