Day 26: what's THAT SMELL

I kind of wish I had pictures for you- but I'm also glad you missed the green, waxy ooze Tyler and I cleaned out of the bilge ( bottom- non- livable space in a boat).  

Boats sit in water- water seeps in through any tiny space and collects in the bilge and all boats have 1-4-? Bilge pumps to move the water back out to the water when it gets to a certain level.   Until that time, or when water is somehow collecting in a space that doesn't drain directly to the bilge, things grow in the water.  Not cute tide pool things.  Yucky nasty grossness. 

Let's just say it's clean now- now need to worry about something attacking your home in the night any time soon. Blech. 

Day 27: Gratitude

There are many small things I am thankful for.  Here is a quick list:

My son

My husband

The ocean

Clorox wipes

Wifi

Turquoise skies

Dingies

Gekos

Sand

Morning coffee

Quiet mornings

Chocolate

No alarm clocks

Day 25: Why yes, that IS a drive-in church

This one speaks for itself.

 

 

Day 24: untitled

For a brief moment today, Cyrus was the captain of our dingy- "Chompy."  He learned to use the throttle and steer- which he took to quite happily.  For now, he is content with going a pretty slow speed... But he is a male Walton- so I will enjoy his caution while it lasts.

Boat fixing continues: install a battery charger, change a seacock, start to clean the bilge-blech!, trace out the shower sump pump... Hmmm.. I thought we SOLD our house.

The wind was fairly strong as well- which brings me to a point about living aboard a boat- about 1/2 of what you do all day is planned and the other 1/2 is reaction to what is going on immediately.  I will illustrate, (at 4:30 after a day's work) "Hey- what's that constant awful banging noise? Oh- that's coming from the lines smacking the mast.... We should probably fix that.."

Day 23: The pooper

We motored and sailed to our first septic clean out today!  #livingthedream

Seriously though, it's not bad having to sail to do chores. 

Then we were treated to this:

Not a bad way to end the day.

 
 
 

Day 22: ups and downs

Forgive the late posts as we are still figuring out the wifi/phone situation. 

Although we are not technically 'traveling' as of yet, the extreme highs and lows of each day remind both Tyler and I of our traveling days: ie- riding literally elbow to elbow with 1 gagillion people on a train for 6 hours to Marakesh and then having one of the best dinners of your life that evening. 

And today; Perhaps not as exotic, but equally as dynamic: no bathrooms in the morning and finding out that the ceiling leaks in 4 places (thanks downpour), followed by a lovely dingy ride for cocktails.

And discovering crabbies on the way home. 

Truthfully, it doesn't take an adventure to have such extreme highs and lows, maybe we just experience them more clearly and appreciate more when we are out of our routines.  

Here's to hoping we continue to experience and appreciate both.
 

 
 

Day 21: Settling in

Forgive the underpants and unpacking mess- included are pics of our living room and galley- and iced tea the size of Cy's head.

 

 

 

 
 

 

Day 20: We're Home!

We moved on to our boat today! She's in the water and all of our things are on board.

It is a lot like living in a floating dorm room that has an engine.  I have to say the roommate situation is a lot better than when I lived in a dorm though!  

It almost didn't happen.. Again... Just when we were moving the boat to the water, the sky opened up and poured. The guys moving the boat worried that their boss might make them stop if there was lightning.  We had a long, tense moment as the boat went in the water and Tyler checked the stuffing box for leaks.  The rain continued and Cyrus, Zander and I hid (soaking wet) in the rental car while Tyler went over the boat in detail. Eventually the rain stopped and we were able to all get onboard and start unpacking.

Cyrus made a wonderful analogy as he realized that he's never lived in a home other than our home in CO, "it's like getting new shoes and at first you're like, gee- these sure feel weird- but then you get used to them."  Such a great kid. 
 

Day 19: Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow

With a little luck, the boat will be in the boat...you guessed it...tomorrow! 
We have been negotiating issues with the dingy outboard and trying to wax and buff the hull of the boat.  With some luck, we will be in the water and moved in this time tomorrow.  I feel like we've been saying this for a week...we have...but this time I mean it.
Tyler, Cyrus and I are all very anxious to truly live aboard and move on with the bigger task of learning to sail our home.


Hermit crab friends at the marina

Day 18: More technical difficulties!

The screen on my iPhone has become possessed- the bottom portion of the screen is not functioning at all and the colors are psychedelic... this is making taking and posting pictures and blogs more difficult...boo.
Fingers crossed- the boat will go in the water tomorrow.  The stuffing box replacement is complete and we are 3/4 finished deep cleaning the interior and buffing the exterior.  We purchased new kitchen items, towels, storage containers and misc. items today and hope to fully move aboard our boat and begin to make it our own!

Amazing moon over the ocean tonight

Day 17: Wheels!

jellyfish!

A good dingy is a very important part of living aboard a sailboat.  The dingy allows you to moor (anchor) the boat (without having to pull up to a dock and pay a fee) and then travel to land to buy groceries, sightsee, etc.
Our boat came with an older dingy, but we decided that having very reliable transportation was essential- so we purchased a new dingy. 

Trying it out was quite an experience- we have no pictures because Tyler and I were both convinced that we would capsize and dump everything in the water.  We did NOT capsize, however, we did almost beach the dingy on a field of (boat-shredding) sharp oyster shells, and the motor quit half way home- so we (Tyler) had to row us back to the boat launch.  I guess you could say that we tried out all the capabilities of the dingy on the first voyage...  So much to learn!

Cyrus is hunting for hermit crabs

Day 16: what's wrong with this picture?

 This is a fuel pump.  

Fuel pumps are not designed with sand inside them.

This may be part of the reason the outboard on the dingy wouldn't run well.

Thank goodness Tyler is a "bad-s" with tools and mechanical systems.

Day 15: Boat Paint

Boat paint is awful, nasty, caustic stuff. Tyler spent the day painting the bottom of our boat and with a little luck, we will be able to move aboard by Thursday evening.  

 
 

 

 

Day 14: Barnacles

Cyrus, Zander and I spent some time at the Lighthouse Point dog beach this morning: field research for a barnacles project.  Did you know:  barnacles are crustaceans (related to crabs and lobsters), barnacles have the largest penises in the animal kingdom (this fact is not a part of Cyrus' power point project), the brown adhesive they secrete in order to attach themselves to a hard surface is being researched by the dental industry for it's adhesive properties, the barnacles pictured below are called acorn barnacles.

Day 13: Nighttime crab hunting

I don't read a great deal of poetry.  Tyler and I have two books of poems that we love: The Rag and Bone Shop of the Heart and The Soul is Here for it's Own Joy (both of these books made it on the boat by the way).  Neither of those anthologies have many (if any) poems about the ocean.  I am sure there are several anthologies of poems and prose about the ocean, however.  Walking along the beach with Cyrus, Tyler and Zander tonight, I completely understand why.  I wanted to write something poetic and moving about the ocean in the blog tonight.  Somehow the ocean is completely different at night.  It is magical and terrifying at the same time.  I will not subject you to amateur poetry at this time...
Our crab hunt was a failure as a crab hunt- it was an amazing conclusion to the day though.  Zander (on the beach illegally- but who's going to notice on a Sunday night?) was in doggie heaven- able to run off of his leash and chase random birds, Cyrus was in kid heaven- sprinting through the tide and making sand angels, and Tyler and I were in our happy place- walking in the moonlight with a glass of wine.  We could all get used to this.  I could handle doing this until it becomes mundane.

Sand Angel

Day 12: Gettin Smurfy

Tyler is now sanding the bottom of the boat in preparation for repainting.  This is not a difficult job, but it is also not an easy job. 

This is what the bottom of our boat looked like after being power washed.  This is pretty typical of a boat that has been in salt water and has not had much bottom maintenance since 2008. The patches - called blisters are formed by osmosis through the gel coat (top) layer of paint.  Water gets in and forms a bubble because the water combines with other chemicals and cannot get out.  These areas have to be sanded, and epoxy must be applied before painting occurs. 

This is what Tyler did all day today.  The sander had to be connected to a vacuum because bottom paint for a boat is made to prevent things from growing/living on the bottom of the boat- so possibly, it is not good to breathe in tiny boat paint particles.  As an additional precaution and humidity fashion statement, Tyler also wore a pretty gnarley face mask.

Paint dust still went everywhere, resulting in what we'll call the 'Smurfing' of Tyler.  That blue color on his face was also on his arms, legs and feet.

Tyler has 3/4 of the boat sanded.  I know  things don't look incredibly different at this point- but that side sure is smoother!

Tyler has been working his arse off- he deserved a poolside nap. Notice his hand still in the 'holding a beer' position. 

 
 

 
 

 

 

Day 11: Cyrus and the Ocean

  In the midst of all of this turmoil- driving around Florida to find a boat, the logistics of moving our home from location to location, the difficulties of fixing the boat, routine out the window- the ocean has been a calm constant. Our daily visits to the ocean are therapeutic for the entire family, but the ocean is something very special for Cyrus.

  When Cyrus was three, we drove from San Francisco to Mendocino and introduced Cyrus to the Pacific. Within 30 seconds of seeing the ocean, Cyrus was half naked with a giant smile on his face, chasing the waves.  The utter joy and abandon we saw in Cyrus four years ago was repeated in San Diego, Rockport and again in Florida.  Cyrus is in his element in the ocean.  As a Virgo- an earth sign- maybe he is drawn to the ocean.  When I see him in the surf, I can't help but think if all else fails, at least we brought Cyrus to his bliss. He will be a professional surfer (doctor/human rights lawyer) - I'm sure of it.

at 3- Mendocino

 

at 4- San Diego

at 6- Rockport

at 7- Ft. Lauderdale

Day 10: The boat is out if the water

Although the boat and all the work that goes with it has our direct attention, or hearts are heavy for all the flooding in Colorado.  We hope everyone there stays safe and the rains end soon.

Cyrus and I also took a trip to the Ponce de Leon lighthouse today.  It was built in 1887, and is entirely made of brick! Very cool stairs:).

 

 
 

Day 9: Bridge!

We had to motor our boat to the Seven Seas boatyard today- which is approximately 10 miles north of New Smyrna Beach in Port Orange.  Besides simply making it up the ICW without running into a sandbar, the highlight of the trip was making our first bridge call- which sounded something like this, "George Musson bridge George Musson bridge, this is .....(squeak- pause.. Tyler is waving is arms mouthing turn off the other radio) um.. Sailboat Mirage," "sailboat Mirage this is George Musson bridge over," "we are requesting...(another small pause- To go through? To go under? For you to open?) ... Passage through the bridge (no kidding)."  (I swear I heard a hint of amusement in the bridge controller's voice) "The bridge will be raising in approximately 9 minutes over," "copy that, thank you," ( for not laughing at me over the radio). 

Have to admit- it was kinda cool to hold up traffic- I hope no one was in a real hurry. :)

 
 
 
 
 

Day 8: Learning curve? How about learning WALL!

Before I begin, I'd just like everyone to know that we do NOT have mice in our current little bungalow space. At 6:00am today, Tyler announced to me that there were mice underneath the wicker drawers and they were getting into the beach bag.  This prompted a whole series of actions: my insistence that we purchase clorox wipes and I hand clean the floor, my asking the housekeeper to get some mouse traps- which prompted some strange looks and my being completely creeped out most of the morning. Then, this afternoon, we discovered that the little scratchy sounds coming from the beach bag were coming from this shell:

Actually- from the hermit crab that lives in this shell- whom we shall now call Hermie.  Apparently Hermie was not pleased that we transplanted him to a beach bag and was trying to make his way back to the ocean.  We have now returned him to a more appropriate environment....although I was kind of liking the idea of having a Hermie on the boat.

I return to the learning wall:

Back in Denver, the most common question that followed, "What are you guys going to do?" was, "Have you and Tyler sailed before?" or sometimes more of a statement: "Oh- so you and Tyler have sailing experience." 

The answer to that question/assumption is yes AND no:

Honestly- Tyler has some sailing experience. He sailed smaller boats as a teenager and in his early 20s.  He has operated both power and sail boats in not-so-easy conditions: in the Navesink and Shrewsbury rivers in New Jersey and off the coast of Florida.

I have no sailing experience.  This is not really a problem, however, just like when I started to teach Mariachi, there will be mistakes and messy moments on the way to amazingness. I'm okay with that and so is Tyler.  

Sailing experience is not really the issue when you are purchasing a sailboat, needing to motor it to a boat yard, haul it out of the water, survey, paint and fix it and then move aboard with (an awesome) 7-year-old and a dog within the next 5-7 days.   Tyler and I both vacillate between utter panic, being totally overwhelmed and knowing that all will be well...

Speaking of utter panic, remember when you were 15 and just had your learner's permit to drive?  And maybe, if you're like me, you talked your parents into letting you drive yourself to clarinet sectional rehearsal only to be stopped by a police officer within 30 seconds and then drive, crying, horrified and shaking back home.  

Well, in that same hopeless-newbie spirit, we went on a short family motor in our new boat today.  We decided to travel the same path up the Intracoastal Waterway that we had taken with Bonnie and Brian on Saturday.  We thought we would simply motor a while, practice anchoring, grill some food, and then head home. Somehow, when you are completely on your own in your boat for the first time, the clouds look more ominous, the current is stronger, the waterway becomes filled with sandbars and the engine sounds different. Tyler kept saying things like, "If we lose the engine, we're going to drift into a sandbar and have to get a tow," and, "I really hope that storm blows over."  I didn't want to move an inch out of the channel because, of course, we had no suitable charts on board and our collective recollection of Saturday's route was not as clear as we had thought.  So we headed back to the dock after about 30 minutes- and then came the moment of sheer terror.  It wasn't the weather, or a shark, or Zander going overboard (he was on his first boat ride today).  We had to dock the boat in the narrowest slip in the United States.  Yes it was the same slip we left earlier...yes we knew it was coming....yes we almost smashed our boat and/or the boat in the next slip....and no, I can't- even after almost 3 years of Crossfit- hold a 10,400 lb boat off a dock.  It was like slow motion parallel parking a space shuttle.

Nothing was smashed though. The boat is great- and we had reality handed to us.  Learning wall indeed.

Zander on board

No matter what happens, evening beach time makes everything ok.

Day 7- technical difficulties

Well- I tried to get my post in yesterday, but wireless said no and I couldn't get the page to load on my phone- BUT! I found an app this morning that I'm trying out right now.looks like it's working!