Boat – Another Adventure

New Dodger & Enclosure

Jill — Sat, 11 Feb 2023 10:00:27 +0000

I have been getting a lot of comments and questions on our New Dodger & Enclosure. So, I thought it would be easiest to showcase it here. I put together a short video of the process. It’s nothing fancy and not too interesting but for those interested in it it is short and sweet. Link at bottom of the post. Dodger Dave helped me redesign the dodger frame. We got lucky and only had to order a few parts to adjust the height. We wanted to add height so that we could see someone standing at the bow of the boat. The old dodger was very short in height and you either had to look over it or bend down to see someone at the bow. Each window zips out completely, but the center window can be snapped to the top inside of the dodger. Enclosure The enclosure is something I have wanted to make for our boat since we bought it. It is nice to have during a squall underway or sitting at anchor to keep the cockpit dry. We have tested it out already and like it. There is still some tweaking that needs to be done to it yet. The front two windows stay in place all the time and the other two panels on each side zip out completely. They can all be removed if we need to take all the canvas down, but otherwise the front two stay in place. Next, I connected the dodger and solar frame (our bimini) with fabric. I did this to make it all one unit and again keep us dry when it rains. Last, I also put fabric above our heads right behind the end of the solar panels. I did this for shade while we are underway and for rain. We get a lot of sun exposure here so this helps a lot. We are still floating around the Bahamas waiting on the weather to get to The Raggeds for a week or so before sailing to Puerto Rico with a good weather window. In the meantime, we are busy working on boat projects and getting together with other cruisers. Dave has been working quite a bit as well. It’s great to be back in some beautiful water like our trip to the Dry Tortugas last year. Cheers, Jill

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Celebration, Loss, Projects and Sailing again

Jill — Thu, 19 Jan 2023 10:00:25 +0000

Celebrations, Loss, Projects, and Sailing again It has been a while since I have written on the blog. A lot has happened, so let me start from the beginning of where we left off. We sailed to the Dry Tortugas National Park and then north up the east coast of Florida to our hurricane spot for the season. Shortly after getting settled in it was time for a trip home. Our twin nieces graduated high school, it was fabulous to fly home and be a part of the celebration. Such amazing ladies that I know are going to do great things in life. We can’t wait to see and watch the future. Then life changed….. Summer Our family went through a tough summer, Shortly after arriving home from graduation. We found out Dave’s Dad was diagnosed with aggressive cancer. Dave and I decided it was best to tie the boat down and head north to be with him and the family and help in any capacity we could. We had the most flexibility and we were there within a few days. So, now we enter the tough phase…But let’s step back for a moment. From the moment I met Daves’s Dad Charles, we had a connection, a special bond. The first Christmas we both got the same books for Christmas and just got along instantly. We just got along joked and laughed. I can remember Dave and Linda working late during one of the extended stays we had their working on the R.V. The two of us sitting in the living room watching T.V. and chatting and cutting up. He had such a love to laugh. He would tell stories and laugh so hard that one time I thought he was going to tip his chair over. I can still see him laughing now. My best memory and how I think of him often. Honestly, that is how I will remember him…Laughing and smiling. He thought of me as a daughter and I thought of him as a father. He will be deeply missed in this family. Boat Heading back to the boat was hard. We also had a lot on our plate with the boat to get her ready to sail south which was our original plan and decided we would stick with it. We were working hard on projects. One of my big projects was redesigning and sewing a new dodger. Next, I designed and sewed an enclosure, Dave installed a new muffler, exhaust hose, new membranes in the water maker, and many other things I won’t list here as the list is too long. We ended the year with my Granny turning 100 years old. Pretty amazing unfortunately we couldn’t be there to celebrate with her. Then on New Year’s Day, my Pa turned 102! What a year for the two of them. So thankful that they are still doing so well. With all of this going on I have also been deciding where I want this blog to go. Everyone tells stories about their sailing lifestyle. The more I think about it, the more I realize that isn’t me or there is more to it for me. I have gotten into cooking traditionally and living healthy (not that we lived super unhealthy). But, I have done a lot of research and changed our lifestyle a lot. Sharing that here excites me. I am doing almost everything from scratch like sourdough, fermentation, kombucha, ginger beer, etc. Plus, there are things I am wanting to try beet kvass, kefir, more with sourdough, and so much more. The best part is I am doing all of this on our boat. Yep, you heard what I said I am doing this on a boat. A sailboat to be exact means a small galley(kitchen) and little convenience. So, if this interest you please join me on another adventure. We will still have our sailing adventures too but more to it than just beautiful beaches. And if you have dogs, more to come on them and this lifestyle as well. I AM BACK AND EXCITED! Stay tuned! Cheers, Jill

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Whistle while you work, Whistle while you work!

Jill — Fri, 10 Aug 2018 09:30:54 +0000

Well, we haven’t necessarily been whistling while we work but we have been working our butts off! We are working on getting our boat ready for her first big trip. Stay tuned for more information on that in an upcoming post. So, in order for that, we are trying to complete a list of items that need to be done prior to pushing off. It is a decent list but we are knocking things off at a steady pace. I will have separate posts on some of the bigger projects we have been working on soon. On top of projects, I am trying to continue organizing and getting things onto the boat from the trailer. I know it seems like I have been working on this for a long time. Well, I have. But, I am also doing it while working on other projects, working part-time, and fighting the heat. It is taking longer than I thought or hoped. Hopefully, I can cross that off my list soon. Items from trailer I have gone through all of our household items and put away those that we want on the boat. Now, I am working on our bins of boat stuff that we have been collecting since we decided to buy a sailboat. There are a lot more things than I thought. Always the case isn’t it? Happy to say I am making a lot of headway on those bins, only a bit more to go. Organizing So far I have reorganized the cabinets I think 3 times and there is probably another organization coming. As I bring new things aboard something no longer works in its current spot. There is also the “I have lived with it here for several weeks and it just doesn’t work here” situation. So, I am trying to find the perfect spot for everything which is a task, to say the least. Whistle while you work, whistle while you work! Anyway back to our projects. Some of the projects we have been able to cross off are installing a new radar (which involved my first trip up the mast), installing our aft and forward arches, cleaning out the bilges, new lifeline netting, new lifeline, and there are probably more things I can’t seem to remember right now. I have included a little clip of pictures I have been taking while we have been doing these projects. In Other News We sold the plane! Yes, you read that right we sold the plane in about a month of it going up for sale. This is WAY faster than we ever thought it would sell. We are super sad to see it go but better for it to get flown than sitting in a hanger. Well, lots left to do, Have a great weekend, Jill

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