Well, here we are. A couple of years ago we decided to buy a bluewater sailboat and sail wherever we want. We had a plan. A five year plan. We still do, it's just changed a bit. Originally we were going to spend five years learning about sailboats and trying them out during various vacations to decide 'the perfect' boat for us. Surprise, surprise! We found an older boat almost right away. It's a long story that most of you have heard us tell. Maybe one day we will post about it. Fast forward to now - August 2021.
We've had the boat out on 'the hard' in the boatyard, working on removing 25 years of old bottom paint plus converting her over to 100% electric!
We are totally committed to 'splashing' (getting this boat in the water) by October this year so we don't have to pay for another year on the hard. Plus, since the boatyard we are in is likely going to be sold soon, we aren't even sure we would be allowed to stay another year doing our own work.
We have been learning SO MUCH!! I never thought I would be OK using power tools, and now I'm not quite a pro with a random orbital sander. John is brilliantly figuring out all the bits and bobs that go into converting the old diesel out to the new batteries and motors. He worries a lot about it which is how I know that he will get it just right for us. Candidly, the very hardest part of this adventure so far has been living apart so much when he is in Maryland and I'm in Utah. We try really hard to make sure we don't go more than a few weeks apart, but sometimes that doesn't work so well. But we are making it! True confession, one of my coping mechanisms was to wheedle agreement into getting a sweet little dog. Meet Patches!
I'm out in Maryland with him this week and next. My big goal is getting the bottom paint done!! I really hope we can. At this point we have sanded down to the fiberglass and sometimes further (oops!! my bad!!), made tons and tons of repairs, sanded again, repaired again, inspected, repaired, sanded, inspected . . . . If the weather holds out this weekend, the paint will go on!
That's her there on the left!
We've had the boat out on 'the hard' in the boatyard, working on removing 25 years of old bottom paint plus converting her over to 100% electric!
We are totally committed to 'splashing' (getting this boat in the water) by October this year so we don't have to pay for another year on the hard. Plus, since the boatyard we are in is likely going to be sold soon, we aren't even sure we would be allowed to stay another year doing our own work.
We have been learning SO MUCH!! I never thought I would be OK using power tools, and now I'm not quite a pro with a random orbital sander. John is brilliantly figuring out all the bits and bobs that go into converting the old diesel out to the new batteries and motors. He worries a lot about it which is how I know that he will get it just right for us. Candidly, the very hardest part of this adventure so far has been living apart so much when he is in Maryland and I'm in Utah. We try really hard to make sure we don't go more than a few weeks apart, but sometimes that doesn't work so well. But we are making it! True confession, one of my coping mechanisms was to wheedle agreement into getting a sweet little dog. Meet Patches!
I'm out in Maryland with him this week and next. My big goal is getting the bottom paint done!! I really hope we can. At this point we have sanded down to the fiberglass and sometimes further (oops!! my bad!!), made tons and tons of repairs, sanded again, repaired again, inspected, repaired, sanded, inspected . . . . If the weather holds out this weekend, the paint will go on!
That's her there on the left!
Congrats on the start of your blog! I can't wait to see her in the water and where you'll go from here.
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