The Kiddo Update

My two are back at their hobby of archery, which is good to see as the amount of time on the computer was getting a bit ridiculous, for SB at least (NJ is still a great reader). When his father told him that he needed to spend more time outside, SB got an extension cord and a blanket, took his laptop out with him, and set up shop under a tree. That's my literal child. Choose your words carefully, as he will frequently follow the letter of the law, if not the intent.



The Not-My-Two are also doing well and are very cute. I do enjoy getting a peek at them from time to time.

The Ducks

Since we've been down in Seattle, I've been missing my harbor seal. He's always been the lowest maintenance pet ever. He swims by. I wave. That's the extent of our interaction and it's worked well for both of us.

As I was sitting on my bed (because the salon is in such a state of disrepair), typing away on the laptop, I glanced out my window to see Mama Duck napping with her babies tucked underneath her.



Last week there were 8 ducklings; this week there are only 5. I got them some bread and dropped it out the porthole. Apparently it's not scary for ducks to get really close to a food source if they can't see the person dropping the food. They came right up to the boat, ate their fill, and are now napping again with all the babies tucked under Mama's wing.



Me? I'm off to sand, varnish, and clean up the jobsite a bit.

White Carpet No More

Anybody else think this was a particularly boneheaded idea?



While I'm sure it was beautiful for about three weeks after installation, it's always bugged me that they chose white carpets for a boat interior. Hello? Were you planning on USING the boat at all? I'm sure it was very expensive; the quality is quite good. But with the oil that was on the decks, it's far from what I would call "practical." Traffic areas? Yeah, pretty much all traffic in a 90 square foot salon goes over the same route. Again. And again. And again. I've lived onboard two years now. It's at the point where steaming the carpets clean doesn't even touch them.



Enter the Next Project. Man oh man, she will be a complete knockout when we're done with this one. I'll save the details for the post in which I can unveil the new salon flooring.

Which should be soon, given that Brock works me like a slave. To be fair, he drives himself much harder than he ever makes me work. And Katherine Jane is showing all the benefits of having a hard-working master directing her maintenance. Go, us!

Don't Forget The Bronze Portholes!

I started with this:



And got to this:

While it's by no means finished, I think it's a good improvement in the bling factor of the boat.

Bit o' Brightwork

Been working on my varnish skills and decided to go after the satin finish on the flying bridge wheel. It's shiny now and quite pretty. I took the windshield out as well and gave the wood another coat of varnish. It's all covered through the winter, so everything stays in fairly good condition.

I've been learning quite a bit about what works and what doesn't with varnish (as with all lessons, I seem to have to learn them the hard way). It's about time for me to read Rebecca again to see what I glean from her books now that I have a little more experience under my belt.

I swear, this boat will cure me of my "lazy" trait. I've always held that "lazy" and "efficient" are opposite sides of the same coin, but it's arguable that I occasionally tend toward the negative end of that spectrum when it comes to projects. This boat is the first endeavor I've had in which "good enough" really isn't. Perhaps my perception of what constitutes "good enough" has changed and the bar is set a bit higher. And so I'm learn to curb my impatience and desire for instant gratification. To actually spend time on surface prep.

And it does pay off. She's looking better and better all the time. Many projects to share with you over the next few weeks. This is how summers are spent onboard...

Tall Ships

Spent a rainy afternoon in Tacoma last weekend for the Tall Ship Festival

Interior of Bounty which was used in filming "Mutiny on the Bounty" years ago.

Lady Washington, of course. She's just lovely.

We enjoyed all the boats, right up until the moment we were standing on Bounty and B got a call that one of his boats was having some minor trouble and off we went to save the day. It was an abbreviated visit, but still worth poking around and looking.

No More Leaky Decks!

At least that's the idea. Apparently, KJ's seams have been an issue for a long time, as it was one of the first things ABC asked me about when I put her back in their bareboat fleet. Poor Natalie and I have had both had drips on our heads in the night, especially during a rain after a dry spell. Not my most favorite way to wake up. In fact, it's one of the few times I curse at my darling boat.

So having Captain B by my side to guide me, we began the process of ripping out the seams, pounding fresh cotton in (they haven't used oakum in this boat), and recaulking her. Somewhere along the line, I got the idea that it was a terribly difficult and expensive job. Really, it's not that hard, just laborious and time-consuming. And I still have more time than money, so off we go.


And as always, I leave the precision work to the captain. She'll be nice and tight again soon!