On The Up and Up

Before we left for Mission Bay yesterday, Ben did some quick upgrades and repairs. Here are some pics: 

The inside of our grill was disintegrating...

So he replaced the innards with new shiny parts.

A few days ago, we took down the old, rusty light fixtures in the salon and over the navigation station.

Ben replaced them with these full moon-looking fixtures.

They light up white...

And red... 

The red is helpful for maintaining night vision while on night watch.

The base of our tiller cracked the last time we sailed over to La Playa. Luckily, we have a backup tiller on board. Rather than spending the money on a brand-new tiller to replace the main tiller, Ben decided to dry out and epoxy the cracked tiller. It is now as strong as ever and served us perfectly on our trip to Mission Bay.

Ben also installed an outboard engine mount to the railing on the stern of the boat. Now we can bring his outboard with us when we anchor out so we don't have to row to land. This isn't necessary in San Diego, but it will be when we're ready to travel to places more obscure.

Brightwork

One of the projects Ben accomplished this summer while I was slaving away on the computer was refinishing the woodwork in the cockpit. He sanded the door panels and trim around the cockpit. Then he stained everything with Minwax Colonial Maple Wood Finish and applied Yacht Shine Teak Preserver to protect it. Since this is our first attempt at wood finishing in a marine environment, only time will tell how it holds up, but it looks bright and beautiful. He also did some work on the tiller which cracked on our last trip to La Playa. I'll post more on that later.

2010 Greatest Hits

Another year has come and gone and we're still afloat. Last year, we made a list of things we hoped to accomplish in 2010, and here it is:

*New Wind Generator
*New Lazarette Cover
*Propane System w/ New Grill
*New Anchor, Chain and Windlass
*New Foam and Covers for V-Berth
*Covers for Cockpit Cushions
*New Sails (Roller Furling and Main)
*Chartplotter, Depthfinder, Radar, Autopilot (Raymarine C70)
*Raise Boom
*Dodger/Bimini

The first four items were checked off the list in 2010 (minus the windlass).  The other items either lost priority or were overtaken by opportunity. Here is the complete list of our 2010 accomplishments:

*Found & Reattached Lazarette Cover
*Propane System w/ New Grill
*Freezer
*LED Spreader Lights (Ben also installed LED navigation lights which I failed to blog about)
*Coast Guard Vessel Safety Check
*Anchor, Bow Roller & Chain (I never blogged about the chain)
*Livingston Dinghy
*Carburetor, Choke and Head Gasket for the Atomic 4
*Honeywell Gas Generator
*Wind Generator
*Wind Vane (We got a wind vane but never installed it, so I never blogged about it)

The Livingston was sold a month or so after Ben fixed it up. Earlier this week, Ben sold the Wind Generator and the Wind Vane. Sometimes less is more, and we're reminded of that lesson on a daily basis.

This year we were lucky enough to do a bit of traveling during our downtime. We only sailed three times (ouch!) but we also traveled by car and plane. Here is a recap of our travels:

*San Francisco, (SF2, SF3)
*Joshua Tree
*Sailing the Bay
*Las Vegas
*Sailing Glorietta Bay
*Costa Rica, (CR2, CR3, CR4, CR5, CR6)
*Michigan
*Sailing Mission Bay, (MB2)
*Julian, CA

Our list of things we hope to accomplish in 2011 is a short list. If we can check the first one off quickly, the second item will most likely be a breeze to accomplish:

*Get an auto-tiller
*Sail more!!

In Hibernation

We're still here.  I think about blogging a lot but for more than one reason I haven't bothered to update.  Partly because I have (theshittiestserviceonearth) Verizon 3g which ensures that I can't upload anything, Ever.  Partly because I've been busy with school and work.  Partly because I'm enjoying my privacy lately.

The sun doesn't shine anymore in sunny Socal, so we bought a new Honeywell 2000i generator  yesterday so I can work throughout the winter.  We no longer have the benefit of staying at a hotel during the winter storms because Ben is no longer working at the Quality Inn.  So we'll be roughing it here with our Honeywell.  It's not as quiet as the Honda eu2000i, but it's less than half the price so I think it will do. 

Ben finished installing a new choke, carburetor and head gasket on Mother Culture's Atomic 4 engine.  We haven't left the ball since we arrived back from Mission Bay a couple months ago.  Next on his To-Do list is some maintenance on Old Grand-Dad (aka the Honda Goldwing).  Hopefully we'll get to take a road trip or sailing trip over Thanksgiving break.  I guess that's about all I have to share for now.  Til next time...     

School Daze

We're gearing up to start school again on Monday and we have pretty full loads this semester so our adventures will be few and far between for the next few months.  On our way home from Mission Bay last weekend, Mo-C experienced a little engine trouble, so Ben ordered a new carburetor and head gasket and once the parts arrive, he'll put on his grease monkey suit and take care of business.  Since summer came late this year, we're hoping it will stick around a little longer so we can take a few more weekend sailing trips before winter creeps in. 

This is a picture of Mother Culture at anchor in Mission Bay last week. 

Livingston

This post has been a long time coming.  Back in January, Ben bought a 10-foot Livingston boat from one of our neighbors.  The boat had been damaged during one of our winter storms so he had to re-fiberglass the bottom.  While Ben had plans to fix it up and get it back into the water ASAP, the rain had other plans so it took a few days and a few headaches before it was floating again.  Once the boat was back in the water, Ben spent the next few months tinkering with a Honda 10 hp engine that had also been swamped during a storm.  Working on engines over the water can be tricky because if you drop a part, it will most likely fall into the water... and you can pretty much forget about getting it back.  After a few lost parts and a few more headaches, Ben decided to get an already-working engine instead.  So he got a sweet deal on a Suzuki 9.9 hp engine and put it in place.  The Livingston was finally mobile!  A day or two later, the starter broke and Ben was up to his limit with headaches so he dropped the starter off at the shop to be fixed on solid ground.  Luckily, the engine can be started manually while the starter is at the shop.

Last week, Ben used the Livingston to tow Joe & Julie's 51 foot concrete sloop from the mooring field to the cop docks at Shelter Island.  Unfortunately, I was at school (actually, that was pretty fortunate for me because I'm pretty sure I would have had a panic attack if I had to be present for that maneuver!) so I didn't get any pictures or videos. 

Ben took the Livingston out to the ocean today, and I got a beautiful HD video of him taking off... I'd love to share it but unfortunately my new Verizon internet card sucks just about as bad as AT&T did (no, wait... it sucks MORE) so naturally it cut out about three quarters of the way through the upload to YouTube (and of course it took a good two hours for it to upload to that point) so I won't be able to share it today.  If I'm ever near a real internet connection, maybe I can get the video loaded and share it with everyone.  For now, we'll have to settle for still life.

Danny, Bruce, Chris & Mo

Lately, it seems life has taken on the same pace as sailing. For those of you who’ve never sailed, that means long stretches of relaxation, followed by short bursts of intense action, followed by more relaxation, and so on and so forth. This last week fell into the "intense action" phase. Ben finished installing our new bow roller and anchor last weekend, and I helped him replace all the nuts and bolts forward of the mast. Here’s what our old setup looked like:

Mo-C came equipped with a 22-ish lb. Danforth anchor attached to the bow pulpit (and a couple extra ones stowed in the lazarette).

Danny Boy's been working like a charm for us, but we decided to upgrade and add a little variety with a 33 lb. Bruce anchor. Danforths work well in mud and sand, but not so well in grassy bottoms. Bruces are good for mud, sand and rocks. So far, I'm pretty sure we've only anchored in mud and sand, but I try not to go in the water too often, so I'm not positive about that.

Unfortunately, Bruce can't hang from the pulpit like Danny did, so Ben installed a bow roller to house him.

Now Bruce lays nice and snug at the bow, ready to dive in whenever we nudge him.

Amidst the upgrading and maintaining, Ben's cousin, Chris, stopped by on Tuesday to hang out and check out Mo-C for the first time. We had a running deal that we'd come check out his new house after he came and checked out ours.  Looks like it's our turn to hold up our end of the bargain!

While Chris was visiting, Anna stopped by, followed soon after by Justin. We all enjoyed some cocktails and conversation in the cockpit under the beautiful sunny sky.

I think it was later on that evening when Mo appeared. (Not Mo-C... this is Mo-N... one of Ben's oldest friends from Virginia.) He surprised us with a visit and stayed for a couple days with us on the boat.

This has been a good year for visitors. And we're still waiting for the rest of you to come on down and play pirate for a day... ;)

Got Gas?

We do.  Propane gas, anyway.  And a working oven and grill.  I'm baking some stuffed shells as I type this.  Last night we baked some cookies with Adam.  Only thing we need now is some cookie sheets and pans.  It's kinda tricky baking on tin foil all the time!  Here are some pics of the newest addition to our family:

One Down

We're off to a good start on this year's goals.  Ben went diving this afternoon and found our lazarette cover in the silt a few boats down from ours.  (Along with the tail of the wind generator and a towel that we lost during the microburst.)  Looks like we can check one item off our To Do list!

2009 Greatest Hits

This year, I am making a list of all of our big boating accomplishments in 2009, as well as a list of things we hope to accomplish in 2010.  It will be fun to look back at the end of next year and see how far we've come.
So here it is:

Accomplishments in 2009:

*Rebuilt Exhaust for Atomic 4 Engine
*New Battery Bank for Solar Electrical System
*Purchase Oven & Add Storage in Galley
*A Closet Rod
*Dinghy Gets Bottom Paint
*Lighting in the Salon
*Stereo and Speakers
*V-Berth Add-On
*Wind Generator *
*Haul Out for Bottom Paint & Transducer
*We Weathered our very first Microburst
*Shoe Storage in V-Berth (see picture above right)

*Unfortunately, the wind generator was lost during the microburst and will therefore be added to our 2010 To Do List.

Fortunately, 2009 wasn't all work.  We also found time to play throughout the year: 

*First Anchorage
*First Ocean Sail
*Whale in San Diego Bay
*Spring Break in San Felipe
*Moving Day
*7,127 Mile Cross Country Road Trip
*Anza Borrego Desert

And finally, here is a sneak preview of  things we hope to accomplish in 2010:

*New Wind Generator
*New Lazarette Cover
*Propane System w/ New Grill
*New Foam and Covers for V-Berth
*Covers for Cockpit Cushions
*New Sails (Roller Furling and Main)
*Chartplotter, Depthfinder, Radar, Autopilot (Raymarine C70)
*Raise Boom
*Dodger/Bimini
*New Anchor, Chain and Windlass

Happy New Year, Everyone!

Haul Out: Day Two

Yesterday, Ben popped all the blisters on the keel so they

had time to dry out before sanding, priming and repainting.

This morning, we taped off a new waterline, about 3 inches higher on the sides and all the way up to the transom in back.  Since we live aboard, Mother Culture carries a little more weight than she used to, and the old line was a little too low for us.

Next, we hung plastic all the way around in order to protect our neighbors' boats while sanding. Bottom paint contains copper which can cause stains.

V-Berth

V-BERTH [vee burth] -noun: The bunks forming a "V" at the front (bow) of a boat.

This is a picture of our V-Berth.

Typically, sailors sleep with their feet towards the bow. Not always true for Ben and I. For the first year of our lives on Mo-C, Ben and I slept with our heads in the bow. It was a little tight- not quite enough room up there for two normal sized pillows. We spent plenty of nights elbowing one another for lack of space (thank goodness we get along so well or we might not have lasted this long). Just a few months ago, we decided to try something new and flip around, feet towards the bow. It was like a whole new world. We were suddenly like those old couples who sleep in separate beds. At first, I was excited to decorate my half of the berth with pink feather boas and fluffy plush pillows. I could stretch my arms wide and snore as loudly as I wanted without ever having to worry about waking Ben.  And Lola? Oh Lola! She could finally find her place right between us without having to worry about falling or being kicked into the great abyss.  Life was good!

Eventually our new-found freedom and happiness turned into lonliness and isolation.  I'd wake up in the morning and call Ben on his cell phone to make sure he was still there, nestled beneath his pile of blankets.  With my arm stretched as long as it would go, I could almost reach him on the other side of the boat.  Almost.  But not quite.  A wedge was coming between us.  Or, more appropriately, a wedge-shaped void.

We began to resent the void.  We weren't ready to retire to separate beds like those old married couples.  We're not even married.  So why should we let this void in our V-berth come between us?  Well, my friends, the days of the void are fast coming to an end.  Last weekend, Justin came over with his power tools and he and Ben constructed a wedge to fill the void!  The void hasn't been filled completely, but nearing the top of my "List of Things to Do" is to buy new foam and construct new cushions for the V-berth, including our newly filled void.

And below our newly filled void will be ample storage for shoes! Hoorah!

Let There Be Light!

Some women love jewelry. Some women love flowers and chocolate. The way to this girl’s heart is through proper lighting. For the past year, I’ve been working online from Mother Culture’s settee: a not-so-ergonomically-correct table and seating area with extremely poor lighting. Until yesterday, the only working light in the main cabin was a wall-mounted fixture (circled in green) hung such that any person seated beneath it would unwittingly cast a shadow across the table (aka: my desk/work area). Each time I needed to write something down, I’d politely nod my head in order to shed some light on the situation. You might notice there are two light fixtures on the wall above the settee, but don’t let that fool you. Of the five fixtures throughout the main cabin, only two are wired for 12-volt electricity (one of which does not currently work). We don’t use 110-volt (nor do we ever intend to) since we live on solar power.

We (meaning Ben) had intended to rewire the boat and install super-energy-efficient LED lights in strategic locations throughout. A few weeks ago, he purchased one LED light as a sort of lighting experiment. Let’s just say the experiment went awry. He replaced the old wall fixture (circled in green, top left) with the new LED light (below, right). While the energy consumption was all we ever dreamed of, the light itself shone like a blinding, sterile floodlight, burning the retinas of anyone who dared enter our cabin. And I had the misfortune of trying to work beneath that light. Despite its floodlight qualities, it failed to illuminate the cabin as one might imagine.

Yesterday, Ben worked his magic and hung a pretty little fluorescent light (circled in red, top left) directly above the settee table. He replaced the LED eye-scorcher with the old 12-volt fixture, and moved the LED light into the V-berth where nary an eye should ever be cursed to glimpse it again. And I’m actually excited to work when the sun goes down. (Well, perhaps less excited about work and more excited about trying out the new lighting. Thanks again, Ben. :)

(Side note: We still intend to use LED lights in the future, after more research into soft white LED lighting.)

My Blue Heaven

What you see here is the bottom of my dinghy with a fresh, slick coat of bottom paint. Ben surprised me when I got home from school yesterday... He'd hauled out Dinghy, cleaned her bottom, and painted her a lovely shade of blue. I wish I had a *Before* picture for comparison, but since I don't, I can tell you that Dinghy tends to get pretty bogged down with marine hitchhikers each month. Ben typically cleans her bottom about once a month (yes, I am a lucky gal!)... around the time when her slimy sea skirt hangs 6 to 8 inches beneath the surface of the water. As you can imagine, that extra growth is heavy, which makes for slower rowing.

With her new blue bottom, she glides through the water like a knife through butter. And since the slimy sea creatures won't be able to latch on as easily, she won't need to be cleaned as often. So... does anyone wanna race?? ;)

Long Awaited

The previous owner of our boat had outfitted her with a 400-disc DVD changer and a flat screen television. Because of my obsession with everything feng shui, I loathe clutter and rid myself of my meager DVD collection years ago. Ben loathes clutter, too, I'd assume because when I met him, he came complete with an outfit, a backpack and a laptop. Needless to say, we had no use for a DVD player, much less a 400-disc DVD changer, so we gave it away to a friend who, I'm guessing, still has yet to load a single DVD into that monster. The TV had to go, too, for many reasons, but mainly because every time we sat at the settee, we bumped our heads on it.

Here are the before pictures:

The giant hole in the side of our navigation station/closet was once home to that monster DVD player. Because of this hole, we've not had a hanging rod in our closet for more than fourteen months. During that time, we've been storing our clothes in deep, dark crevices of Mother Culture. This makes for difficult searches and lots of wrinkles. Being female, one of my main concerns on this boat was closet space. I like to think of myself as a "Master Organizer" (can't you tell by the mess in the bottom of the closet- pictured above?!), but organization on a boat can feel a bit defeating. The storage spaces are oddly shaped, mostly deep and dark, typically in hard-to-reach or inconveniently-located spaces. It's enough to drive a girl crazy. This week, I decided to do something about it. With a little help from my Ben, we reconstructed a wall on which to secure a closet pole which will: 1) offer a new (better) place to hang clothes and 2) open up some of the more obscure storage spaces for other messes (such as the one pictured above in the bottom of the closet!)

Here are the after pictures:

Eventually we will find a painting or other cool decoration to hang over the unsightly hole.

Dana Point

I met Ben and Adam at Dana Point Shipyard yesterday morning. Adam is spending the weekend scraping, sanding and repainting the bottom of his boat, Rita. Hopefully, by the end of the year, Ben and I will be doing the same with our boat. Here are some pics from their voyage and the sights around Dana Point Harbor:

Adam and Jasmine at the helm

Smoke from the L.A. Wildfires

A view from the cockpit

The fog rolling in on Doheny State Beach

Rita in position to be hauled out

Haulin' Out

Adam scraping barnacles

Lola, Adam, Rita & Ben

You can always tell the fishing boats
because the birds flock to them

Dana Point Harbor

Pirate Ship

Adam, if you're reading this... Bon Voyage and don't forget your SD Family!!