Downtime

We're still waiting for Bill to make his way up the east coast. The predictions here in Maine are for rains and winds to start tonight through Sunday. He's moved further east and slowed down so we're hoping the seas will settle down Monday allowing us to leave first thing Tuesday morning.

In the meantime, we're taking the final preparations a bit slower and taking some downtime with our friends. We've had some parties, big and small, and went to see the new Meryl Streep movie, Julie & Julia - Karen loved it (Jeff says "chick flick"). This afternoon we found time to give the dogs a final bath. Can anyone explain why dogs who absolutely love being in the water hate being bathed? But they smell awful sweet right now.

We were left a comment asking advice about the "poop deck" for the dogs. We have an article describing all about the technique we used. Check out Canine Crew on the web site. If you'd like a reply to your comment, please make sure you leave us your email address!

Curses to Bill!

Hurricane Bill is churning up the waters off the east coast so we have postponed our Friday departure. There's even a possibility it could hit here in Castine. We're considering putting aCappella on our storm mooring tomorrow or Friday. Our next possible departure date looks like Tuesday the 25th. So we wait, visit some more with friends, and hope he hurries his way north.

Cruising With Our Friends

We're in what we thought would be our final week - Friday, August 21st being our take off day. So we planned some day cruises with friends to say good-bye. While we're looking forward to the trip, we're also going to miss those back home. We had two beautiful days cruising around the Penobscot Bay. Our friend, Marion, took this picture after we pulled into the dock one day. I think it's a pretty good looking crew!

While we're almost ready to go, it seems that Mother Nature has some other plans for us. The weather is deteriorating as the week goes on so Friday is looking like a "no go." We're actively watching the building disturbances in the Caribbean with Hurricane Bill too. We're still moving ahead as planned. That way if the weather clears we can go and if it doesn't, we'll have some down time before we leave. No more projects are left - we're simply loading clothes, books, last minute supplies, readying the house, etc.

Anchor Testing

On Tuesday we left for Carver Cove to do some testing with our new anchor. We wanted to really understand how it worked and how working with it might differ from our other anchors. Carver Cove is a good spot for this as it's a large cove with good water. Tuesday night we were the only boat anchored there - even better. We pulled in around 5:00 PM and set the anchor at a variety of scopes, at first trying to make it not set and skip along the bottom so Jeff could know what that felt like. Whenever we anchor Jeff does the bow work while I handle the helm. When we finally let her set, she really did set. Putting the engines in reverse didn't cause us to move an inch.

The night was calm but we still wondered how hard it would be to haul anchor in the morning. Rocna's have a reputation for being a bear to free - the reason we got it actually. We were up early Wednesday morning and found the process went very smoothly. Using the engines, we were able to free the anchor fairly quickly. It also gave the prefect chance to use our new saltwater wash down. Jeff says he's in love. It's a good thing I'm not the jealous type. There is still an issue with positioning the anchor and chain as she moves in and out to ensure the chain stays on the winch. Jeff and Larry are working on that one so I'm sure a solution is coming.

The kids did great. They're settling in and finding the spots they like - the bow is a favorite for sniffing those good sea smells. We tried feeding them while underway (something our last crew mate, Tucker, never liked doing) and they finished in their usual rush. They both seem to understand the "poop deck," although Dylan still waits for Dyna to go first. He seems a bit unsure whether or not it's OK. We stuff our pockets with treats so I'm sure he'll feel more confident soon.

When we returned home, the dogs were loaded into the car for a ride to Bangor. We had a promise to fulfill for JoDee -- a four generation picture of Dyan, daughter Katie, granddaughter Daisy, and great-grandson Sarge. Of course, we also took the opportunity to get Dylan with his grandma Dyna, and mom Katie. Dyna has certainly created quite a "Dynasty"!

Washdown Complete!

The saltwater washdown is now installed and fully functioning. We're amazed that it went in without a single real hitch. Of course, we're not tempting fate, so we keep checking the staterooms where the hose runs through for leaks. This is not to say it was easy. It was the most complex addition we've undertaken on the boat so far. But for several days of effort we now have a way to save about 25 gallons or more of fresh water each time we anchor. Our plan is to anchor most nights on this cruise, so that's significant.


In light of our anchoring plans, Jeff decided to upgrade our anchor. Currently, we have four anchors: a Bruce, a CQR, a Fortress, and a Danforth. The Bruce is the anchor we use from Maine to Charleston. It works well in the soft, muddy bottoms from the Penobscot Bay to the Chesapeake. Unfortunately, the first time we anchored in the Bahamas we discovered (at 3 AM) that it is poor in hard sand bottoms. So we started switching to the Fortress and then back again to the Bruce - kind of a pain. The CQR was our backup anchor which we've never used and the Danforth is our stern anchor.

While we've only dragged anchor twice in 15,000 miles of cruising, Jeff has always worried that our Bruce, at 66 pounds, and our Fortress FX55 were a bit undersized. For the sake of many good night's sleep, we decided to get a heavier anchor that would also eliminate the need to switch mid-cruise. After much research, Jeff settled on the Rocna 55 (55 kg or 121 lbs). Unfortunately, the manufacturer had no experience with mounting a large Rocna on a newer model DeFever, so we were a bit concerned it would be too big for our bow roller. After some testing with cardboard templates, we decided to give it a try.

So off we went late last week to West Marine in Southwest Harbor (an hour and a half drive) on my 50th birthday - Jeff was smart enough not to put a ribbon on it and say, "Happy Birthday, honey!" - to meet the delivery truck. The next day we left to drive to Mystic, CT to talk at the MTOA NE Rendevous (great people, great fun) so we will have to wait until later this week for our first anchor fit test. Our hope is that eventually we can get rid of the CQR and maybe the Bruce to gain some needed space in the lazarette. Any one need a gently used anchor?

Progress At Last...

The weather finally broke on Thursday. It was a bright, sunny, perfect Maine summer day. Unfortunately, we had to stay home to wait for a shipment of batteries. Long story, short, we finagled a deal where all new batteries for the boat would be delivered to our house if we guaranteed we would meet the truck and off load them ourselves - over 1,000 lbs. of batteries according to the delivery guy. They were supposed to be here by noon leaving us the afternoon to work on the boat. They arrived at 5:45pm. Our months of weight training paid off as we moved them onto wood planks in the basement.

Fortunately, two more days of perfect weather followed with more rain Saturday night into Sunday morning. That left us all day Friday and Saturday, and Sunday afternoon to get things done - and we sure did.

We brought one each of the monster batteries (8D's at 169 lbs) for the bow thruster to the boat on Friday and Saturday. Our boat is still on our storm mooring about 2 miles from the town dock. Getting it down the ramp, into the dinghy, and then onto the boat was hard enough, but we then had to get it down in to the lazarette. Jeff rigged some line so we could lower them down in what we hoped would be a controlled way.

We used a technique we learned from Larry to surround the terminals before covering them with anti-corrosion spray. They're now installed and working fine. We still have 12 more Trojan T-105 batteries for our house and the starter banks but we've decided to bring the boat up to the dock to load those.

We secured the saltwater wash-down hose with tie-wraps for its entire length and cut the final hole in the bow deck. It turns out the deck is wood sandwiched between two layers of fiberglass. Jeff was fortunate to learn basic fiberglass skills a few years ago from a friend in the business. He over-drilled the hole, routed out some of the wood inner section, and coated it all with West System epoxy to keep water out. We also over-drilled the three screw holes and filled them to be drilled again when the epoxy is hardened. The deck fitting will go in this week covering the patch work.

Our horn has been slowly fading to the point where it's embarrassing - kind of like a Chihuahua bark on a Doberman. So replacing it was on our list. Of course, there was no way that the mounting from the old horn would match up with the new one. So not only did the old one need to be removed and holes drilled for the new one, but we had to repair the old holes. Out came the gelcoat and epoxy boxes again. We patched the bottom with 4 layers of fiberglass and filled the holes with epoxy. When we get a chance to breathe, Jeff will apply gelcoat over the repair and we'll never know where the old horn was!

On Saturday Jeff was finally able to coat the cap-rail on the bow and portuguese bridge with Semco. We removed the varnish several years ago (yes, I know it's beautiful to look at, but now I can just admire the labor of others). After, trying different things, Jeff settled on Semco - a teak seaker - and we've been very happy with it. We still have the stern left to do.

While he worked on that, I worked on the bow railings. I recently read a novel that described how in marriages of certain durations, tasks become the responsibility of one or the other spouse, for example, making sure there's toilet paper or monitoring the room temperature. One of my tasks is polishing the stainless steel. I actually don't mind it. I've tried several different products and really like StarBrite's Marine Polish with Teflon. I've even added it to Products and Tips We Love listing. It's easy to use and looks great. I've found that putting on a second coat soon after the first makes it last much longer and makes subsequent coats easier. It generally removes most of the discoloration but when it's been a long time since cleaning - like the first time of the season - I also use Nevr-Dull (another Product We Love) to remove the tough stains. Another trick I discovered is to leave the marine polish on for a bit before buffing it off. Unlike fiberglass polish which I find works best if you buff almost immediately, the marine polish actually works better if left to harden for 10-15 minutes.

Dyna and Dylan have enjoyed their dinghy rides to the boat and are learning to sit nicely while underway (well, sometimes anyway). Visiting the boat is a nice little adventure and each finds a comfy spot to sleep or to supervise our activities. How could we do it without them? Dyna has quickly remembered where to do her business. Dylan needs some remedial training. We're not sure what they're going to think in about 6 weeks when that dinghy ride turns into a 9 month adventure. They'll keep you posted.

We're getting some of the major projects done and it's beginning to feel like we'll be ready on time. If the weather holds we'll keep checking things off the list!

Here Comes The Sunshine?

As I write this it is pouring down rain - again - even though Yahoo Weather says "Light Rain." The rain and fog just refuses to let up. According to AccuWeather, we had over 8 inches of rain in June, our normal is 3. We have been going to the boat when it's merely been raining, as opposed to pouring with blowing wind. There have been trips back in pea soup fog. Most trips we've taken one or both of the dogs. They're settling back in and finding the places they like to sleep. But we've mostly been confined to doing indoor tasks.

The biggest job we've worked on was running hose for the saltwater wash-down. On the first trip we decided to cut two of the five holes we'd need. Somehow it always feels ominous when cutting a hole in the boat. The first hole went from the chain locker, which has an access door in the guest stateroom, to behind the curtained area. That took pretty much all afternoon and we returned home well after dinner time, much to Dyna and Dylan's dismay. The next time we decided to cut just two more holes and all four went in quickly without a hitch! Jeff spent one more trip pulling the hose from the master stateroom through an access hatch to the engine room which required one more hole. Dylan was there to help with that one. So now the hose runs from the chain locker at the bow, aft to the engine room where we will mount the pump. One last hole in the deck to connect the deck fitting and she's ready for a trial. Hopefully we'll get that done this week.

On July 4th we had an amazing break of afternoon sun so Jeff took Dyna out to help him install new site-glass material on the fuel tanks. They've become so discolored that we can no longer see the fuel level. Jeff heard about this special tubing called Tygon from another trawler owner who has had it for several years. He says it's still crystal clear. We'll see. He said it was about the smoothest project he's done to date, and was back earlier than predicted. He stepped in the door just before the sky opened up. Went to the annual July 4th party to watch the fireworks. Fortunately, the rain slowed to a drizzle just about 9PM so we had a beautiful fireworks display before the rain started again.

The job we are most anxious to get done is touching up the cap-rail. For that we need several dry days in a row. Fat chance. 7 weeks from today is our targeted take off date.....

5200 Follow-Up

A quick follow-up to my recent hair trauma. A search of Google (5200 sealant hair) turned up nothing helpful. I did find reference to using mineral spirits - although with various amounts of warnings - to remove oil based paint from hair. A couple of references suggested salad oil or very oily body wash. So I used a generous amount of baby oil, working it from the roots out for several minutes. I then took the hottest shower I could stand and let my hair air dry. My hair feels soft and silky with no noticeable residue. Maybe this will help someone else - from now on I will proudly wear my ActiveCaptain hat to avoid this from happening!

Note from Jeff: we have some 50 hats on the boat. Couldn't you use an old one instead of the nice new ActiveCaptain ones??

Putting Her Back Together

Somehow it always feels better when we're putting things back on the boat than when we're taking them off. It's the start of new adventures! This week we put our newly cleaned blinds back up in the salon. First I washed the windows and woodwork as it is so easy with nothing on the windows. We started testing equipment. One of the new chargers Jeff installed last time didn't seem to be working - %$#&!. We took a trip to Home Depot to buy new fuses only to discover it was the outlet splitter that wasn't working -- good news actually. Our speed sensor stopped working last season so we played with that a bit. Jeff is guessing it's a problem with the wiring, so that goes on the list for next time. Jeff replaced all of the engine room zincs. The massive hull zinc is about 30% used but since it is so easy to replace now, we're putting on a new one so the holes had to be measured. We'll keep the old one and monitor the new one during our cruise. If it wears too much Jeff can always dive and put the old one back on. We took some initial measurements for the new saltwater washdown we're installing. The job will be bigger than we had hoped - aren't they always. But we figure this will cut our fresh water usage by about half - an important consideration in the outer Bahamas and of course, if we're lucky enough to get to Cuba! More cleaning, organizing, etc. The most pleasant part of the process is thinking about our trip and what things we will want aboard - happy thoughts. We didn't get our list done as we had to get back to Castine for a cocktail cruise on a friend's new (to him) Grand Banks. We had a beautiful little trip up the Bagaduce River on a perfect evening! Bill will also be heading south next winter and we're making plans for our paths to cross. Happy thoughts indeed!

Prepping the Blinds and Canvas

There are just some jobs that need to be done every year, This week's jobs were cleaning the window blinds, and cleaning and waterproofing the bimini canvas. Castine, being essentially an island, has exorbitantly high water costs. When we bought our house over 16 years ago, we inherited a marshy backyard. A clever contractor suggested we collect up the water using a series of french drains, dig a well to store the water, and use it for watering the gardens, washing the cars, etc. Brilliant! We have a usable backyard while saving on our water bills. However, living this far north we can't leave the pump in year round due to freezing. Last week we installed the well pump and washed the cars. This week we tackle the blinds and bimini canvas. We laid them out on the driveway, washed them with mild soap, and let them dry in the sun. Particular attention was given to the bimini top as we wouldn't see it again for some time. Then a coat of 303 High Tech Fabric Guard spray was applied. We've used this for years and find it works quite well - it even repels the seagull droppings! We'll let the canvas dry for 2-3 days and do another light coat of the 303. The blinds will be reinstalled on our next trip to the boat and the bimini will go back up when we remove the shrink-wrap in a few weeks. We're making progress indeed!

Take Me To Cuba?

We have long discussed the idea of taking our boat to Cuba. It could be the purported beauty of their beaches, the thrill of the forbidden, or just the desire to experience something new (to us) and different. Only 90 miles off Key West, it’s tempting. We’ve never had the nerve to break the law and just go. Having met one captain who did, and then lost his boat and faced jail time, we decided that was just a bit too much excitement for us. But we have read up, followed some web sites, and spent time talking about it. We even found a funky propaganda film in our tiny library - came in a cigar box - and watched it this past winter. Well, now the news is abuzz about the possibility of the US opening relations with Cuba. Could our dream be within reach? Might Dyna be swimming on Cuban beaches next winter rather than the Bahamas? Oh, it is still so much speculation. But we are keeping an eye on the news and renewing our research. If it happens we want to be prepared to get there fast before it losses its charm to casinos and big development.

New Window Screens From the Microburst

One evening in September of 2007 Castine experienced a “microburst.” We were home with Dyna and our new puppy, Dylan, when it hit. By the time I whisked the two dogs away from the windows, it was over - maybe a minute or two. I’m told that a microbust has winds as strong as a hurricane but hits in only a single spot and without warning. We were the spot. M/V aCapella was across the river on our “normal” mooring - as opposed to our storm mooring in Smith’s Cove, since no storm was predicted! After surveying the amazing damage in town the next day, which sadly included the loss of many old elm tress, we went out to check on the boat. Now our “normal” mooring has a 7,500 pound stone which sucks down 3-4 feet in that good Maine mud bottom. Even with that strong hold, the boat dragged the mooring 200 feet due to the strong winds!!!! The only damage was 3 missing window screens which we think may have blown to Kansas. Several calls trying to find someone to come to the boat to measure for new ones proved fruitless. Just not a big enough job.

On to plan B. I began sewing at about age ten and have made clothes, crafts, quilts, upholstered items, you name it. Heck, how hard could it be to sew a few window screens? Finding the material was relatively easy. Sailrite carried everything I needed online. Now I just had to measure the windows, cut out the screens and bind them. Piece of cake, right? Wrong! Dozens of heavy duty needles, lots of words I won’t list here, and one trip to the sewing machine repair shop later, and I was still shy of getting the final binding on. For that I went to a canvas shop in Bangor. Now we “just” have to get them to the boat to measure and install the snaps. Luckily for me that will be Jeff’s job.

Oh, and if you’re wondering about the screens blowing off in 2007 and not being replaced until 2009, well, last year we “improvised.” We decided we didn’t want to look like hillbillies on our next cruise.....

Why We Always Listen to Larry Eaton

I’m afraid our blog will often make reference to “Larry” so I’d like to take a moment to explain why, when it comes to anything to do with boats, we always listen to Larry. Larry’s grandfather, Mace, founded Eaton’s Boatyard here in Castine, Maine. It’s become one of those “Maine Traditions” for boaters. Mace Eaton became known as a master boat builder making beautiful wooden boats, most of which are still in use today. Larry’s father, Alonso took over the boat yard from his father and after much family turmoil the yard ended up with Larry’s brother, Kenny. For the next few decades Larry built a thriving boat management business in Ft. Lauderdale handling numerous mega-yachts such as Limitless, one of the biggest American-owned yachts at over 315 feet long. Over the years Larry learned many great techniques and tricks, from how to clean anything on a boat, to where to find obscure items, to how to put together an authentic Maine lobster bake anywhere in the world. We have spent time in several different yards in and around Ft. Lauderdale and Miami and have yet to find someone there who didn’t know about Larry. Even though Eaton’s Boatyard is proud NOT to have a web site, you can still find them on ActiveCaptain.

A few years ago Larry decided to “retire” back to his birthplace here in Castine. We were most fortunate that he agreed to take us under his wing. Larry still get calls from his many patrons begging him to help with difficult situations and sometimes he still obliges. Fortunately for us, he remains just a couple blocks away with advice and guidance. He has never steered us wrong, therefore, when it comes to boats, we ALWAYS listen to Larry.

One of the most beautiful boats in Castine (in my opinion), Leaf, was owned by Mace Eaton and has now been lovingly restored by Deane and Sandra Richardson. Visit Castine this summer and you're sure to see Leaf gliding past the town dock.

Fender Cleaning - It’s Magic!

It’s hard to believe we’ve had aCappella for nearly 6 years! It seems like only yesterday we pulled out of Herrington Harbor on the Chesapeake Bay in dense fog for our first “solo” trip. This was after 2 days of instruction by an onboard captain. My knees were shaking but when we pulled into the Penobscot Bay a couple of weeks later, I felt like quite the salty-mate. We were fortunate to purchase aCappella “practically new” from two very experienced cruisers who had thought of pretty much everything when they outfitted the boat. But now our gear is looking a bit dogged. Ever mindful of keeping our cruising budget down we’ve decided to give our most used items a much needed face lift. Our first target - the fenders. Last year I stumbled on the MagicEraser which I gleefully used in the kitchen, the bathroom, the patio -- I’m pretty sure it is “magic.” Jeff had the idea to try it on our much scuffed up fenders. It only took one evening in front of the TV and they came out beautiful!

Lists, Lists, Lists

OK, so we all have our little quirks. One that Jeff and I share is a passion for lists. Going shopping, make a list. Weekend chores, make a list. Christmas coming, need another list. They’re all over the house, handwritten, printed out, on the computer, and on the mobile phones. Unfortunately, simply making the list isn’t enough - go figure. So we’ve prepared lists of things to get us ready to leave in August. Things to check, things to buy, and projects to complete. In the past we’ve even made a list of our lists! Now we need to get working!!!

She’s Buttoned Up Tight

After winterizing all the systems, aCappella, who is too large for inside storage, needed to be shrink-wrapped to protect her from Maine’s sometimes harsh winters. Journey’s End in Rockland, Maine did a great job padding all the rub spots and ensuring a tight seal. Unfortunately, they miscalculated a bit on the entry door making getting on and off the boat slightly challenging. But hey, being on a boat requires a certain nimbleness and maybe this will keep us prepared for next summer. Yes, she looks lonely but she receives a visit about every other week for a “once over” and a charging of the batteries. We work in a lunch in Rockland so it’s a nice winter diversion.



Fortunately, I regularly practice yoga........

A Sad Day, A Long Winter

Hauling aCappella last fall for a second winter on the hard was a sad day. But we cheered ourselves with thoughts of planning for our 2009-10 winter cruise. We’ve decide to leave our homeport of Castine, Maine in August ‘09 and not return until May ‘10 - our longest cruise yet. The goal: pictures of Dyna swimming in the Bahamas! There is much to do but the winter seemed to stretch out in front of us. It’s now February and, oh my, the time is flying! We thought that reviving our Blog might give us a much needed push. TakingPaws will now begin chronicling the preparations for the next adventure of a boat, a couple, and a couple of dogs.