Please Continue To Hold...

Boats in the marina...waiting.

We are deep in the middle of waiting. As Robert Heinlein said in 'Stranger in a Strange Land, "Waiting is...until fullness". Very apt for the state of things in and around Ceol Mor. We are most definitely strangers in a strange land. Living life with one foot firmly planted in the day to day of living ashore in the suburbs with work and school and kids activities and running a household and one foot out the door into the world of sailing (vagabonding!) around , seeing the world outside our little corner of the planet. I am not going to sugar coat it. Waiting is hard.

We had a bit of a stroke of luck last year. Mark's work load was fairly light so he was able to really put a bunch of time into getting our boat ready. This year his work load has increased to a level that is beyond full, requiring him to travel quite a bit, to work on brain taxing technical problems and to try to squeeze in a bit of boat work as well. The work relationship is a necessary one. They need the work done and since we have not won the lottery we need the funds to stockpile to pay our living expenses while we go gallivanting. It works out to a good if decideldy codependent relationship. I know that his short temper these days has more to do with trying to fit everything in with very little rest than anything we are or are not doing. I also know that this too shall pass. But its hard. Hard to know the answer is to get out sailing where Mark visibly relaxes and a calmness overtakes him and to know that the answer is still 12 months away.

Then there are the little things that are hard. Little things like my car. My car is okay but really way too small for my day to day life with a toddler in tow and a preteen as well. We really could use something that offered us the flexibility of hauling kids and/or boat refit supplies and equipment. We looked long and hard at the used car market and no matter how we crunched the numbers, to get something in decent shape would require us to take a $2500-$3000 hit over the course of 12 months. How many months of cruising would that $3,000 buy us? Almost 2 on our projected budget. Do we want to give up that time in exchange for a bit more comfort and convenience for only 12 months? No, keep your eye on the prize but as I load up the car for another day it does annoy me.

A really hard thing was giving up a long time dream of my own. I had a great career in folk music and felt like I had reached all of my goals save one- I always wanted to do children's music. Some might not get it because its not cool or hip, but I have always wanted to perform for children. When I heard that my absolute favorite of all time children's music group The Singing Kettle was searching for a new cast member, I sent in my resume, some past recordings and a short video. I thought it was a pipe dream and did not expect anything. Then they came back announcing I had made the short list and would I send in a another video? I sent it in and then Mark and I sat down and crunched numbers and logistics of moving the family and boat to Scotland, changing our sailing plans and all the changes and sacrifices that chasing this weird little dream of mine would entail.

As we waited to hear back, I came to the conclusion that the sacrifices we have made for the past 3 years would have been wasted if I were to take the position. I quite tearfully made the determination that choosing to chase the dream of cruising meant foregoing other dreams and goals. I knew I had to withdraw my name should I be invited to Scotland. It was a bit of good fortune actually, that in the end choosing a Texan for a Scottish children's group did not fit in with the Singing Kettle's needs and I did not have to write that painful letter withdrawing my name. Knowing that I had to forgo other dreams was very hard. Its not one I will be able to revisit so it really is choosing one longed for experience over another. Hard indeed.

The kids are finding waiting hard as well. Not so much Kitty, whose only real sacrifice is a backyard climbing frame/slide of her own (and man oh man would she love it) but Maura has had to give up opportunities and things in order for us to do this. We live in the epicenter of suburban/American consumerism and in order to make cruising work, we have to make different choices than our neighbors and while on the surface it might seem superficial and inconsequential, if you are 12 years old and are the only kid around not following the prescribed formula it is hard. No iPhone, they are too expensive and you won't be able to use it in a year. No competitive dance or sports because you will be leaving in a year and those require a 3 year commitment. Amassing a junior high school worthy wardrobe? You'll just have to get rid of most of it in a year and when will you wear those trendy jeans with all the gelcoat scarring studs on the boat? Other coveted gadgets and items are just more things to soak up the finances and must be gotten rid of in the name of available storage space. Maura desperately wants a sailing dinghy of her own but we don't have time to get good use out of it before we leave and where would we store it on the boat? Birthdays and Christmas are small, both for financial reasons and storage space considerations. Certainly not life or death choices but if you are 12 and giving up all of the things your friends enjoy for an unknown experience, it is hard.

So, I continue to wait. Waiting for the payoff for which we have all sacrificed. I do not begrudge those who are able to just buy a boat, step aboard and take off. I am happy that life happened in such a way to allow them to skip the waiting because some times, waiting really sucks. And blows. Simultaneously .Our life has not happened in such a way for that to be the case. We've had to sacrifice, work and wait. While the waiting can get me down, I know that no one will be more excited to finally cast off the dock lines than we. I know that all this annoying and at times maddening craziness will result in an adventure many others will never get the chance to experience and for that, I am extremely grateful. So we shall keep on keeping on and until we finally cast off our ties to land I will try to remember "Waiting is...until fullness."

Chasing down a leak...

You know you are really and truly a boat owner when you get the privilege of spending 2 or 3 days chasing down a mysterious leak. After a very hard bit of rain, there appeared a leak on the aft cabin berth. Perhaps it was the winch seating? Nope. Both winches above the cabin look to be okay but we did find a bit of old deck rot which must be attended to. No answer to the leak but yet another project on our non-project boat. Maybe its the traveler? That needs to be reset anyway, lets have a look. Nope...not there. Portlight? But we just reseated those and while Mark is not the fastest worker in the world the man is thorough. After 2 days of dismantling everything and putting it back together we have come up with the answer- maybe it is the winch after all. Or maybe not. We will have to wait and see.

The good news is that Kitty was around to assist for a lot of the leak chasing. She found this very exciting as it involved hammers AND screwdrivers. She offered her opinion on our work while Mark and I loosened bolts, then retightened them. Again. And again. The she was off screwdriver in hand to check every bolt and screw on deck. Kid has a bright future in a boat yard somehwere, She didn't miss a single one.

Why yes, that is a different pirate costume. This one was purchased after her previous one literally fell apart from wear. She was a little upset that this one did not have what constitutes a proper hat but was placated when she figured out her head scarf included earrings. I am just hoping this one lasts until Halloween...

Sundowners with the Sundowners

Sausage bread and Arancini- not burned and therefore worthy of documentation

I write this blog really just to document this time in our lives so I A: don't forget how hard we worked to get here and B: remind myself why I have vowed never to refit another boat ever again. A side benefit of writing this is that our little blog has given us the opportunity to meet some really incredible people and to develop some great friendships. Without this blog, I would never have met my now good friends Cindy and Laureen. Friends that I know have my back should I ever decide that this was all a really stupid idea and will listen for hours if I have a mental breakdown and weep uncontrollably over our exploding holding tank. This alone makes keeping the blog worthwhile.

We had the good fortune to get to have a meet and greet with Tate and Danielle from Sundowner Sails Again. They were in Kemah for a Westsail owners Rendezous. We were on the boat working on the never ending refit once again. We invited Tate and Dani over for snacks and cocktails, followed by a tour of our boat and a rare dinner out.

We just loved meeting Tate and Dani. I think perhaps Tate was born about 100 years too late. He just has the heart of a Victorian era explorer with the can do attitude and aptitude for picking up and excelling at whatever he puts his hand to. Like a modern Dr. David Livingstone. He just exudes capability as well as having a really wicked sense of humor. He could wear a pith helmet and a monocle and you would not raise an eyebrow because he could totally make it work.

Mark is smiling because he finally met someone who understands his Captain Perfecto tendencies

Dani is just grace itself. Impossibly lovely, gracious and with a keen intellect and that same inherent capability that Tate has. We all loved hanging with Dani but Maura was absolutely starstruck. If we all think Dani is the bees knees, Maura thinks she is a rockstar- smart, beautiful, fearless AND capable? I think Maura will be heading up her fan club. The only one of us disappointed was Kitty and that is only because we told her all week were going to meet Tate and Dani but she thought we were going to see Dani who would bring her CAKE. When she figured out Tate was a person and not a confectionary she just sighed.

Bonding over a shared dismay of the state of our galleys...

We ate too much, drank enough, laughed a lot and stayed up waayy too late. We had a blast. The next morning, it was up with the sun and back to chasing down a leak on the boat. Such is life during a refit but man oh man was it fun to put down the tools for a bit and have a good time with peeps who are simpatico.

Arrrrgggh!

This year, Kitty has been obsessed with Halloween for about 2 months. I blame the Halloween episode of Yo Gabba Gabba. I can't get too upset because Halloween is just about my most favorite holiday of all. It serves no purpose here in the States other than for kids to have fun and I am 100% in favor of fun.

Kitty began going crazy as soon as she saw the first pumpkin decoration a month ago and has been yammering about her costume nonstop. She has been steadfast in her desire to be a pirate "A pirate say ARGH!" I the captain!!!". Since I lack the crafty gene and am on round number 2 of my attempts to make skirts for some wee girlies, I just bought the darned costume already. Actually, my first cheap skate thought was to just dress her in her old t-shirt and flip flops and make her a little cardboard AK-47 and cardboard bag of ghat but even I have a hard time being THAT politically incorrect. So Disney captain Hook pirate it is.

Kitty loves her pirate dress. She loves it so much she has insisted on wearing it every single day since we got it. Its not the most well made costume so its already starting to fray at the edges, the elastic is pulling, its dotted with various stains and we've already had an emergency repair on her eye patch. It matters not. Kitty loves it and insists on wearing it anywhere and everywhere she goes. I can not wait for Halloween. Once she figures out that by knocking on a door and saying 'Trick or Treat' you get chocolate, her tiny mind will be absolutely blown.

Even dressed as a pirate, Kitty is still the duck whisperer. She called the ducks over, showed them how to dance, fed them and calmly told them they couldn't come home with us but she would see them later.

Gross Understatements, Tacking Lessons and Glue

Shiny valve, pictured here cause its the closest thing to jewelry I'll be getting for a looong time

And so we move on to the plumbing refit. Since Mark has pretty much decided that anything involving hoses falls under the plumbing heading, we aren't just redoing lines to the holding tanks. Captain Perfecto has declared the entire system to be 'crap' due to the previous installation of hoses running every which way with no thought to judicious use of space, ease of access and conscientious routing. So while we will be eventually redoing the head intake, the lines to the holding tank, the entire fresh water system, the shower plumbing, the fresh and salt water lines from the sinks, the cooling water for the engine we are currently dealing with the fuel system.

Step one with Mark is always to look at the defects of a system. He can't help it, its the engineer in him. After carefully considering the current fuel system, he came up with a list of defects that I like to call 'Why This System is Crap'. Actually, he used the word 'mess' not crap but since after all these years together I still hear his Scottish accent and think "If its not Scottish its crap!" I, who am writing this will title his lists whatever I like. Here is his litany of complaints with our current fuel system-

• Existing system is a mess
• 8 separate hoses connected to the diesel fuel tanks- 4 hoses for the forward tank, 4 hoses for the aft tank/ engine supply and return and generator supply and return
• 4 poorly marked selector valves at the fuel tanks- engine supply forward and aft, engine return forward and aft, generator supply forward and aft, generator return forward and aft
• Separate diesel fuel filters for the engine and generator of different types requiring different fuel filters
• Each filter has a priming bulb that due to their geriatric state are no longer squeezable
• Fuel lines are poorly routed through the engine compartment

Mark sat down and after a few hours of creative thinking he came up with a plan. The new not crap system would be comprised of the following-

• A single 6 port fuel tank selector valve
• An electric fuel pump for priming and fuel polishing
• Parallel redundant fuel filters using Racor 500 FG (which will allow us to change the filter while the engine is running
• Selector valves for fuel filter selection and fuel polishing combinations
• Fuel supply and return manifolds to serve both engine and generators and simplify hose requirements

The plus side? We will soon have a fuel system that will not only do its intended job better but will be much easier to service. So much easier that even I, a simple minded soul should be able to manage basic routine maintenance. The down side? As Mark poured over parts catalogs obtain the necessary components of his far superior system, he let out an audible gasp as the parts list climbed upwards of $500 and we hadn't even finished. "I think I might be over thinking this' he said. No. Really? Greatest bit of understatement ever.

While Mark is probably over thinking this, I know that if I don't just cheerfully go along with his Rube Goldberg fuel system it will bug him every time we have to change a filter or polish fuel. (in actuality, his system DOES make perfect sense but I can't admit that without giving him some guff first) Given that, we will indeed have the most spectacularly engineered fuel system possible on our boat. There are other niceties on the refit list that can wait if need be. So long as Mark takes to heart my constant mantra "This boat is leaving in November 2013" if it means I have to deal with an ugly galley in order to enjoy a spectacular fuel system, so be it. Fuel system is just a wee bit more important than a pretty galley anyway.

As we sat at breakfast with our sleep heavy eyes, we took a break to get in some sailing lessons. With empty juice glasses filling in for winches and bits of discarded paper from Kitty's artistic endeavors serving as a Genoa, Mark and Maura worked on tacking techniques. Maura had pointed out that this was her first year as real crew and she needed a bit more explanation as to what was expected of her in order to lend a hand with sailing the boat. Starboard tack, port tack, which side is windward, etc. etc. By jove I think she's got it.

 While Maura and Mark worked on their tacking simulations, Kitty hummed as she played with her most favorite toys in all the world- colored paper, scissors and a glue stick. She entertained herself for a full hour and half with only an occasional assist from me. I know some people swear by an iPad to keep little ones entertained but I can't imagine Kitty ever being as thrilled with anything from Apple as she was by having her very own glue stick and the freedom to use it.

                                                                                                                                                 

      

Its barely October...

...but when the Universe drops such an awesome post in your lap that you don't even have to write you pony up and post it, no matter what you said about updating on the refit. Sorry, no pretty photos on this one but sometimes you don't need one.

If you need the background, read it here: Word of the Day...

Mr. Michaud feels strongly enough to comment on our little blog. Here is what he has to say without any editing what so ever.

"Gents, you clearly do not understand the point of my letter. My rather extensive, not armchair cruising experience has led me to arrive at a factual not emotional response to how some of you approach cruising. 

I too took time off in my early 40s (41-43 to be precise) taking two trips down to the Caribbean via Bermuda as well as four trips to Down East Maine. This was done on a really fine 52 foot sailboat which I upgraded to the nine’s creating a lot of good jobs for people right here in Rhode Island. I subsequently sold this vessel to a very fine Canadian Family that undertook two trans Atlantic passages. In over 40,000 miles of sailing I am happy to report that the boat is still in tip top shape, no one every had a injury or illness remotely approached the incident that was discussed in Sail Magazine. This is due to proper preparation of the boat, with a well-trained crew. This is the primary responsibility of any Captain of any vessel that chooses to venture offshore.

While a cruising vagabond, does indeed have the right to venture offshore in vessels that are undermanned, not properly maintained, or underequipped you do not have the right to except gratis assistance from search or rescue staff from the US, Bermuda, Canadian, or other Coast Guards to expend human and financial resources to save you when you run into serious trouble due to inadequate preparation arising from an inadequate resources.

About 20 years ago a good friend of mine, went offshore from what was seemingly a modest passage from the Bahamas to the West Palm Beach. He did this in a sailing vessel that was not up to the task (with respect to design, equipment, or crew) despite being advised against the trip by his part time Captain (who refused to go) and the dock master at the Marina in the Bahamas. The result was the loss of the vessel and crew (including a visiting Mid West couple) and a massive sea and air rescue search by the US Coast Guard that covered thousands of miles up the Florida Coast and Gulf Stream.

I was also tactician during a Nautor Swan Regatta in the 90s when I saw major sailing hardware fail with a near near serious/fatal injury to a crew member (a young woman along for the ride). This accident occurred because the owner (a friend of mine) chose to jury rig a mainsheet traveler and drill out tab on an undersized hydraulic backstay adjuster to receive an oversize pin for the rod rigging. The net cost savings was a few hundred dollars (which I am sure many of those Sail Magazine readers who have responded negatively to my letter who applaud). However, I think the young woman who could have been fatally injured disagree with these Sail readers.

I also did a delivery on a 70 foot S&S designed yawl Petrol in the late 1970s from Bermuda to New York City. During an unexpected full gale, the seems opened up with the crew having to pump like mad. Moreover, the boat was undermanned (part of the crew were two rather attractive female greenhorns that were useless) resulting in only 4 capable crew to deal with a 70 foot 40 year old boat in 60 knots. 

The result of may past experiences that I have witnessed is that I NEVER go out on anyone else’s boat unless I know the history of the boat, the capabilities of the Captain and crew, and how well the yacht is maintained.

At my point of life 61, I am only interested in logic and facts not emotion. That is how I approach decision-making and life strategies. It has worked rather well for me. I am not sure what next boat that I am going to purchase or have built as I have, by choice, little time outside of my company due to my responsibilities to my customers, my partners, and my employees. I do find that my decisions now are driven by what do I really need rather than what can I afford."

Sorry Den, we did not miss the point of your letter. Perhaps it was not your intent but what your letter conveyed perfectly is that you are kind of a name dropping douche. Your follow up here not only further illustrates this fact, but also lets us know you are a sexist douche to boot. You do realize that not only is this blog written by a woman, there are a whole bunch of women who while being rather attractive, can sail the pants off of any boat, anywhere and many without the benefit of a degree from Brown? Cheers.

On a September Hiatus

Kitty's favorite closet treasure hunt score- Dad's shoe bag. She likes to wear it as a hat. Constantly.

I have made an executive decision to not feel forced to post anything for the month of September. September is turning out to be absolutely nuts with a whole lot of NOTHING happening on the boat but lots of other mundane stuff that isn't worthy of a blog post. And yet...here is a blog post about all the mundane stuff that is keeping me from thrilling you with tales of our replumbing the boat. I know some of you want to keep up with the refit and preparations for our cruise and could give a rat's patootie about the other aspects of our life. For you folks, stop reading here. Come back in October. For the other readers who are just looking for a way to waste time at work, feel free to read on.

September means we are getting back into the swing of school. Maura is acutely aware that this is her last year in a US public school for quite some time and so she is throwing herself wholeheartedly into any and all activities as well as scheduling time with her best friends because "I am going awaaaay on a boat forevvver". Preteens love hyperbole You'll notice there aren't any photos of her on this post. Testament to the fact that girlfriend has been super busy with whatever time wasting activities junior high US girls get up to. This also means I have lost my trusty toddler tender so I've not had an extra set of hands to wrangle Kitty while I shoot photos or repair sails or mangle boat sewing projects. If you are going to have a toddler, I highly recommend having an adolescent who is always looking for babysitting money before you have that toddler.

Mark is not getting bubkis done on the boat because he is jet setting around the globe for work. This is boat related because they actually pay him for that work which means he has pennies to throw into the cruising kitty and refit fund. Yay for work. His latest trip has him in Singapore. It only took him 3 days to get on a flight but he made it and now between meetings he is sipping Singapore Slings in the Raffles hotel bar and enjoying fish pedicures. Rough gig he has there.

Meanwhile, its just Kitty and I hanging during the day. This month has been crap for me. I never get sick. When everyone else comes down with a cold, I'm the one who stays healthy and takes care of everyone. Only 11 days into September and I have been healthy a total of 3 days. First it was some horrible dysentery like vomit fest. I was laid out on the couch for 3 days. Kitty learned to open the closet doors at this time. I gave up caring what she was dragging out and destroying about the third time I tried to chase her down and had to stop to puke. I look at it as her opportunity to learn a bit about self direction. Now while Mark is off in Malaysia and Maura is off at school, I am a flu ridden slug trying to keep Kitty entertained without my usual tricks of hanging outside in the garden or doing art or cooking projects together. She is happy enough to have tea parties and play dress up inside while I count down the minutes until nap time when I can finally close my Nyquil heavy eyes.

So there ya have it. Good solid reasons why I am taking a short hiatus until October. In the mean time, I leave you with Pomplamoose. Firstly, I love Pomplamoose and you should too. Secondly, singing this song to myself is what is getting me through this month. Now you will be able to sing along until we are back on the boat in October. See you soon.