Tuesday, February 5, 2013

Mardi Gras and the Master Cabin

Work is slowly progressing on the master cabin. All traces of the former head compartment have been removed and construction has begun in earnest. Just look at this boat- we are NOT even playing. There is some serious reconstruction going down.


The area on the port side, just at the top of the berth where the yellow portable light is currently sitting will have drawers for storage at the bottom, a fiddled shelf such as the one on the starboard side and the upper cabinet will mostly be taken up by a plumbing run. The low box on the port side will provide additional storage as well as a seat. You really appreciate those little seats when trying to get dressed underway!



The insert for the berth will be permanently attached so no more sleeping on a total of 3 cushions- a real mattress will fit. The area under berth insert will be enclosed for sail storage and there will be a step installed on the port side to make getting in and out of the berth easier.



Yes, Mark has turned the galley into a full on wood shop. Its not as if I would be whipping up any culinary masterpieces anyway. This is the look Mark has when he is thinking "big thoughts" and by 'big thoughts" I mean thinking of how inadequately designed X is and how it can be improved by reengineering it all and designing it with functionality at the forefront. Sometimes I let him think his big thoughts but other times I remind him that the best is the enemy of the good enough. I never tell him that about the master cabin though.  Can not wait for it to be done!

While the sawdust was flying, the girls enjoyed some pre Mardi Gras festivities. I am a big fan of small town, homely Mardi Gras parades. Still fun, still plenty of libations and indulgences, but much more family friendly. A community based event rather than a commercial blow out. A lot less boobs and vomit than the tourist attended parades of New Orleans. (A NOLA resident doing the puking is rare, its usually the tourist!) The kind of Mardi Gras fun I like. The Kemah parade was just about perfect. Decorated golf carts full of local kids we know, a few pirate filled floats, dogs dressed up festively, drill teams and beauty queens and lots and lots of beads. Once Kitty figured out the items thrown were intended for her she had a blast. Maura lamented that Kitty has 3 times as many beads. Ah the advantages to being tiny....




 



This may have been the Ultimate fun Trifecta for Kitty : pirates, dogs and 'beans'. She really likes her shiny 'beans'.


11 comments:

  1. That is most definitely the perfect Mardi Gras. I grew up in Louisiana and my hometown only had two parades, both of which were very family friendly. The streets would close down 24 hours before the parade and people would camp out and party; no boobs and hardly any barfing. The first time I went to Galveston's Mardi Gras I hated it--HATED IT! And I've never been down to NOLA. Maybe someday, but I don't think I'd enjoy it as much.

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    1. Jess, its small town Mardi Gras that is near and dear to my heart. NOLA has some great parades- Barkus is my fave! and the only really stupid shenanigans happens at the big tourist draw parades like Orpheus. Still, small town parades are where its at!

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  2. Shiny beans! :) Looks like Maura got her share of them, too. What fun! I can't wait to see finished photos of your new cabin and hope you have some 'before' photos to ad so we can really swoon! It does sound like function and beauty will be going hand in hand with the addition of sail storage and that step for getting into the berth. Nothing like trying to get into a berth by trying to time your jumps as the boat goes over the high point of the wave. Oy. Ouch.

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    1. Oh crap. I don't think I have any before photos because the cabin was too cramped to get into comfortably. ARGH!

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    2. You can probably find a similar photo online of a sister boat. Just to give an idea what it looked like before.

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  3. So tell me why the countertops in the galley are so carefully protected and taped off? I suppose it would be a pity if a wood working tool accidentally marred the face, requiring a speedy replacement :D

    Mardi Gras over here, Mardi Gras over there. Fun times right now!

    BTW I LOVE the fact you can fit a full mattress. Seriously. I have to climb (roll) over Tate to get out. This gets really fun during the night at a new anchorage when you haven't learned how to set the anchor alarm right and it keeps going off. It's like a newborn, LOL.

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    1. The mattress will still have to be tapered at the foot but having one solid mattress will be far superior to the 3 individual cushions currently required.

      I so wish we had time to scrap the galley counters. *sigh* Maybe, maybe not.

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    2. I saw those taped countertops and started to chuckle, remembered to whom she is married, and sighed instead. Maybe he will surprise her with new solid surface countertops. Hope springs eternal.

      Climbing over a spouse to get out of the berth, or having one climb over me, is not okay in my book. Considering the number of times combined that we get up during the night, no one would get any sleep. We would have to figure something else out. I am thinking that the money spent on this remodel will be the best investment in comfort yet and will pay off in marital bliss many times.

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  4. Oh Kitty looks so pleased with her beans! She is getting so big too. They don't even acknowledge Mardi Gras up here. I love that ponderous look on Mark. Wish he would come ponder and re-engineer our space.

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  5. My mother-in-law (former NOLA resident) has a small (10"X10"X6") treasure chest filled with Mardi Gras beads. It is my children's (11,9,3) favorite "toy" when they are at Grandma's. They do all kinds of imaginitive play with that chest and beads. I know space is quite small on board, but have you considered something similar for when you begin cruising?

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    1. Absolutely! Kitty loves to play pirate with her 'beans' and doubloons and I doubt I could convince her to leave her treasure chest behinh.

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