Well, we’ve had our boat for a week now and we’ve already learned that owning a sailboat is HARDWORK. We’ve been working very long days. The good news is that we are becoming very familiar with our boat’s systems. The bad news is that every time we fix something, we discover two more things that require maintenance in the process. We were testing the hot water heater, when our fresh water pump failed. We cleaned out the anchor chain locker only to find that the windlass and raw water wash down pump weren’t working. Thus, our to-do list is growing faster than we can cross items off.
I was really hoping to have our to-do list knocked out before we start cruising, so we can spend our time diving and drinking cocktails with mini umbrellas in the cockpit. But I’m quickly learning that a large amount of our time living aboard will be spent fixing things. We just need to prioritize projects and make sure we also make time for fun and cocktails in the cockpit (and mini umbrellas). We (Rob) did manage to get our dinghy cleaned up and on the davits. We have a vehicle!
In addition to boat repairs, operation cushion update is in full swing. I’ve been staying home working on the cushions, while the pups lounge around. Honestly, if I knew sewing new cushions would be so difficult, I don’t think I would have accepted the task. I could sew pillows for days, but cushions are back breaking! Not to mention, I’m using sunbrella fabric which is very sturdy and thus, very rigid. It’s been frustrating and very time consuming, but I’m making progress. I’ve finished the bottom salon cushions (no joke…I opened a bottle of champagne after reaching this milestone, because I felt so accomplished)–so I’m half way done! I hope to complete the job next week. Jaela, who is terrified of the sewing machine, will be just as relieved as me to get this project behind us.
Our first week of ownership wasn’t only spent fixing and breaking things. As our dock neighbor likes to say, we also “took the boat out for a walk.” Our new home currently resides in slip C2 in the Regatta Pointe Marina. The marina is great and we are really looking forward to living there full time. However, our slip is in a very difficult location. We are the first boat on the dock and are parked next to a large concrete wall to leeward (aka…The Concrete Wall of Death). This means we can only back in and pull out in one direction. As you can imagine, concrete + boat = no bueno! It’s like having your driver’s permit and trying to parallel park a 40 foot truck next to a river of lava.
As you can imagine, we aren’t comfortable enough yet to take the boat out on our own. So when Rob’s dad flew into town last Friday, we jumped at the chance of taking the boat out with his help. The weekend was beautiful and the shakedown sail went really well. We practiced some man over board drills and we saw 7 knot speeds while under sail in mild winds. The boat sails like a dream. We fell in love.
She’s a great boat that has just been a little neglected. The next couple of months will be hard work as we get her back in shape. But she is our new home and like all other home projects…it will be so worth it in the end.
This is so cool. My husband and I are planning to live out of a van with our dog. So I totally get it and am super jealous that were not ready yet. Looking forward to reading more!!
Thanks Rayna! We were sad to leave Colorado (we love the mountains), but this will be an amazing adventure. We wouldn’t be doing it if we couldn’t bring our dogs along.
Having two dogs on board will give real meaning to the term poop deck. Sorry, my dogs make such a mess in the back yard. I couldn’t help think of this pun.