Naked!

We sure are naked without our canvas. We have started but it's a slow go working around Chris's busy schedule. I'm excited to get some of the parts in place. We chose a totally new color Sunbrella. I can't wait to show you. We also decided not to have enclosure panels. After all it's Florida and warm weather. We hope! 

I also wanted to share with you a new addition this afternoon. This is one of the custom fit mattresses our company Sea Beds by Michelle makes. Michelle delivered it to us today. I plan to build the business while we are in Florida and along the way south. Just think,all of you that plan to visit us in Florida, you will have a very comfy bed. 

New Graphics!

After 11 years of being on our stern our lettering had seen better days. Yesterday Sandra from Creative Design replaced our old graphics with new ones. Tropical Gale Winds and the palm tree are about the same in size but our hailing port is taller to comply with the new Coast Guard regulations. It all looks so crisp and bright. We are slowly getting all things done. 

This week went even faster!

Today is Friday and I don't know where the week went. The temps did cool off, lucky for me, I not only have had no see um bites I have had a case of sun poisoning. It's not easy keeping cool when the temps are high so I was glad for the drop in temperature. 

The picture is of the lovely sunset Monday night. We had another one Tuesday night. Wednesday and Thursday the clouds rolled in, so no sunset. Guess you can't have this beauty every night. 

Thursday I went up to my friend Chris's canvas shop to do a little sewing. I cut and sewed the canvas for our bimini tops and made a bag to hold the extra panels for our companion way doors. 

Today, Friday Chris picked up our frame from the welder. The weather wasn't conductive for installing the frame and fitting the canvas. It was windy and raining. In fact it was so windy the boat was heeled over about 10 degrees at the dock. It was difficult standing up down below. 

Membrane for the water maker. 

Motor, pump, boost pump and the filters. 

Our mess today. 

Larry had taken a day off from work so he finished installing the water maker. We filled the water tank after he was finished. It's amazing how good the water tastes. 

I took the time when I wasn't holding a flashlight for him to design my business cards and a flyer. I'm planning to do some promotion of Sea Beds by Michelle before I leave Deltaville. We make custom mattresses for boats. What better place to promote than Deltaville. It's amazing how many boat yards and marinas there are here. If you are interested in seeing what we do check out our website. www.seabedsbymichelle.com 

Tomorrow, Saturday I will be joining my friend, Lavinia for a run to Trader Joes to stock up on food. Larry plans to add line to our anchor, install lifts on our overhead ports that won't stay up by themselves, dress the water maker water lines and wiring and some more gel coat work. A very busy day indeed. 

Wow That was a Fast Weekend!

On Friday after Larry sanded and applied gel coat to the holes where the snaps were, we attempted to install our new companion way doors. I say attempted because we were not successful. We both agreed that we are tired from doing so much that it was best left for Saturday. 

We decided to go to the pool and cool off. When I went to set my shower bag down I noticed the little guy in the picture on the back of the deck chair. I'm glad that I kind of recognized him and didn't touch him. After checking on the internet, I don't know what we did before the Internet, he was a juvenile assassin bug. He stabs his prey to death and can give an unsuspecting human a very painful bite. I'm having an enough trouble with all the no see ums that are feasting on me.  I didn't need and help from this little guy. 

Saturday morning, starting at 7AM, we had success, as you can see by the picture, on installing our new companion way doors. Aren't they beautiful? With the addition of these and all the waxing and polishing, we have to wear sunglasses to look at our boat. 

Today is Sunday and are trying to relax. Other than making breakfast and dishes, I've stayed in out of the heat and hot sun. Larry did go out to sand his gel coat, use the rubbing compound and wax. 

Later we took a dinghy ride to CoCoMo's for steamed clams and shrimp. It was hot even though it was late afternoon. Tomorrow the temp is supposed to dip into the mid 70's. Good day to finish the waxing. 

Fitting Canvas!

My day started early today! I had told my friend Chris if he needed any help with some of his jobs that I was willing to help. So off I went this morning with him to Urbanna, Va. It's a little town on the Rappahannock River, just up River from Deltaville. Larry and I have actually sailed there on one of our summers here in Deltaville. 

The picture is of Chris's van loaded with the steel frame for the power boat we were to install it on. 

As you can see the new frame is all installed and we are fitting the new bimini. This is Chris up top on the bridge marking the canvas as to where to cut and sew.  I stopped at Chris's shop in the afternoon and he was close to being finished with the sewing. Won't be long before it's installed. 

Larry stayed back at our boat today and did some more prep for our canvas job. He removed all the old snaps and filled the holes left behind with fiberglass. Tomorrow he plans to sand and add a coat of gel coat. We are still waiting for the welder to be finished with the extensions on our dodger frame. It will be nice to have a cover over the companion way once again. 

Very Windy Day!

Wow two posts in one day! Just wanted to show what the wind was doing to the Rappahannock River. White caps and some of them coming over the break wall. The wind speed was 20-25 knots with gusts up to 30 knots. Glad we were at shore. 

Time Flies When Your Busy!

It's hard to believe it's been one week since I last posted. We haven't sat down much as the picture of Larry shows. He is mounting the membrane for our water maker. I'm loosing some of my food storage but there is nothing like RO water. I've missed it and am looking forward to having it again. It's worth loosing some storage. 

Putting holes in our boat always makes me nervous, even when they are above the waterline, like this one. This was being mounted in the back of Larry's hanging locker. It will be for the brine discharge on the water maker. 

We did this job on Sunday before our friends Lavinia and Chris came over for dinner. It's always nice to share a meal with good friends. 

Doziers Marina was host to a Beneteau sailboat rendezvous over the weekend. On one of Larry's trips up to the bathhouse he heard his name called. When he looked up it was one of our CYC members Ron Trent. i. He and Nancy had sailed down the Potomac River to join in the rendezvous. It was pleasant to see some familiar faces from our club. 

Saturday Larry worked some more on boat jobs while I joined Lavinia on a grocery shopping trip to Newport News, Va. They have Trader Joes and a new Whole Foods. It's worth the hour trip for the foods we have been so spoiled with in DC. I'm going to miss my ten minute drive for groceries. In Florida it's an hour drive also to these two stores. I will especially miss Mom's Organic Market in Alexandria Va. That's a local store so I won't find one of those in my travels. I'll have to load up at Mom's when we return for our car. 

Monday my friend and boss, Michelle came to visit us. Michelle owns SeaBeds by Michelle. They build custom mattresses for boats. We have been brainstorming our plan to expand coverage of the East coast for our products. Michelle and I met last fall and I discovered that I have been sleeping on one of her mattresses for ten years. I love my mattress and agreed to work for her. 

Besides being a great friend she's great to work for. I can see the success of us working together already coming together. It's a great fit for Larry and my lifestyle. It's one of the topics us cruisers talk about. The original mattresses that come on boats, no matter what you pay for your boat, are inadequate. Michelle is coming back on Saturday so we can fit a mattress on a boat in Matthews a little town near Deltaville. 

One of our major jobs is to make and install a new canvas enclosure. Our boat already is starting to look naked. Yesterday, Tuesday Larry and I took off the dodger. My friend Chris took the steel frame to a welder to have it extended. 

I used to work with and for Chris doing canvas work. We first met in Deltaville when Larry and I bought our current boat. Chris worked for the canvas shop that made the original enclosure. The second summer that we spent in Deltaville I went to work for that canvas shop. Chris was a good teacher and taught me how to do canvas enclosures, repairs and many specialty items. I planned to go back to work at that shop the next summer but we went to DC instead. 

Meanwhile, Chris opened his own business in Deltaville. While he was building his business we also worked on many jobs in DC, that I would line up for him. Over a short period of time his business grew to the point he didn't have free time to come to DC. Good for him but not good for boaters in DC. 

I wouldn't go to anyone else for help and work than Chris. His work is the most meticulous I've seen thus far. He also is quite quick with his turn around. 

Today is Wednesday and Larry has removed our solar panels from atop the bimini. Our original intent was to have a new frame welded to our arch that would accommodate our canvas and our rigid solar panels but that failed when we were unable to find a local welder with the time and mobile equipment to do the job. Our intention also was to eliminate some weight up high. It's best to keep the weight low in a boat for balance. When we couldn't get a welder we took another path and purchased flexible solar panels that can be attached directly to the canvas bimini with zippers. Even though they were costly it's still less than the welding would have been. We plan to take the old panels to a consignment shop here in town that we have used successfully before. All in all we will have spent considerably less going this route. The end result will be a neater, cleaner and lighter look. I'm looking forward to sharing our results with you. 

Well its 1:00 now and time for lunch. It has taken me most of the morning to write this. I've been in and out helping Larry take down the solar panels and frame they were attached to. It's time for lunch and to head up into town with a courtesy car to do some errands. 

All Shiny and Back in the Water!

It was late afternoon on Friday when we were launched back into the water. 

We headed over to Doziers Marina to spend the next few weeks on other maintenance and upgrades for our boat. 

We were tired when we got there so after tying up at our slip a shower and dinner was all we wanted to do. 

Saturday was a beautiful day! I had five loads of laundry to do and Larry gave the top sides of the boat a good scrubbing. 

I didn't mind doing laundry as it is located by the beautiful new pool and I sat under a tree reading while the washer and dryer did all the work. When we were done with our chores we did take a dip to cool off. 

Sunday consisted mostly of rain and more rain. We did however get off the boat to join our friends Chris and Lavinia for dinner. They picked us up and took us to Gloucester to a Thai restaurant. It was a delicious meal with great friends. 

Monday we got more rain the only time we got off the boat was to take a courtesy car to the store and for a shower. 

Tuesday and today, Wednesday looked pretty much like in the picture, beautiful, sun and clear skies. We continued our boat projects. Larry is installing our water maker and I waxed port windows and greased the seals. The ports don't sounds like a lot but it keeps us dry when it rains. Larry's job on the other hand has been intensive. 

The picture is our view up the creek from behind our boat. It's so quiet here when a sound does happen we go looking for what made the noise. After being in DC amidst the noise of city sounds for six years this is a treat.