OTHERS

I wanted to share this great video. Here's a couple of regular people, sailing, working and livin! Love the photography and music, really inspired me to make more videos! Check it out and send them some love!

Ready, Set, Spring!

Baltimore is blooming! The new energy of Spring has arrived bringing with it longer days,  beautiful flowers and yes... boatwork!

We have not yet gotten into the full swing of it, and are still wiping away the warm sluggishness of winter. I really enjoyed winter this year, making full use of the hibernation instinct, burying myself into books and studies. I discovered a wonderful site called culture unplugged, that supplied me with fresh perspectives and insights. I dove into the research of  herbs, tinctures and teas, and found a great site where I mispronounced every botanical name on the list . I made my own laundry detergent, baked my first ever loaf of bread, and watched my mushroom batch develop a nasty case of mold. I began to oxygenate our water, did a 7 day fruit fast, and began cooking with coconut milk. I watched Travis make a  to- die- for cheese sauce out of papayas, durian muffins and a bitter melon dish that still has my mouth watering.  I downloaded free audio books and listened to books I would have never  read. I snuggled with Chopper and Billy and began learning the native american flute. Its been a really fun winter!

3M SRINKtape vs Seafarer tape. 3M wins!

But, the boats, the boats are calling! We took the cover off of Me Voy a couple of weeks backs. And here boaters, if you have stuck with me this far, here is your boat tip. When putting on the cover we had a choice of two tapes. One $70 a roll (the white one), one $16 dollars a roll  (the clear one). The cheaper one turned to dust after about three months, most of the seams gave way and we had to retape with the more expensive one. So there. If you don't want to spend the money and don't mind retaping, you can expect about a three month life span on the Seafarer tape.

Chopper has been a bad influence on us and has refused to let the beautiful Spring days be wasted on work. Bike rides, ball playing and beach exploration are on his list and he totally disregards the lists we made which look like this:

Me Voy:                                                                                     TARA:
install LPG water heater (propane heater)                                   paint section of overhead
Install sink foot pump                                                                  replace section of rub rail
install composting toilet                                                               re Sani Tred deck
get/install berth lights                                                                   bright work
make/ install hand rail/shelf                                                         paint guest stateroom
install cat door to to litter box (placed under the satee)                install composting toilet
install solar panels                                                                        install stern letters
install wind generator                                                                
build cockpit roof
redesign stantions to accomodate a gate
rebed stantions
bottom paint
install thru hull for cruise air
install cruise air

If you've seen our previous lists you'll know that this is really not bad. There is a lot of  install vs. build tasks, even though a boat install usually will involve some kind of destroy/build function, I still like seeing those coz generally they are relatively quick, in boat years that is.

So with the coming of April we will be putting it into a new gear.  We don't expect to accomplish all the things listed here before moving onto Me Voy. We are planning on moving aboard this April and putting Tara for sale shortly thereafter. This is going to be one exciting month!




* Just for the record both Travis and I agree that we like Chopper's list much better!

Happy Renouncing!

Dear Blog,

Sometimes when I write to you, it will have very little to do with boats.  I hope you forgive me. However, because I know how much you like the topic, I will try to keep your interest by inserting 

nautical terms into this very land-lubbery post.

 

 Notice the gentlemen to your port? They are the Nagas, followers of Lord Shiva, who smear ash all over their bodies to symbolize their renouncement of having "burned" all worldly desires in pursuit of Divine Communion. Notice the lady on your starboard? She is a Catholic celebrating Ash Wednesday, a day of fasting and renouncement and the beginning of the season of Lent, or 46 days of purification in preparation for the Resurrection of the Christ. Its curious to me that these two traditions are so strikingly different, and yet so similar. Its kinda like the raghaulers and the stink pots. Each looks at the other  with incomprehension, and yet they are both floating in the same drink.

Tool Storage

Travis working on the steering in our future"workshop"

I recently heard some big wig CEO say that five years is a reasonable amount of time to expect a return on your investment. This made me think of MeVoy, whose five year anniversary we will be celebrating this April.

Although we no longer like to make any firm plans that involve boats, I'll share with you our plan pencilled in sand. We are thinking that around Spring time we will be permanently moving aboard Me Voy. She is now the brand new boat we had hoped to have, complete with shiny floors and an interior smelling of varnish. If all goes well we will do a quick haulout early spring,  and be moving aboard sometime in April.  This will allow us to get all of our stuff out of TARA and  give her a good once over. After that we are hoping to throw a party themed "We've sold a boat named TARA', followed many happy nights rocked to sleep aboard our one boat.

The phenomena of the 'monstrous pile' in its early stage

For now, let me show you the rest of this brand new boat. Travis has done so much this year, that I've had a hard time keeping up with his progress. So for this installment of "Our Old Boat" I'd like to show you the tool storage we have come up with.

Because both of us like to do everything, with the exception of dentistry (ouch!) ourselves, we have collected quite a number of tools and materials that we both need and admittedly don't want to part with just yet. In our prior experience, these things either get shoved places, never to be found again, or get left out, eventually forming a monstrous pile that threatens anyone who dares to disturb it. This is not really a problem (yes it is I hate these piles!) on a boat that goes nowhere, but it is completely unpractical, unsafe and unacceptable in our sleek new home, that will be bouncing thru waves, heeling, and in general behaving like a sailboat.

In the old layout there were a couple of holds and drawers that held the basic toolage, but given our previously stated needs this wasn't going to be nearly enough. We needed more space to live our dream of piddling around making little things on aboard. We contemplated turing the crew cabin into a full on workshop, but didn't want to loose the option of hosting family, friends or crew in this already nice double bunk cabin. In the end we decided to change the aft cabin from a single berth with a locker to a workshop/galley.

Since I already covered the galley in a previous posts here and here I'll stick to the workshop area. To the left is what we had to work with.  Actually what we had to work with was much more rotten and foul then that, ( the first picture gives you a better idea of the original state of things) but this is the space we designated for tool storage: one hanging locker, and two chests, painted in bilge coat white and grey.

The tool chest storage was pretty straight forwad. It will hold Travis' carpentry tools, handplanes, saws, etc,  my roll of painting brushes, and also serve as Choppers step to his doggie door (more about that later) The other chest holds all our powertools that have cases, like drill, jigsaw, grinder etc., my airbrushing equipment, and also serves as a seat.

The challenge left was the hanging locker. Drawers were the thing we kept visualizing, but because of the curve of the hull it was quite a daunting project. Travis put on his yacht carpenter hat again, and went  
to work.

He used mahogany for the draw faces, and aluminium for the drawer boxes, that our good friend Eric bent and welded based on T's measurements.  Travis then attached some heavy duty drawer slides,  cut out linings for the tools to lay on, and used brass door locks from Lowes to keep the drawers locked. Its shocking how much we can store in these drawers, and keep the place looking tidy.

There are still some things to figure out in this space, like how to best utilize the vertical wall, but that fun will  be had when we move in and figure out our needs. For now I think we have covered the basic storage/living space and with the exception of some rugs, curtains, and new upholstery we are ready to go! Um...move in that is.

Polar Bear Plunge

The other day we had our own version of the Polar Bear Plunge. Chopper was on his way to take us for his daily ball chasing on the grass, and Billy, who in my opinion, has become way too casual about jumping on and off the boat, missed the dock as he was jumping off the boat and plunged into the icy drink. Brrrrr. 

He screamed and struggled to climb up the boat. When he realized that he wasn't going to be able to climb the hull, he turned and swam for the nearest pylon. The tide was low but he climbed the pylon like...well like a cat trying to get out of freezing cold water. When he was within reach I grabbed him and puled him up. The poor guy was soaked and freezing. He was in the water for a good minute maybe two.  I admit I totally panicked and didn't know how to help him as he struggled  to climb the boat. Next time I'm going to remember the good advice of lowering a blanket, a sheet or anything that is long enough that he could climb in case he needs to. 

Wrap-up

On a beautiful 60 degree January day in Baltimore, we loaded our trusty truck and headed to pay Me Voy a visit. This was not to be a pleasure call, and we were not doing this because we had nothing else to do. No. This was going to be a day of getting our faces slapped with plastic, our asses kicked by 46 feet of boat. Again.

"Are you building a fort?" someone asks us as we waddle with the 2x4 bundle.

Oh no it much worse then that. We are putting a plastic cover over a sailboat. It has to be done you see, and since paying the small fortune to get it done was not an option, well here we are.

It began well enough with Travis knocking together a frame, while I handed him stuff.

The building of the frame went fairly quickly and was quite enjoyable.  Travis whistled little tunes while cutting and measuring, I fluttered about the deck taking pictures, and fulfilling my other duties ( handing stuff and now also tying knots)  and with the sun still high, Chopper was looking a bit more lively. Perhaps there will be time for ball playing, he was thinking. Perhaps we could come knock off now and come back tomorrow, I was thinking. Both of our hopes were dashed as Travis began to unroll the plastic. The dreaded plastic.

We started with the bow, going around all the shrouds, cutting and taping little reinforcing squares, making sure our cuts are straight and in the right place so everything is lined up when we tighten the lashings that will hold the bottom of the plastic to the toe rail.  It. Was. Frustrating. The plastic we used was called Ma Ka, and it was reinforced with fiberglass threads. Good for its strength, bad for razor blades.  In the end, while a slight breeze blew, I hacked at the flapping plastic with a nearly dull blade, taping whatever I could hold and pull together. I was having my doubts now.  Maybe getting it done wouldn't  be such a bad idea.

I kept these thoughts to myself as we continued to cover the boat. Going around the shrouds was bad, but I'm not sure it was the worst of it.  At least there we could stand up straight. To make progress along the side,  one had to hunch over and slightly lean, and hold that pose for roughly three hours. Ouch. We worked each side together, wrapping the end of the plastic around 1x2's which would then get lashed to the toe rail and tightened.

With each pull on the lashing our spirits grew and our sentences became short and efficient. This might work. Almost done. Need to stand up. Soon over. I vacuum now.

In the end, it doesn't look like much. A simple shower cap to keep the wintry rain and snow off our deck. I will not be mad however, if the snow decides to skip its appearance in Baltimore this year. It may be totally insane to long for  these warm winter temps, but my toes refuse to feel guilty. They are, without the least bit concern, soaking up the January sun in flip flops. They just won't listen to apocalyptic reason.

After finishing up, we stumbled down the dock to the truck. If you notice in the first picture there's the tiniest little corner on a sign on the top left hand of the picture. See it? We didn't. It read No Parking 4-pm-6pm. It was 5:56 when we finished. Rolling our cart back to the truck Travis and I both had the same thought, "Oh No!" That was all we could muster too. There was not enough energy for a good dose of curse words. And guess what... it was there! Just as we left it. Two hours parked illegally in one of Baltimore's prime traffic areas, causing one hell of a traffic jam no doubt. Just sitting there, without even a ticket! "Oh Wow!" was again all we could say. Dumbfounded, with our tails between our legs, but full of the new energy of gratitude, we high tailed it our of there. All in all it couldn't have turned out better.

The First Day of Christmas

Travis:

We are in the last few days before Christmas, and the city is nearly impassable due to all of the people madly rushing to another store to get another gift for another person on their list. This has got me thinking about the true meaning of the season. So I have been taking it easy today, trying to avoid any place that sells anything, and thinking about the old story I learned as a small boy in Sunday School. We all know it. A virgin is with child, there is no room at the inn, the King of Kings born in a lowly stable below a shining star in the East. So, what does this have to do with shopping? It has set me on a day long Google search that has left me tired and confused. I feel like I have to share.

First I found out that Jesus was not the only son of God that was born of a virgin on Dec. 25. Around 3000BC Horus was born of the virgin, Isis, below a star in the East, and was visited by 3 kings. He later had 12 disciples, was baptized at age 30, walked on water, was crucified and raised from the dead three days later. But this is Christmas, not Easter so I will try to stay with the point. Next was Attis of Greece born Dec 25 around 1200 BC of a virgin, again crucified and raised from the dead three days later. Lord Krishna was born in northern India around 900 BC. His mother was also a virgin, he was born under an eastern star and resurrected. Dyonysus, also was born of a virgin on Dec 25 around 500 BC. He was also resurrected. There was also a persian god named Mithra who was born Dec 25 around 1200 BC who had 12 disciples, and was dead for three days before resurrecting.

This got my head spinning a bit so I dug a bit further. What is up with Dec 25? It seems to be astrological. As we all know, this time of year the sun is sinking to our south, and the days are painfully short. If we were to observe carefully, we would notice the sun would appear to remain stationary for three days around the winter solstice. Dec 22, 23 and 24 the sun is at its lowest point, and on the 25th it begins to visibly rise. To the ancients this signified the new birth or the raising from the dead. The star in the east is Sirius, the brightest star in the night sky. On Dec 24 it aligns with the three stars of the constellation Orion's belt. These three stars have been known since the Egyptians as the three Kings. If you were to draw a line through the four stars as they align on the 24th the line would intersect perfectly with the place of the rising of the sun the morning of the 25th, thus pointing to the birthplace of God's Sun, or son as we have come to spell it. This story is ancient and repetitious because of the constant fascination with astrology throughout the ages. The lord Jesus ushered us into the age of Pisces and promised to be with us until the end of the age (Matt 28:20). At that time, around 2050, will begin the new age of Aquarius. Perhaps then there will be created a new holiday to celebrate the start of this new age.

So why all of the presents, and tree decorating and lights? This began as a roman Pagan holiday called Saturnalia, which was celebrated every year from Dec 17-25. This was a week of lawlessness and outrageous behavior, that included rape and murder. Not unlike what happens in department stores the week before Christmas. They decorated themselves and gave each other gifts of cakes shaped like people. (much like Gingerbread men) The early church wanted an end to all of this paganism so they decided to let people think they could still celebrate the same way if they converted to Christianity. Likewise the Christmas tree is a leftover from pagan worship of the Asheira cult. This group worshipped trees in the forest and often brought them into their homes and decorated them. They were converted by the church and their tradition lives on to this day.

The ancient season of Yule was a time of both reflection and celebration, a time to connect in a relational way with one's own inner wisdom and with the people that surrounded them. Many different cultures from the Nordic Vikings to the Celtic Druids, Egyptians to the Hopi ritualized this sacred time to promote spiritual unity and attunement. It was believed that the veil between this world and the next was thin at this time, and the ancestors were invited to partake in the celebrations. The Nordics believed this was the time that Thor would ride his chariot in the night skies, pulled by two Reindeer, named Donner and Blitzen. (History of yule taken from www.bellaonline.com)

I could go on, but I won't bore you any further. I just thought it would be fun for us all to be reminded of the spirit of this season. So, I am going to look at this Christmas in a new way. It is a time to reflect on the year that has passed, share good cheer and gifts with the people I love the most, but never see enough, and look foreword to the coming year as a gift of new life, with limitless possibilities. Maybe this is how I should have been looking at it all along. Anyway, have a great holiday season! Pour yourself an extra stout glass of eggnog from me. I'll be keeping mine virgin, just like Isis, the mother of Horus.

P.S. This is not meant to discredit anyones religious beliefs of spiritual truths in any way. If anything is should cement the realization of the amazing power of the one who sustains us all, to unify people throughout the ages and around the world to an unshakable truth of hope and salvation. Thanks for reading.

Let there be Lights

Tara during our first winter aboard 2009

Our Christmas light display aboard Tara has waned in enthusiasm over the last three years. We started out with gusto, hanging bright icicle lights and colorful rail lights the first year, followed by a weak display of a single strand of colorful lights on the back deck last year, to zero effort this year. Why? Although we (I more then Travis) love Christmas lights, both of us equally despise taking them down. So to get my fill of beautiful lights on the water, I went exploring and photographing other peoples light displays. Lazy? Perhaps. I, however, choose to think of it as working smarter, not harder, a mantra I will be applying when considering future projects.

Flashback

Its getting to be winter around here, and I'm back below in our berth editing videos from the summer. Back in August we shoved Billy into his basket, threw him in the car and took off for some wilderness camping in neighboring West Virginia. If anyone is unfamiliar with US camping regulations heres the nitty. Camping is free in any of the National Forests. Find a site and you can stay there for up to 14 days. State Parks and National Parks all  charge fees for camping, in addition to entrance fees.



 Dog On Boat on Vimeo.

Happy Bidding!

We're so excited! Finally in honor of slimming down our belongings, our ebay store is up. Whoooo hoooo! Travis has been working very hard to make it all come together, and now it is done! I'm super stoked to be selling my bumper stickers there, and some other art stuff. There is so much more that we are excited about posting, but for now, you will see by the variety of categories, there's something for every boater, hippy, mystic, and art fan out there!