Hi All,
You may have heard about Tropical Storm Bill that made landfall on the Texas coast yesterday. Fortunately it came ashore about 150 miles southwest of us. We had no real wind to speak of but had and are still getting a fair amount of rain. Over the last couple of days both Susan and I have received multiple texts and phone calls checking on us. Thank all of you for your concern. The nice thing about being in a boat when there is a lot of rain is as the water rises, so does the boat.
Just a side note, we have insurance but any damage done by a National Weather Service "named" storm has a higher deductible.
It's only Wednesday but we've still accomplished a fair bit so far this week. Monday we took our inflatable dinghy to Triad Marine to have them find and fix a slow leak. We've tried twice to find it with no luck so we decided to let them do it. Unfortunately they are saying it will take two weeks as they are backed up. We also removed the leaky water pump for our generator and took it in to have it rebuilt.
Tuesday we got the water pump back and today it is back on. The generator is hard to start and it only has 283 hours on it so I spent a fair bit of time today trouble shooting it with the help of my friend Jim over the phone. Still haven't solved the hard starting problem but it's all back together and running with no leaks, water or fuel.
Tuesday evening we had a visitor from the east. Jay, a good friend of ours from Baltimore, by way of Richmond, was in town on business. We had a nice time showing him our boat and having dinner at one of the local hangouts. Jay has sailed most if not all of his life. We hope to have him and his wife Carol on our boat at some point during our travels.
Our evenings have been spent mostly with me on the internet researching some task or ordering parts while Susan is sewing and sewing. The new canvas winch covers are just about done but more importantly the zipper in mosquito netting for the companion way is ready once we find an appropriate length of chain to be used for weight.
Tomorrow my brother and sister-in-law are arriving for a visit. Hopefully the rain will stop long enough for us to take them out for a sail.
Take care.
Brian
Wednesday, June 17, 2015
Sunday, June 14, 2015
Retirement is not for the lazy
How did I ever get anything done when I had a job? Not that I'm getting near enough done every day now.
Since my last post a lot has happened. I left an HDS office for the last time. Boy did that seem strange.
Susan and I made a trip to Green Bay for one of Susan's friend's wedding. It was nice to meet more of Susan's friends.
We had denaming and renaming ceremony for our boat.
Which also incorporated a Bon Voyage party for our friends Ted and Claire who left out on Sunday. We hope to catch up with them soon.
Sunday, just after noon, Another Life cast off the lines and headed for it's big adventure. It was both exciting and scary. Hopefully not too long from now we'll be doing the same thing.
Our friends Jeff and Heather were here for the weekend festivities. They brought us a nice bottle of wine for our boat naming gift. We enjoyed it later in the week with a steak dinner. It was all yummy. Thanks for the pairing recommendation Jeff!
Also during the last couple of weeks we got our jib back with its new sacrificial canvas. I was doing some learning before putting the sail back up and managed to drop a critical part over the side. I called our rigger and had him come out to look at it and he proceeded to drop another critical part over the side. He ordered the parts we needed, expedited, and left his screwdriver as collateral and a placeholder.
The Saturday Jeff and Heather were here the rigger came out with the parts, installed them and helped us get the jib up. We were then able to take Jeff and Heather out into Galveston Bay but the serious lack of wind and with only the jib, the new mainsail is due June 26, we had a brief moment where we hit 2.8 kts but most of the time struggled to make 2. It didn't make for exciting sailing. But Jeff got to smoke a cigar, on a sailboat, on Galveston Bay.
Since then we have torn down and done maintenance on one of our winches that had a broken piece. This was the first (and only) maintenance task that has gone without a single hitch. Thank you youtube. We also replaced a solenoid / anti-siphon breaker for one of the heads that was running a bit.
For a few days this past week our friend Michael was here visiting. We didn't really treat him much like a guest, mostly doing normal day to day stuff though we did take a day off and do the tour at the Johnson Space Center. Pretty cool stuff there. Working for a few hours every day we also got the AIS installed and working. One last thing to do is mount the dedicated GPS antennae for the AIS. It appears to work mounted inside so I may stay with that rather than drilling holes in the boat. Something about putting holes in your boat just doesn't seem right.
Oh, two more things. Replaced a breaker for the aft air conditioner with an appropriately sized one. This has unfortunately only moved the problem. I'll have to delve into that one some more. I also had to add a new breaker to the panel so I can individually power the AIS.
See, I told you this retirement stuff isn't for the lazy. Just writing about it has made me tired.
That's all for now.
Brian
Since my last post a lot has happened. I left an HDS office for the last time. Boy did that seem strange.
Susan and I made a trip to Green Bay for one of Susan's friend's wedding. It was nice to meet more of Susan's friends.
We had denaming and renaming ceremony for our boat.
Which also incorporated a Bon Voyage party for our friends Ted and Claire who left out on Sunday. We hope to catch up with them soon.
Sunday, just after noon, Another Life cast off the lines and headed for it's big adventure. It was both exciting and scary. Hopefully not too long from now we'll be doing the same thing.
Our friends Jeff and Heather were here for the weekend festivities. They brought us a nice bottle of wine for our boat naming gift. We enjoyed it later in the week with a steak dinner. It was all yummy. Thanks for the pairing recommendation Jeff!
Also during the last couple of weeks we got our jib back with its new sacrificial canvas. I was doing some learning before putting the sail back up and managed to drop a critical part over the side. I called our rigger and had him come out to look at it and he proceeded to drop another critical part over the side. He ordered the parts we needed, expedited, and left his screwdriver as collateral and a placeholder.
The Saturday Jeff and Heather were here the rigger came out with the parts, installed them and helped us get the jib up. We were then able to take Jeff and Heather out into Galveston Bay but the serious lack of wind and with only the jib, the new mainsail is due June 26, we had a brief moment where we hit 2.8 kts but most of the time struggled to make 2. It didn't make for exciting sailing. But Jeff got to smoke a cigar, on a sailboat, on Galveston Bay.
Since then we have torn down and done maintenance on one of our winches that had a broken piece. This was the first (and only) maintenance task that has gone without a single hitch. Thank you youtube. We also replaced a solenoid / anti-siphon breaker for one of the heads that was running a bit.
For a few days this past week our friend Michael was here visiting. We didn't really treat him much like a guest, mostly doing normal day to day stuff though we did take a day off and do the tour at the Johnson Space Center. Pretty cool stuff there. Working for a few hours every day we also got the AIS installed and working. One last thing to do is mount the dedicated GPS antennae for the AIS. It appears to work mounted inside so I may stay with that rather than drilling holes in the boat. Something about putting holes in your boat just doesn't seem right.
Oh, two more things. Replaced a breaker for the aft air conditioner with an appropriately sized one. This has unfortunately only moved the problem. I'll have to delve into that one some more. I also had to add a new breaker to the panel so I can individually power the AIS.
See, I told you this retirement stuff isn't for the lazy. Just writing about it has made me tired.
That's all for now.
Brian
Friday, May 22, 2015
She made it!
Susan made it to Texas! Tuesday of this week she drove from Atlanta to the marina in just over 12 hours. She didn't make it all the way to the boat before a party broke out on the pier. Who needs dinner when there are good friends, good drinks and good munchies? For the first couple of days the boat has looked like a bomb went off as Susan is trying to find a place for all the stuff. As I suspected (and she commented on in the last post) she's trying to sink us. There is an ever growing pile of stuff that isn't staying. Thank goodness. :-)
Sails and more sails. We noticed that the jib (sail in front of the mast) was looking a bit worn. Actually not the sail but the sacrificial canvas that is sewn around the edges to protect the sail from sun's UV rays when it is rolled up. Our neighbor Ted from Another Life came over and helped me take the sail down this past weekend so I could take it to a sail maker to get it repaired, which I did on Monday morning. There was also a spot on the mainsail that didn't look right that I wanted a professional to look at. As luck would have it the sail maker was going to be at our marina on Tuesday and he said he'd stop by and look at it. A quick look and he showed me the sail had a small tear in it. A small tear but one that was in a section of the sail that had been damaged by exposure to the sun. So now we have a new mainsail on order. Five weeks! We hoped to be out of here before then. But looking at the bright side, when we leave our sails will be in good shape and we won't have to worry about them.
AIS MMSI M-O-U-S-E! Not Mickey Mouse at all, really. Automatic Identification System (AIS) is kind of like the beacon planes use so they can be identified. AIS is voluntary for us but an important safety tool. It transmits over VHF information like our position, the vessel's name, heading and speed. AIS on commercial ships broadcast even more information. With AIS we'll see on our chart plotter all boats and ships within several miles that are transmitting AIS. And they will see us. On a clear day, no big deal. At night or when it's foggy it is nice to see and be seen. Because the vessel's name is displayed it allows for another to call you on the radio by name rather than to say, "hey, you, on that sailboat over there. What are your intentions when you reach the end of the channel?"
To make AIS work, you need a Maritime Mobile Service Identity (MMSI) number. You can get a free MMSI for a recreational vessel of less than 65 feet as long as you don't intend to sail outside the US. Since our intention is to sail outside the US I had to get a radio license from the FCC and an MMSI as part of that license. This is not free and I thought it might take quite some time to acquire said license. Thanks to Ted again he pointed me at how to apply online. I submitted the application, along with a $215 payment on Sunday night. Tuesday morning I had my license and MMSI number in an email. Not bad!
So our AIS transceiver is on order and on its way. Now I just have to figure out how to get it installed properly. If you'd like, just for fun, you can go to www.marinetraffic.com and drill down any place in the world (near land) and see who has AIS, what kind of boat they are and where they are.
Sorry to those of you that want more pictures than words. I'll try to get some pictures soon.
Sails and more sails. We noticed that the jib (sail in front of the mast) was looking a bit worn. Actually not the sail but the sacrificial canvas that is sewn around the edges to protect the sail from sun's UV rays when it is rolled up. Our neighbor Ted from Another Life came over and helped me take the sail down this past weekend so I could take it to a sail maker to get it repaired, which I did on Monday morning. There was also a spot on the mainsail that didn't look right that I wanted a professional to look at. As luck would have it the sail maker was going to be at our marina on Tuesday and he said he'd stop by and look at it. A quick look and he showed me the sail had a small tear in it. A small tear but one that was in a section of the sail that had been damaged by exposure to the sun. So now we have a new mainsail on order. Five weeks! We hoped to be out of here before then. But looking at the bright side, when we leave our sails will be in good shape and we won't have to worry about them.
AIS MMSI M-O-U-S-E! Not Mickey Mouse at all, really. Automatic Identification System (AIS) is kind of like the beacon planes use so they can be identified. AIS is voluntary for us but an important safety tool. It transmits over VHF information like our position, the vessel's name, heading and speed. AIS on commercial ships broadcast even more information. With AIS we'll see on our chart plotter all boats and ships within several miles that are transmitting AIS. And they will see us. On a clear day, no big deal. At night or when it's foggy it is nice to see and be seen. Because the vessel's name is displayed it allows for another to call you on the radio by name rather than to say, "hey, you, on that sailboat over there. What are your intentions when you reach the end of the channel?"
To make AIS work, you need a Maritime Mobile Service Identity (MMSI) number. You can get a free MMSI for a recreational vessel of less than 65 feet as long as you don't intend to sail outside the US. Since our intention is to sail outside the US I had to get a radio license from the FCC and an MMSI as part of that license. This is not free and I thought it might take quite some time to acquire said license. Thanks to Ted again he pointed me at how to apply online. I submitted the application, along with a $215 payment on Sunday night. Tuesday morning I had my license and MMSI number in an email. Not bad!
So our AIS transceiver is on order and on its way. Now I just have to figure out how to get it installed properly. If you'd like, just for fun, you can go to www.marinetraffic.com and drill down any place in the world (near land) and see who has AIS, what kind of boat they are and where they are.
Sorry to those of you that want more pictures than words. I'll try to get some pictures soon.
Wednesday, May 13, 2015
Another Step
Well,
he did it. Brian tendered his resignation to HDS this morning after 35
years with the company. His initial reaction was shock and fear,
understandably, but now- as he tells more and more colleagues- he sounds
positively gleeful. His smile is blinding. They have told him that
his last official day will be 5/29, but know his head may not quite be
in the game these last few weeks. Seriously. Congratulations, Brian.
You can now join the ranks of the unemployed!!
I
have a few loose ends I need to tie up at the house and then will be
making my last trip from Georgia (driving) in the next week or so. Brian is afraid I will bring so much junk it will sink the boat and he may be right! We still have some time to “shake down” and get everything stowed before we leave Since
the first leg of our voyage will be along the Gulf coast toward
Florida, we will have ample opportunity to get anything we have
overlooked. This is all getting very REAL and we are both very, very excited. And scared out of our minds. What a roller coaster of emotions!
Susan
Friday, May 8, 2015
Getting Close
Ok, so it’s been a while since we posted anything, but that’s because Brian has been in South Africa, and I have been trying to close my practice (after 25 years), sell or give away a BUNCH of junk (boy does it feel good to do THAT!), and think about moving to the boat. Post to the blog? Didn’t seem to be very high on the list. Sorry!Brian was fortunate enough to have his son, Cody, wife Abby, and their 2 kids come spend a few nights on the boat with him before he left for South Africa. Unfortunately, he was so busy with work that they weren't able to go out sailing, but at least they got to spend some time aboard. Maybe next time we will both be "at leisure" and can show the kids how it's done!
Time is drawing nigh for Brian to be resigning from HDS after 35 years (who works for the same company for 35 years anymore? Especially in IT?). If it works out anything like my “termination” it’s really unsettling, to say the least. I am quite ready to take some time off, not have to run a business anymore, and relax a little from the constant stress of patient complaints and liability issues, but the lack of income has my attention!! And I really feel un-moored, to coin a nautical term. I’ve gotten up before dawn and gone to work every day for my entire adult life and old habits die hard. I’m sure iI’ll feel better when I finally get to Texas and we get underway.We still have a long list of stuff that needs to be fixed/bought for the boat- AIS (gives us the ability to see and be seen by other marine traffic), SSB (single side band radio for offshore communication), and adding a water maker are the big ticket items, but there is a bunch of smaller stuff that needs our attention as well. We were able to fix a water fixture at the stern that was broken and another thru-hull drain fitting that was leaking (thanks to Bill Cheezum for discovering it!!). Once again we learned a few things by doing the repairs ourselves- and it only took 3 trips to Blackburn's supply and 2 to West Marine. Hopefully once I get down there for good, with more than just a day or 2 at our disposal, we’ll be able to tackle those other things. I’m still hoping to be able to cast off the docklines by early June, but I’m such an optimist. :)All for now. Things will get more exciting shortly- I promise! Stay tuned.Susan
Friday, April 10, 2015
Two Weeks Aboard
After two weeks of living aboard I'd have to say... I like it!
The highlight of those two weeks had to be last weekend when Terry and Teri came to spend Easter weekend and their 28th wedding anniversary with us. We had a great time and I think they did also. We got to go out and sail for a couple of hours and had some pretty good wind. To my surprise Teri never screamed once and that's even through Susan having the boat healed well over in a 20 mph wind. Besides the sailing we had several good meals, a stroll around the Kemah Boardwalk and some fun entertainment watching boats dock at Outriggers, a bar / restaurant in Seabrook. We also hoisted the Texas flag for the first time.
I would be remiss if I didn't mention the alligator that watched us having a drink Friday evening while we sat on the boat in the slip. From the picture you'll see it wasn't very big but it was big enough nobody was interested in a swim.
As far as boat stuff goes, taking the boat out with Terry and Teri was the first time it had been out since the rigger had done some work. The sails and furlers worked flawlessly, they were much easier to operate than they had been.
This past week I bought a new anchor along with 225 feet of chain and 100 feet of rode (rope). We had done a fair amount of research and decided we wanted a heavier anchor (55lb Rocna) and at least 200 feet of chain. We're pretty much set with the anchor setup now but still need to upgrade the shackle as it is definitely the weakest link.
The last two times we've been out there has been water making its way into the boat. It only happens when we're underway. This past week I stopped by to see Paul, our broker, and he gave me an idea of what it could be. Later that afternoon he came by the boat and sure enough, we found a through hull drain that was loose. I haven't fixed it yet but will before we take it out again.
That's it for now. Fair winds.
Brian
The highlight of those two weeks had to be last weekend when Terry and Teri came to spend Easter weekend and their 28th wedding anniversary with us. We had a great time and I think they did also. We got to go out and sail for a couple of hours and had some pretty good wind. To my surprise Teri never screamed once and that's even through Susan having the boat healed well over in a 20 mph wind. Besides the sailing we had several good meals, a stroll around the Kemah Boardwalk and some fun entertainment watching boats dock at Outriggers, a bar / restaurant in Seabrook. We also hoisted the Texas flag for the first time.
I would be remiss if I didn't mention the alligator that watched us having a drink Friday evening while we sat on the boat in the slip. From the picture you'll see it wasn't very big but it was big enough nobody was interested in a swim.
As far as boat stuff goes, taking the boat out with Terry and Teri was the first time it had been out since the rigger had done some work. The sails and furlers worked flawlessly, they were much easier to operate than they had been.
This past week I bought a new anchor along with 225 feet of chain and 100 feet of rode (rope). We had done a fair amount of research and decided we wanted a heavier anchor (55lb Rocna) and at least 200 feet of chain. We're pretty much set with the anchor setup now but still need to upgrade the shackle as it is definitely the weakest link.
The last two times we've been out there has been water making its way into the boat. It only happens when we're underway. This past week I stopped by to see Paul, our broker, and he gave me an idea of what it could be. Later that afternoon he came by the boat and sure enough, we found a through hull drain that was loose. I haven't fixed it yet but will before we take it out again.
That's it for now. Fair winds.
Brian
Sunday, March 29, 2015
I live on a boat!
Hi all,
There isn't much interesting to talk about this week. At least not interesting from a sailing perspective but it's pretty exciting from my perspective. I am now officially living on a boat! This weekend we sold and gave away furniture, moved stuff here and there and late Saturday night we got to the boat, my new home. Thanks so much to Susan for all she did, she did far more than I did.
There is stuff strewn everywhere at the moment but now things can get done every day instead of just on weekends. The only real boat related thing that happened today was I had to dash around and put the screens in the hatches to stem the tide of mosquitoes that showed up as the sun went down.
A bit of catch up from the last post, the rigger spent the day on the boat Friday and fixed the problem we had with the roller furling mainsail, he lubed the furlers, installed a spare halyard and tuned the standing rigging. Unfortunately getting things organized today kept us from going out and testing everything but hopefully next weekend we'll be able to take her out when our friends T and Teri are here. The wind was up pretty high today, should have made for some pretty fast sailing if we could have gone out.
Once settled in I might well be posting updates on a more frequent basis.
Take care.
Brian
There isn't much interesting to talk about this week. At least not interesting from a sailing perspective but it's pretty exciting from my perspective. I am now officially living on a boat! This weekend we sold and gave away furniture, moved stuff here and there and late Saturday night we got to the boat, my new home. Thanks so much to Susan for all she did, she did far more than I did.
There is stuff strewn everywhere at the moment but now things can get done every day instead of just on weekends. The only real boat related thing that happened today was I had to dash around and put the screens in the hatches to stem the tide of mosquitoes that showed up as the sun went down.
A bit of catch up from the last post, the rigger spent the day on the boat Friday and fixed the problem we had with the roller furling mainsail, he lubed the furlers, installed a spare halyard and tuned the standing rigging. Unfortunately getting things organized today kept us from going out and testing everything but hopefully next weekend we'll be able to take her out when our friends T and Teri are here. The wind was up pretty high today, should have made for some pretty fast sailing if we could have gone out.
Once settled in I might well be posting updates on a more frequent basis.
Take care.
Brian
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)