Monday, May 10, 2010

Objects in Motion


Our boat lists are slowly getting shorter. Emphasis on slowly. I've been prepping L.M. for starboard side hull paint, which meant spending a lot of time on The Raft. I really enjoy working on the raft. Its peaceful and private, and bobbing on the water, even when holding a sander most of the time, is somehow soothing. The exception is the bow of the boat, where the situation quickly deteriorates into a hellish spectacle: me, arms stretched overhead holding sander, balancing on a bobbing raft while doing an ungraceful backbend, struggling to sand the tip of the bow. I have nothing good to say about that hell spot.

I've spent many days on this raft and it still doesn't have a name

I did finish all the prep work and we planned on painting this Sunday,but the wind had other ideas in mind, so the paint job is being pushed back to probably the end of the month. Unfortunately its a two person job, which takes more planning and coordination of schedules then is really convenient, and then there's the weather to contend with. Anyway, I feel like this is a big hurdle to overcome as far as Lucy Maru goes. Having this behind us will mean we can flip her around again, and then paint the decks and house, do some fun canvas sewing, and ta da... I think this is as far as we're prepared to take her.

Meanwhile Travis has been focusing on Me Voy. With the engine painted, he dropped it in, but before any further progress could be made there, the rot in the transom had to be finally addressed. If you've seen the previous video you know the kind of effort required there. Poor T has another weekend to go, crumpled into a sort of N, before I take over with the painting. This job will also be a milestone for Me Voy as it will officially conclude all rot removal and replacement!!!!

Mr. Perkins awaiting further attention

Universe smiled upon us (or was it really just laughing?) last week, and we got a plot at Baltimore's City Farms. Evidently the wait for a plot is on average 3 years, but after waiting only a week, we got the call. The timing was perfect, and even though we are so busy with the boats and work, we just had to do it. It s so nice to get my hands into some dirt. We cleared our 10ft x 15ft plot and thanks to Homer The Tiller Guy we had cucumbers, squash, chard and spinach planted all in about two hours. Tomotoes, lots of tomotoes, peppers, onion, beets, and radishes, will round out our first planting.

For $40 a year you can get a plot in the city to grow your own!

Its so neat to go from boat, to garden back to boat. The contrast of the elements is striking. The rich soft dirt in between my toes vs. the cool humid air of the docks. The smells of the two places are so far apart in reality that it feels like I'm living in a dream where anything can happen. The addition of the garden has completed our set-uppedness in Baltimore. Too bad balmy winters and palm trees don't show up much in B-more, otherwise we might get stuck here for good.

T pulling weeds out of our garden

All tucked and ready to grow




10 comments:

judith said...

Mr.P looks great! Hmmm, a name for the raft... let me think about this. Craftsman, because you always have it loaded with tools. The garden is awesome! Plant a couple of pepper plants, Serrano and jalapeno, I'll send you my recipe for salsa. It's really easy and you don't need anything more than tomatoes, peppers, onion, garlic and a lime. Also a recipe for Armadillo Turds. Both are Texas delicacies.

Samantha said...

oooh. i envy your garden plot. i've been wanting one around here and the list is just as long. ben has promised to design a little boat-sized aeroponic system for us but you wouldn't believe how hard it is to find a 12-volt pump. for now, i can dream!! enjoy!

Unknown said...
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laura said...

Sorry, that deleted comment was mine! I didn't know these kinds of gardens existed in the States. When we were in Germany last year we found the cutest little munchkin like plots of land complete with tiny cottages. They are owned by city dwellers who still want to be able to garden. Hans said they are very commonplace over there! It's a great idea.

rob said...

Maggie please do make sure that you have an earth leakage trip on the power supply to the sander as an aquaintance of mines wife died doing the same thing from a dingy. I`m sure that you do have one? but do check, and get "T" to make sure that its operating correctly (as if he wouldn`t have done anyway, but I just feel that its my duty to, poke my nose in, and suggest that you check it out anyway) :o((

Travis and Maggie said...

Thanks Rob. NIce of you to think of that. Yup we are covered. The cord is are going thru a relay and a breaker. We "tested" it by accidently getting the plug dunked and all power was shut off. It does make me nervous though especially with the balancing act I was doing.

J, what in the world are Armadillo Turds!!! I must know.

Sam., we got a bunch of supplies to grow hydro on the boat, but went back to dirt anyway. We were going to do a rooftop garden on Lucy but then this plot came along so I did window boxes and pots on the boat. Looks nice.

Hi Laura. Baltimore has these little community gardens all over the city. Now even some otherwise unused and unloved spaces are being "reclaimed". This one that we're at was started in 1970! The soil is so soft and fertile that I swear you can hear the little plants laughing.

Jamie said...

Painting season all around! I'm covered in it myself again today. Weather gets nice, that's what we boat people do! Looking good, you two.

Margarita Mirasol said...

How awesome to have a garden! What a great idea.

Samantha said...

hey- when you got those hydro supplies, did you have a 12-volt pump? or are you hooked up to shore power so you didn't need 12-volt? we've been asking around at hydro stores but no one knows anything about 12-volt cuz they're all landlubbers! ;)

Travis and Maggie said...

Since we are at the marina we were going to use the shore power with a 120 v. pump.