We're not going to be on the boat this weekend and it's sad. The boat is out of the water getting the bottom painted and it isn't going to be back in the water until Monday so there is no reason for us to go to Kemah. It feels strange to not be heading to the boat this afternoon.
This week besides contacting the guy to paint the bottom and getting that all set up we did some online shopping. The first thing we bought was a new remote control mic for the VHF radio. I think I mentioned this in my previous post about the mic not working. The new one arrived this week. I ordered a bosun's chair for Susan. The bosun's chair is how someone will be hoisted to the top of the mast. There is a reason I said I ordered this for Susan. Anyone that knows me knows you won't find me at the top of a mast 63 feet above the water.
Also on order and soon to be delivered are Explorer Charts for the Bahamas. Everyone we have talked to has told us these are the best charts for the Bahamas. There are many things sailing related where you can start a conversation and then step back and watch the fur fly, "what's the best anchor?" is one of those. When it comes to charts for the Bahamas, everyone agrees on the Explorer Charts.
In the "ouch" department. There is a brand new 50 foot Beneteau across the pier from us. It's a real pretty boat but one of the things you notice right away is there is no mast. We were talking to a guy that is in the slip next to it and he said they were just delivering it and the mast wouldn't fit under the 73 foot bridge (SH-146 across the Clear Lake Channel). They had to remove the mast and are having it cut down so it will fit. I don't even want to think about how much that cost.
One thing we've noticed right away is how friendly other boaters are at the marina. We've already met several people. It's like how you fondly remember the "old days" when everyone in the neighborhood knew everyone else. Meeting and talking to new people is part of the adventure and one we're looking forward to experiencing.
Here we sit, landlocked, for the weekend.
Brian
Friday, January 23, 2015
Sunday, January 18, 2015
Our First Visitors
We just spent our second weekend on the boat. The second weekend had some firsts. We had our first visitors, Allen and Karen came over and spent the afternoon and early evening with us. We took our first trip with me at the helm and we got stuck in the mud for the first time. Oops. It was also the first time we've been on the boat and the weather was nice. It was fantastic actually.
When we left last weekend we set off some bug foggers below deck because we had seen signs of some roaches here and there. Those with germophobia may want to skip this part. It is relatively well known amongst sailors that you should never bring cardboard on to a boat. The reason for this is that roaches like cardboard as a food source, a place to hide and a place to lay eggs. When you bring cardboard on to a boat you risk bringing these pests aboard as well. Obviously the previous owner didn't get that memo. Last weekend we rid the boat of all the cardboard below deck and then set off the foggers as we left. Saturday morning started off with loading all the dishes, glasses, silverware and cooking utensils into a plastic container so I could bring them home and wash them. Same with a few of the many My Liberty embroidered towels.
Before Allen and Karen got there Susan and I ran some errands and stopped at Jackie's Brickhouse for lunch. We can't speak to anything else but after two trips we highly recommend their catfish, hamburgers, onion strings (rings) and sweet potato fries.
After showing Allen and Karen around the boat and chatting for a while Allen suggested we take her out. We thought that was a marvelous idea! We cast off the lines and made it out of our slip and on our way out to Galveston Bay without hitting a thing, not even the dock. The channel winds around quite a bit and then passes right by the Kemah Boardwalk before getting to the bay. Galveston Bay is actually pretty shallow, not much more than 9 or 10 feet in the small part we've been to so far. It was already a bit late in the afternoon so we basically motored out to the bay and then turned around and headed back in, never raising the sails. It was our first time taking her out by ourselves so I was good with just an easy practice run like this.
From beginning to end we were out around two hours. On the way back, more than half way back to the marina, we were motoring along in the channel and we started losing speed and then came to a stop. Stuck in the mud. I was in the channel but close to one side rather than in the middle. Won't make that mistake again. Late afternoon on Saturday there is quite a bit of boat traffic, helped by the first nice weather in several weeks. The sailboat that was following us in must have recognized our problem so he sped up so that when he passed us he put up a bit of a wake that theoretically would raise our boat and allow us to get unstuck. It didn't work but I was able to back up enough to get unstuck and then make it into the middle of the channel and carry on. My Liberty / Good Morning Vietnam draws 5' 6" of water. I was in a dredged channel and got stuck. In all likelihood I could have gotten out and walked to the marina but that seems like such bad form.
We made it back with no other incidents, even docked that huge thing without a bump or a scrape. All that without using the bow thruster. It was a good confidence booster to get in and out without any significant problems. Now I just must remain humble, not get cocky and remember part of the reason it went so well was because we took it slow and easy. Get back to the dock when you still have plenty of daylight and don't try to show off by flying in to your slip. Words to live by. We finished up the day with dinner with Allen and Karen and then wished them good night and many thanks for being our first visitors.
After breakfast on Sunday we went to West Marine to shop for a few things. Susan ended up at the rigging counter with the guy there showing her how to make a "soft shackle" out of plastic rope. It was educational and the guy gave us some ideas on anchors and chain as well,. The remote mic at the helm for the VHF radio stopped working during our sea trial. It worked when we started out but stopped working by the time we we're heading back to the dock. This morning I did a little trouble shooting and determined it was indeed the mic rather than the wiring. West Marine didn't have the mic I needed so in looking online tonight I found it on Amazon for $20 less than ordering it online from West Marine. Most things are less expensive other places but sometimes I'm going to be willing to pay a bit more to get their expertise and experience that comes along with their products.
The morning was over too soon and we had to get on the road back to Dallas to get Susan to her flight. This weekend was so much more enjoyable. The nice weather helped a lot but it was also fun to share our boat with friends. On the drive back to Dallas we worked up our To Do list. This thing only gets longer. No matter how much we get done, there are always more things to do.
That's it for now.
Brian
When we left last weekend we set off some bug foggers below deck because we had seen signs of some roaches here and there. Those with germophobia may want to skip this part. It is relatively well known amongst sailors that you should never bring cardboard on to a boat. The reason for this is that roaches like cardboard as a food source, a place to hide and a place to lay eggs. When you bring cardboard on to a boat you risk bringing these pests aboard as well. Obviously the previous owner didn't get that memo. Last weekend we rid the boat of all the cardboard below deck and then set off the foggers as we left. Saturday morning started off with loading all the dishes, glasses, silverware and cooking utensils into a plastic container so I could bring them home and wash them. Same with a few of the many My Liberty embroidered towels.
Before Allen and Karen got there Susan and I ran some errands and stopped at Jackie's Brickhouse for lunch. We can't speak to anything else but after two trips we highly recommend their catfish, hamburgers, onion strings (rings) and sweet potato fries.
After showing Allen and Karen around the boat and chatting for a while Allen suggested we take her out. We thought that was a marvelous idea! We cast off the lines and made it out of our slip and on our way out to Galveston Bay without hitting a thing, not even the dock. The channel winds around quite a bit and then passes right by the Kemah Boardwalk before getting to the bay. Galveston Bay is actually pretty shallow, not much more than 9 or 10 feet in the small part we've been to so far. It was already a bit late in the afternoon so we basically motored out to the bay and then turned around and headed back in, never raising the sails. It was our first time taking her out by ourselves so I was good with just an easy practice run like this.
From beginning to end we were out around two hours. On the way back, more than half way back to the marina, we were motoring along in the channel and we started losing speed and then came to a stop. Stuck in the mud. I was in the channel but close to one side rather than in the middle. Won't make that mistake again. Late afternoon on Saturday there is quite a bit of boat traffic, helped by the first nice weather in several weeks. The sailboat that was following us in must have recognized our problem so he sped up so that when he passed us he put up a bit of a wake that theoretically would raise our boat and allow us to get unstuck. It didn't work but I was able to back up enough to get unstuck and then make it into the middle of the channel and carry on. My Liberty / Good Morning Vietnam draws 5' 6" of water. I was in a dredged channel and got stuck. In all likelihood I could have gotten out and walked to the marina but that seems like such bad form.
We made it back with no other incidents, even docked that huge thing without a bump or a scrape. All that without using the bow thruster. It was a good confidence booster to get in and out without any significant problems. Now I just must remain humble, not get cocky and remember part of the reason it went so well was because we took it slow and easy. Get back to the dock when you still have plenty of daylight and don't try to show off by flying in to your slip. Words to live by. We finished up the day with dinner with Allen and Karen and then wished them good night and many thanks for being our first visitors.
After breakfast on Sunday we went to West Marine to shop for a few things. Susan ended up at the rigging counter with the guy there showing her how to make a "soft shackle" out of plastic rope. It was educational and the guy gave us some ideas on anchors and chain as well,. The remote mic at the helm for the VHF radio stopped working during our sea trial. It worked when we started out but stopped working by the time we we're heading back to the dock. This morning I did a little trouble shooting and determined it was indeed the mic rather than the wiring. West Marine didn't have the mic I needed so in looking online tonight I found it on Amazon for $20 less than ordering it online from West Marine. Most things are less expensive other places but sometimes I'm going to be willing to pay a bit more to get their expertise and experience that comes along with their products.
The morning was over too soon and we had to get on the road back to Dallas to get Susan to her flight. This weekend was so much more enjoyable. The nice weather helped a lot but it was also fun to share our boat with friends. On the drive back to Dallas we worked up our To Do list. This thing only gets longer. No matter how much we get done, there are always more things to do.
That's it for now.
Brian
Sunday, January 11, 2015
We did it!
We signed our life away and are the proud owners of a sailboat. It was / is very exciting! I must admit it is a bit surreal as well. Word is the two happiest days of a boat owner's life are the day they buy the boat and the day they sell it. I think there is going to be a lot of fantastic days in-between.
We closed on Friday afternoon, which was really just a formality as we had already wired the money. It didn't take much longer than 30 minutes but as every other time we were with Paul, our broker, we had a ton of questions for him. Paul and his wife used to live in Frisco. They sold everything, bought a sailboat and went cruising for a couple of years. They're back in Texas now, still living on their boat and Paul is brokering boats. He is a wealth of knowledge and we feel very lucky to have accidentally stumbled on him.
After closing we spent a few minutes at the marina office signing paperwork and spending more money to keep the boat in the same slip it has been in for the last couple of years.
The weather in Houston / Kemah was awful this weekend so it's a good thing our plans were mostly to spend time below deck doing an inventory of what all was on the boat. We made it about half way through the nooks and crannies when we broke for a nice dinner and a bottle of wine to celebrate.
Saturday was "Battery Day". It's the first time I can remember buying three batteries in one day. That was on three different trips to two different stores. Blame me for trying to squeeze the biggest battery we could get into the space. Third time was a charm and we finally got the right size. You may recall we got all new batteries as part of the deal since all were dead when we did the survey. The owner was required to replace like for like and the starter battery was a different type (flooded, like most car batteries) than the house batteries (AGM). It's "OK" to mix those two types but it is recommended to have them all the same so we bought a new AGM starter battery. Whoever buys my Four Winns will get the new flooded battery and I'll be taking the old back to West Marine for the core on the AGM.
Saturday evening Susan and I drove over to have dinner with some people I had been emailing with over the last month or so. Ralph and Beverly are in Texas for the winter and will be heading to the Bahamas in the spring. Seems backwards and I think they've decided it is, they won't be wintering in Texas again. We had a nice dinner but I suspect they felt like they had been interrogated under a bare light bulb by the secret police by the time we left them. Every time we get a few answers, we think of more questions.
Sunday we spent some time strolling around West Marine while it rained cats and dogs outside. Eventually we went back to the boat and finished our inventory. Anyone interested in a LSU flag? Or some life jackets? Every time we turn around we find more life jackets. We are easily over 20 at this point. Just after noon we packed up and left so I could get Susan back to DFW in time to catch her flight to Atlanta. It pretty much rained all weekend, the entire drive back and Susan just landed and texted that it is raining there too. Somehow I have a feeling none of this is falling anywhere near Cedar Creek though.
Sorry I didn't get this out earlier but the wifi at the marina is so slow I could never get past giving this post a title. That's an issue we're going to have to resolve if I'm ever going to be able to work from the boat. Anyone have an experience with doing a fair amount of data over a 4G LTE connection? How is the speed?
That's it for now. At the moment we're planning on going back down to the boat next weekend to do some serious cleaning and working on a few of the small things that need to be fixed.
Brian
We closed on Friday afternoon, which was really just a formality as we had already wired the money. It didn't take much longer than 30 minutes but as every other time we were with Paul, our broker, we had a ton of questions for him. Paul and his wife used to live in Frisco. They sold everything, bought a sailboat and went cruising for a couple of years. They're back in Texas now, still living on their boat and Paul is brokering boats. He is a wealth of knowledge and we feel very lucky to have accidentally stumbled on him.
After closing we spent a few minutes at the marina office signing paperwork and spending more money to keep the boat in the same slip it has been in for the last couple of years.
The weather in Houston / Kemah was awful this weekend so it's a good thing our plans were mostly to spend time below deck doing an inventory of what all was on the boat. We made it about half way through the nooks and crannies when we broke for a nice dinner and a bottle of wine to celebrate.
Saturday was "Battery Day". It's the first time I can remember buying three batteries in one day. That was on three different trips to two different stores. Blame me for trying to squeeze the biggest battery we could get into the space. Third time was a charm and we finally got the right size. You may recall we got all new batteries as part of the deal since all were dead when we did the survey. The owner was required to replace like for like and the starter battery was a different type (flooded, like most car batteries) than the house batteries (AGM). It's "OK" to mix those two types but it is recommended to have them all the same so we bought a new AGM starter battery. Whoever buys my Four Winns will get the new flooded battery and I'll be taking the old back to West Marine for the core on the AGM.
Saturday evening Susan and I drove over to have dinner with some people I had been emailing with over the last month or so. Ralph and Beverly are in Texas for the winter and will be heading to the Bahamas in the spring. Seems backwards and I think they've decided it is, they won't be wintering in Texas again. We had a nice dinner but I suspect they felt like they had been interrogated under a bare light bulb by the secret police by the time we left them. Every time we get a few answers, we think of more questions.
Sunday we spent some time strolling around West Marine while it rained cats and dogs outside. Eventually we went back to the boat and finished our inventory. Anyone interested in a LSU flag? Or some life jackets? Every time we turn around we find more life jackets. We are easily over 20 at this point. Just after noon we packed up and left so I could get Susan back to DFW in time to catch her flight to Atlanta. It pretty much rained all weekend, the entire drive back and Susan just landed and texted that it is raining there too. Somehow I have a feeling none of this is falling anywhere near Cedar Creek though.
Sorry I didn't get this out earlier but the wifi at the marina is so slow I could never get past giving this post a title. That's an issue we're going to have to resolve if I'm ever going to be able to work from the boat. Anyone have an experience with doing a fair amount of data over a 4G LTE connection? How is the speed?
That's it for now. At the moment we're planning on going back down to the boat next weekend to do some serious cleaning and working on a few of the small things that need to be fixed.
Brian
Sunday, January 4, 2015
Closing Date Set
Things are moving along and the date for closing on the boat formerly known as My Liberty is set for this Friday, January 9. If all goes well we will be spending our first night on the boat that night.
Our plan is to stay in Kemah for the weekend so we can go over every inch of her to learn where things are and what all has been left on the boat. The owner is only required to leave the things detailed in the listing but we expect a lot of other stuff (dishes, glasses, silverware, towels - LOTS of monogrammed towels, tools, spare parts) will be left on board.
If anyone is interested in a towel with My Liberty monogrammed on it, I think we'll have enough to share.
Brian
Our plan is to stay in Kemah for the weekend so we can go over every inch of her to learn where things are and what all has been left on the boat. The owner is only required to leave the things detailed in the listing but we expect a lot of other stuff (dishes, glasses, silverware, towels - LOTS of monogrammed towels, tools, spare parts) will be left on board.
If anyone is interested in a towel with My Liberty monogrammed on it, I think we'll have enough to share.
Brian
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