by miami | Oct 31, 2013
Day 3 and day 4.
Yesterday we tore out the hot water heater that was not working.
Ouch.
One would think a little five gallon can would be a fairly easy to remove. That would assume a magician had not installed it!
I ended up rigging block and tackle as there was no way to drain the water and no way in heck to get hands under it.
Then all the piping had to be removed using a very small pipe wrench, and cutting off the old hoses. The hoses were shot anyway as they had been lying in the oily bilge for who knows how long…
It only took two and a half hours to get the sucker out at the cost of half the skin on my arms. I did notice I bleed much easier and bruise now – like my Dad.
The tank was full of very rusty water because some moron had used galvinzed steel fittings which had badly corroded.
Then it was off for parts search to Savannah. Yuk. 3 hours later, we have new fittings ($55), new hot water heater hose to the engine ($30) and muriatic acid to flush the tank. (We get hot water when we run the engine as well as 110 volt.)
While I was gone Ryan got the fun job of wire brushing everything he could reach, and cleaning rusted bits of steel, nasty bilge stuff etc. he made a good start bu there is much left to be done before the capt is satisfied. It is crucial to have your mechanical gear clean and in great working order so when something does happen (and it ALWAYS does) you are able to see what you are doing. For instance we noticed pretty quickly that the forward motor mounts for the generator are just holding on with the rubber mounts as all the steel is gone!
We ended the day with hot water so all is well.
Today was aft head. The cabinet was poorly designed and had leaked in the past causing some wood rot that needed attention.
I can't say the first mate is exactly happy with the day's work, but in my defense for lumber I was limited to pieces of teak scavenged from old hatch covers. It is never fun trying to build something to the materials you have instead of to the situation at hand.
In addition, attempting to do finish work with a skill saw, no files, no sander, router, or any other finishing tools is a challenge at best.
This is what the space looked like after everything was torn out and below the (semi) finished product.
Plus today we finally got the DSL canceled at the old house. Three times we tried on the AT&T website, then finally found a number to call today. 45 minutes on the phone , transferred 4 times and finally got it canceled. Another yuk.
But life is good on the water. I feel a bit of pressure to get these big projects completed while we still have decent weather. Next is more engine work. Replace all filters, change oils, etc. Check hoses and clamps, bilge pump and clean bilges. Then we get take her out for a shakedown cruise!
Can't wait!
by miami | Oct 29, 2013
Day 2 on Yume as our new home.We are all a bit tired at the end of each day as we go from the time we wake to dark thirty.
Just stopping now and watching the sun set. Got the grill going for some pork chops and Shelly is below making some fettichini with Alfredo to go with it.
Ryan is up at the tiki hut where he can get monster wifi speeds to play his games.
He learned about working on bikes today as the boat came with a foldup 6 speed that needed some TLC.
We have been cramming two full pickup loads of stuff on the boat. Yesterday I removed a 110volt ice maker and turned the space into storage for all the grain, beans, sugar and other supplies we have in 2.5 gallon tubs and all the canned supplies we have.
We filled the water tanks with 150 gallons of water (watched the boat sink down with an additional 1050 pounds!) and added a bit of bleach to help keep it sweet. Red wine works too.
Ryan and I washed the outside today while Shelly worked inside to make it like a home.
Tomorrow the plan is to work in the storage of the master head (bath) where there were some leaks in the past causing some rot. We brought plywood just for that purpose.
The next phase is to make Yume ready for sea. We look for anything that would move . Basically you think about flipping your house upside down and see wohat would fly out! Then you fix it…
We are close.
Next – start looking at the engine, steering systems, and anchors and lines and getting ready for some trial runs to see how she (and we) perform!
We have had a great two days with perfect weather, lots of projects completed and a hope we can get on down the waterway before it turns cold again.
Looking down into the salon, I see Goose is getting his dinner so mine can’t be far behind!
by miami | Oct 25, 2013
It’s the last night at the in-laws in NC and the temps are dropping fast. The north wind is howling down the pass between these two ranges and it surely feels like we need be a lot farther south!
We have enjoyed our visit, playing pinochle and eating and trying out our new folding bicycles we will use to replace the vehicles we are selling.But at the same time we are anxious to head south to Yume and start getting ready for sea.
Yesterday when we left Atlanta at 630am to miss traffic (not likely) we got to appreciate the insanity (to us anyway) of millions of people all going to work at the same time.
Hopefully, we will back in time for the horse show at High Country Stables tomorrow so Shelly can offer any help needed for the new owners and say farewell one more time to the great trainers, students and parents.
Then we have a fundraiser for paws4people foundation at Petland in Kennesaw on Sunday afternoon before heading down I75 to Macon and over I 16 to Savannah and Yume.
To say we are looking forward to getting there would be an understatement.
I am sure you can understand?
by miami | Oct 25, 2013
My friend (and provider of my favorite spice!) asks this question…
Will I be able to send stuff to your next port call from time to time? I’ve never considered the logistics of a nomadic naval lifestyle.
Good question sir! Especially when we need that spice for the fresh tuna we have on the grill in some far off cove on a perfect beach in the clear tropical night with a some fruit based libation in hand!
Actually, 90% of the time we are either anchored or at a dock somewhere.
The time we move from place to place is fairly minimal – that is unless and until we have enough resources (money) to be able to pay traveling fees like customs, immigration etc- the taxes each country demands from travelers on ‘rich’ boats. Usually we have an address with someone who will package and forward all mail somewhere ahead of us.
Of course in today’s world most mail is electronic and the mailing part is usually things like parts and spice!
When I get to it – we will have a link to favorite products – and the first one will be brantsspices.com
by miami | Oct 20, 2013
As we make our last round of goodbyes and farewells this week before heading off to our new home – people ask the most amazing questions and say the strangest things!
“What did you have to promise your wife to get her to move to a sailboat?” I didn’t promise her anything. She can’t wait to go!
“Aren’t you afraid of storms?” And this one – “What about pirates?” These two crack me up. You see it is all about perception! ‘Normal’ people (that is people who don’t live on a boat and travel) get in a 3000 pound vehicle and make it go 70 miles an hour past hundreds if not thousands of other people in 3000 pound vehicles speeding towards them at 70 miles per hour six feet away! – without knowing where those other people have been. At the bar maybe? And ‘normal’ people do this day in and day out every day of their lives! They lock their cars, and their homes. They track their kids on their cell phones. There are places they definitely do not go.
We on the other hand do not lock anything, go almost anywhere (in the world) and find people to be extremely friendly curious and welcoming.
Are there pirates? I guess so although I have never met one that I know of. Are there storms? Sure – but here is a very important thing to remember.
When we find ourselves at sea in a storm – it is very uncomfortable and even frightening. So we prepare. We are responsible for our own lives and our home. There is no dialing 911 for help.
We make sure the boat is sea worthy. We get better at knowing the weather than the weather channel. (That’s not hard to do actually…) We know what to do under different conditions.
And when it is all done, and the seas have calmed, or we have reached the safety of a port or an anchorage, and we go to sleep exhausted, wet and grateful to be done; then the joy experienced the next day as you wake up to a gorgeous sunrise on a fresh washed beach, and you see starfish on the bottom at 40 feet, then you understand much of the pleasure from this moment is in direct relation to the experience of the storm.
We understand that extreme joy can only be had by experiencing the opposite. And we do not go to a television or a movie to get that experience. We would rather live it!
Do you have a question you would like us to answer about a sailing life? Ask it. After all someone else might have that same question. We can probably answer it as we built a sailboat in 1989 -90 and sailed for 12,000 miles and 6.5 years. We can even tell you what it is like to have a baby on a boat!
We are very excited to know we are a week away from going home – and although we know we will miss some special people – we also know those same people will never be far away!
by miami | Oct 9, 2013
We have been here since Monday and we never want to leave.
Since it took 17 years to make it back after we sold our last boat NAIAD, maybe you can understand how we feel. Even Ryan is getting into it.
All of us have been working hard – first just cleaning and going through all the stuff the previous owner left, then unloading the truckful of our stuff and hauling it onto the boat.
We are sort of settled in but have to leave in the morning and won’t be back for two weeks as we have commitments. Whose dumb idea was that?
Hang around some and we will get better at updates.
We are off to wilmington in the morning for the annual paws4people reunion, then back to the farm to help the new owners!
Then back here to start practicing sailing and boat maneuvers so we can ready to head outta here!
Needed: wifi booster for the main mast!
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