more window work

Posted on March 12, 2012 by Jenny

 

port window before

starboard window before

where was that drill bit I was looking for?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

using a filet knife to cut the old caulking

cleaned & almost ready for caulking

prepping starboard window

port glass caulked in

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

starboard glass caulked in

 

Wil & I are starting to feel like professionals in the window replacement department. This weekend we replaced the salon windows facing aft to the cockpit. After removing the interior trim, and scoring the old caulking on the exterior, we used a filet knife to slice through all of the old adhesive. Earlier in our window replacement career, we would use old guitar strings like a hacksaw for this part. However, we have run out of guitar strings, and Colin’s guitar isn’t quite ready for another string change.

As we were pulling out the old starboard glass, there was one section where it wasn’t held down at all, and water came trickling out from underneath the glass. Guess we solved one water leak! At the same time, there was a section that seemed almost impossible to pull away. With constant determination, we managed to pull the glass free.

After the old glass is removed, it’s time to remove all old caulking & debris. Acetone, razor blades, a wire brush on the drill, and lots of elbow grease. While Wil used the old glass as a template to cut the new glass, I cleaned out the debris.

Prepping the area for the new glass involves priming the window and the new glass, placing a special double-sided sticky tape, and taping around the windows. Next, we set the glass in the window to make sure it properly fits. We use small rubber spacers to help position the glass to its exact spot. Once we’re sure the glass has been cut to its correct size, we put the caulking in, peel the tape, and stick the window. Sounds easy enough!

For the most part, putting in new windows, hatches, and ports has gone smoothly. Occasionally, there’s an “Oh you know what” drill. Like forgetting to peel the tape before placing the window on the caulking and wondering why the glass is sliding instead of sticking in place! That is a moment when we have to move quickly to prevent a horrible mess and a total re-do. When we first started doing this, tension would run high when a mistake was made. Yesterday, there were a couple of times when things didn’t go according to plan. We calmly, quietly, and even jokingly, worked our way through the mistake and made it right. Perfect team work!

new port glass

new starboard glass

beautiful new glass! salon doors next?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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iPad provisioning

Posted on March 10, 2012 by Jenny

 

provisioning with the iPad

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Provisioning with my trusty iPad. I never knew how much I’d come to love the iPad for use onboard the boat. The iStorage app has been a great way to help keep track of item locations. In addition to provisioning, the iPad has also come in handy for navigation, note taking, scheduling, and checking the radar, along with the many other common uses. Once, Wil was onboard installing the refrigeration compressors, and I couldn’t be there. We used the iPad & iPhone to do a Facetime call, so he could show me some of the wiring.

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time is relative

Posted on March 7, 2012 by Jenny

hiking in the NC mountains ~ January 2012

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As the days rapidly disappear behind us, and our deadline quickly approaches, my mind races with the many things left to do. Every spare moment, when I’m not teaching school, I’m selling on craigslist, selling on ebay, adding to the donation pile, and packing away memories. At the same time, I’m remembering all of the boat things we need to get done . . . order trampolines, mosquito netting, and electronics, get a documentation plaque made, carry another load to the boat, and the list goes on.

Once the holidays were behind us, we knew we would be kicking it into high gear, especially for the last few months before departure. And “in high gear” is exactly where we stand, or shall I say running! We are tackling everything head on, and the rest of life has gone on autopilot.

Last night during dinner, I stopped and took a good look at both of the kids. I wondered what was going through their minds with all of this craziness, so I asked them. Both of their responses indicated that two and a half months seemed like a long time away. That answer surprised me because I feel like it’s so little time, especially since it’s been 12 years in the making. I was instantly reminded about just how relative time is with respect to a person’s age!

My next question for them was how they felt about all of the changes taking place. Colin’s instant response was, “Blue, blue, blue!” He can’t wait to see clear, beautiful, blue water and gorgeous waterfalls, as well as catch huge fish . . . images he’s been seeing in all of our friends’ cruising photos. He’s ready to get cruising asap! Justine’s response was a little tougher to gauge, as she tends to be more quiet and speaks with fewer words. However, I did manage to get a little more information out of her eventually. She said that she was already used to living on the boat. That it’s not like we own the place where we’ve been staying, and we already moved out of our house. She said she’s ready to go, but time is moving too slowly.

We can definitely count on our kids to keep us in perspective and realize what’s important. At the end of our dinner conversation, I apologized to the kids in advance for any neglect they might feel over the next few months. Wil reminded them that we may not have a lot of time to spend together right now, but in less than 3 months, they weren’t going to be able to get rid of us! We all laughed, but we are all truly looking forward to spending 24/7 with each other. As with every family, we will have our moments, but we love our family, and all love being together.

In the meantime, today is a beautiful day, so we’re going to take the afternoon off to go play with some friends on the baseball field & tennis courts. We all need a little time to relax & have fun.

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one auto gone, one to go

Posted on March 4, 2012 by Jenny

1980 Toyota Landcruiser BJ40

One vehicle sold! One vehicle to go!

This past Friday evening, we said good-bye to one of our favorite possessions, a 1980 Toyota Landcruiser BJ40 that Wil imported from New Zealand several years ago. Wil has always loved tinkering with Toyota Landcruisers. However, now it’s time to spend all tinkering onboard the boat! My car is scheduled to go on the market during the first week of May. Then, my fingers are crossed that I’ll be able to borrow my mother-in-law’s van for a few weeks for all those last minute provisions. Hmmm . . . guess I’d better check with her first!

With new money in hand, we will now be able to pay for the possibility of farrow blasting the bottom of our boat. As she has been sitting on the hard for the past two and a half years, there are places in the bottom paint that are chipping and flaking all the way off. We sanded the bottom once, but it looks like we might need to bite the bullet, completely strip her, and start from scratch. Final bottom paint decisions are quickly approaching, such as which type of paint do we use, ablative or hard? As well as, what color do we want? Time’s a ticking!

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diesel leak

Posted on March 2, 2012 by Jenny

90 degree pipe leading to starboard diesel tank

 

 

 

Wil removing the hose & pipe

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For about the past month, we have been dealing with a diesel leak. . . . Oh, I am using the word we! Wil would say, “Do you have a mouse in your pocket? What do you mean we?” Let me correct this, Wil has been dealing with a diesel leak.

the culprit

By process of elimination between two possible locations, he determined which connection had the leak. The culprit was a 90 degree, gray PVC-like pipe that was being used to make the final turn towards the tank. Wil tightened the hose clamp at this point many times to try to stop the dripping. However, it only worsened. After much frustration, and many diesel cleanups in the bilge, he finally decided it was time to remove the guilty hose and pipe.

As usual, nothing is as simple as it seems. At this point in time, our tanks are completely filled to the rim, and then some. There was actually diesel fuel sitting in the hose that needed to be removed. Probably one contribution to the leaky scenario!

The first step was to remove about 15-18 gallons of fuel from the tank. As with most boats, space is very limited, and we were unable to place anything next to the tank to catch that much fuel. After much brainstorming, we connected a hose to the tank’s exit valve, and ran the hose through the thru-hull to jerry jugs on the ground outside the boat. Next we crossed our fingers that the valve wouldn’t break off when it was opened to drain the fuel. (We have other valves that are in pretty rotten shape and will be replaced when we empty our tanks for cleaning . . . a post for the near future!)

We were in luck! The fuel drained without a hitch. Although, while I was outside guiding the hose from the thru-hull to the jerry jugs, the neighboring boat owner jokingly claimed that I looked like I was pilfering fuel! Once the fuel was out, Wil was able to remove the hose and pipe. The reason for the leak was revealed . . . the end of the 90 was “crunched” out of shape.

The old 90 will be replaced with a new 90 made of polypropylene. From what we understand, it can’t be crunched and it will tolerate diesel fuel.

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having some fun

Posted on February 29, 2012 by Jenny

I would like to get to know our readers. Wil says he wouldn’t participate in a poll like this himself, but I think they’re fun. Therefore, this is a little test to see how much participation we get. Hope to hear from you!

How much boating do you do (or have you done)?

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beautiful things

Posted on February 27, 2012 by Jenny

a beautiful bilge pump

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

While we have cruising friends who are snapping gorgeous photos of mouthwatering food and swan dives from their boat, I thought I’d try my hand at photography with a project on my fun list!

This past weekend, I crawled into the port engine room to assess the bilge pump situation. Our thoughts were correct, it doesn’t work. And neither does the one in the starboard engine room. The engine rooms are two spots where we definitely don’t want any water on the inside. We have 2 new bilge pumps on hand, but they are only 750 gph pumps. The pump pictured is 1100 gph. However, we would prefer an even higher flow rate. Depending on what existing wires & hoses are present, we would like to put SHURflo 1500 gph bilge pumps in the engines rooms. They’ll be placed at the lowest point with an automatic float switch right next to each one. That way, we hopefully will never have more than 1/2-inch of water near the engines.

Since our time is so quickly counting down, our projects have become “divide & conquer”. The wiring & connecting of the new pumps have been placed in my department. It is a good thing that only one of us will do the job, because Wil & I have memories of a wedding anniversary spent together trying to wire a bilge pump on our first boat. (Won’t go into details there!) My fingers are crossed that it will be an easier project this time around . . . knock wood!

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99 days

Posted on February 22, 2012 by Jenny

Celebrating 99 days to go! 99 days until Wil’s last day of work. 99 days until the end of this phase in our lives. 99 days until a totally new phase begins. Exciting & scary all at the same time.

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to post or not to post . . . the full monty!

Posted on February 21, 2012 by Jenny

To post, or not to post, that is the question: Whether ’tis nobler in the mind to not let my readers suffer the pains of too much detail, Or to take arms against their thoughts And by opposing post it anyway.

The following post is one that I have wrestled with whether to post, or not. It’s extremely wordy, but it was fun to write. It gives a lot of detail on what a typical week might be when we’re working on the boat. I’ve tried to shorten it, but then I feel it loses something. So, for what it’s worth . . . get yourself a cup of tea (or a beer), get comfy, and have a read.

main salon windows

prepping for the new glass

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

protection from falling debris

 

Just like John Grogan in the movie, “Marley & Me”, I’ve decided to try to “list” how life was on the boat during our Thanksgiving holiday. There’s always so much that doesn’t get mentioned, so maybe this will touch on a few more things. Maybe too much!

Starting Friday night at about 9:30 pm . . . Arrive to boat. Plug in power. Found ice on deck. Ice too heavy for bimini. Fabric stretched. Turn on heaters. Unload entire truck (cab & bed), Wil at truck, Colin on boat transom, Justine at top of stairs, Jenny in cockpit. Like assembly line. Find night clothes. Get ready for bed. Drive to bathroom. Drive back to boat. Boat warmed to 42 degrees. Crawl in bed. See breath. Try to stop shivering. Fall asleep.

Saturday . . . Wake up with full bladder. Too cold to exit covers. Rush from covers to shoes. Drive to bathroom. Back to boat. 20+ birds at top of mast. Bang stays. Swing boom. Birds fly away. It’s a poop deck! Wil still in bed with iPad. Reading Cruisers Forum. Pour bowl of granola. Make coffee. Check email. Sun starts to warm boat. Extra jacket comes off. Slippers come off. Fingers warm enough to put contacts in eyes. Get dressed. Place new microwave in galley. Colin wakes up. Eats a doughnut. Justine reading in bed. Unpack clothes for the week. Colin goes to play with boat friend. Wil takes out salon windows. Jenny labels, records, and stows food. Justine gives up book for doughnuts. Colin & friend return. Salon seat cushions on floor. Food provisions piled on tables, floors, and seats. Bed sheet hanging from open salon window. Wil cleaning out old caulk. Black caulk pieces falling everywhere. Three kids squished together in one small space. Fellow boat mom shows up. Invites Justine & Jenny for a “Breaking Dawn” matinee. Continue placing new provisions. Wil puts coat of paint on generator pieces. Most of generator still in back of truck. Wil measures and cuts new glass. Wil looks tarred and feathered. Ride bike to bathroom. Wil brings cheeseburgers & fries from corner store. Yummy & yuck! Still putting away provisions. Help Wil cover open salon windows. Get ready for movies. Reschedule movie trip. Justine & Jenny go for a long bike ride. Go to West Marine. Colin brings boat friend’s younger sister. Eat at Panera Bread. Take little boat friend to her family at their friend’s house. Quick drop off turns into longer, fun visit. Bring oldest sibling back to her boat. Drive to bathroom. Chat with friends. Return to boat. It’s 11 pm.

Sunday . . . Repeat morning routine. Colin’s friend shows up at 7:30 am. Friend waits for Colin to wake up. Little sister shows up to wait for Colin too. Wil paints another generator coat. Colin wakes up. Happy to see friends. Goes to play. Man tells Wil about big black bear in parking lot last night. Jenny returns to stowing provisions. Wil returns to salon window project. Wil hears man fall from his boat. Help man. Wait for ambulance. Return to work. Wil places tape & new caulk. Jenny primes window & places spacers. Jenny on top of salon. Wil at bottom. Together stick new window. Beautifully done! Ten minutes to get cleaned up. Girls’ go to movies. Boys go for pizza & visit with Grandma. Meet back at boat. Drive to bathroom. Return to boat. Get ready for bed.

Monday . . . Wake up earlier. Repeat morning routine. Write blog about man who fell. Make room on tables for school books. Kids up for school. Kids don’t want to do school. Wil starts prepping next big salon window. Colin takes history test. Justine studies for history test. Kids schooling in salon. Jenny on deck with Wil. Administer school help through open salon window. Finish placing last big salon window. Colin finishes school. Goes to play with friends. Justine finishes school. Kid boat friends stay over while parents go to town. Rig mast halyard, block & tackle system, and Toyota Landcruiser for process of hauling generator aboard. Justine videos the scene. Beautifully done! Learned from past mistakes. Coil all lines and put everything away. Cook dinner for six. Overcooked quinoa & wild rice in pressure cooker. Served mush like prison food. Kid friends go home. Hook up TV. Watch Terra Nova. Drive to bathroom. Back to boat. Off to bed.

Tuesday . . . Last day of school before Thanksgiving. Colin has cold. Wil has cold. Wil works on generator. Wil removes wood frames for next window replacement. Jenny covers bunks with old sheet. Colin finishes math test. Jenny helps Justine study for geography test. Justine glad school finally over. Jenny & Justine peel paper and tape off new windows. The reveal is beautiful! Help Wil place small triangle windows. One window not sticking. Wil forgot to peel tape backing. Pull window up. Caulky mess! Move quickly to prevent a “re-do”. Get tape peeled & window back on. Hearts can slow down. We can breathe. Clean deck. Jenny & Justine go to Food Lion for Thanksgiving supplies. At grocery checkout. Colin phones. He’s locked out of boat. Wil at showers. Drop food at Grandma’s. New mattress sitting at Grandma’s. Load truck. Rush back to boat. Wil & Colin watching TV. Grrrr. Prepare dinner. Eat dinner. Place new mattress in our bunk. MUCH better! Repeat bedtime routine. Colin miserably sick. Falls asleep at 8:30 pm.

Wednesday . . . Happy to have day off school. Colin & Wil still feel bad. Cancel bonfire dinner plans. Boat work a blur of projects. Go to Grandma’s to make pumpkin & pecan pies. Justine helps. Get Wil from boat. Eat dinner at Grandma’s. Return to boat for bed.

Thursday . . . Relaxing morning. Morning showers. Drop Justine off at bathrooms. Deliver pumpkin pie to friends’ boat. Return to boat. Justine not there. Go look for Justine at bathrooms. Can’t find Justine. Hear tap on truck window. Justine hiding in bed of truck. Remainder of day spent relaxing & celebrating an awesome Thanksgiving Day with family.

Saturday . . . Wil gets up first. Jenny too tired to get up. Check email from bed. Wil goes to West Marine & marine salvage store. Colin wakes up. Crawls in bed with Mom. Get up and serve leftover pancakes. Jenny drinks coffee & works on next blog post. Colin watches YouTube videos. Justine reads. Wil phones. Friends from Raleigh are dropping by in a couple of hours. Ride bike to shower. Return to boat. Take Justine’s bedding off. Justine helps. Put memory foam mattress on Justine’s bed. Remake her bunk. Hatch cover guys come aboard. Take hatch numbers & dimensions. Tidy boat. Do dishes. Colin plays with his homemade blow dart. Justine reads. Friends show up. Great visit. Friends leave. Grandma & Pete show up. They take Colin to a shooting range. Wil, Justine & Jenny ride bikes to ship’s store for candy & a drink. Relax at store. Make bathroom stop. Ride bikes back to boat. Wil sets up hose and bucket of water. Jenny tries to start port engine. Doesn’t start. Wil re-attaches spade terminal from relay switch. Engine starts. Run for 30 minutes. Water circulating, but engine getting hot. Pour in anti-freeze and turn engine off. Project for later. Engine ran, so check fresh water tank for hot water. No hot water. Have to keep doing dishes in ice cold water. Project for later. Wil gets water bucket ready for starboard engine. Finds all battery cables disconnected from starter. Someone didn’t complete job they were paid to do. Re-attach cables. Chase birds away. Justine falling down on her job. Starboard engine starts. We cheer. Run engine for 30 minutes. Jenny works on blog. Starboard throttle doesn’t stay in place. Wil keeps pushing throttle forward. Keep checking water level in bucket. Discover port engine leaked antifreeze. Simple fix. Whew! Jenny goes to store for chocolate, marshmallows, and beer. Go to a bonfire dinner. GREAT fun! Return to boatyard. Drive to bathrooms. Justine’s friend sleeps over.

Sunday . . . Usual morning. Add laundry collection. Start the packing process. Serve 3 kids breakfast. Wil scrubs deck & window covers. Colin practices guitar. Girls play online fashion game. Water sprays in open hatches. Add to blog. Go back to packing & cleaning. Wil still scrubbing deck. Load truck. Depart the boatyard for a week of paid work.

Don’t know about you . . . but I’m exhausted just reading that!

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out the door

Posted on February 15, 2012 by Jenny

Things are quickly moving out the door! Yesterday, I took 52 lbs of sailing books to the post office. The day before, there were 4 boxes of things that sold on ebay. This morning, as I typed the title to this post, Wil phoned to say he has someone who wants to buy anything we’re selling. The person just bought a house and needs to furnish it. Wow! Just like that . . . our entertainment center, TV, and anything else we don’t need right now . . . going out the door! It’s so liberating!

half of the sailing books

the other half of the sailing books

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