How NOT to Buy a Cruising Boat: A Review

When Scott and I set out cruising, we made one glaring, huge, and pretty colossal mistake: we bought the wrong boat. Don't get me wrong, our first boat, Rasmus, will forever have our hearts and souls tied up in her - and she was in every single way a fantastic boat (strong, sturdy, beautiful, and a steady and patient 'teacher'). But - in hindsight - she was not the "right" boat which was why, not even two years after cruising with her, we found ourselves in the market for another boat.

When Deb Akey of the blog The Retirement Project, shot me an email to see if I was interested in reading and reviewing her book, "How Not to Buy a Cruising Boat", I jumped at the chance. Not only was I very interested in the subject matter considering our first 'mistake' (no regrets!), but knowing that we still do not have what we would consider our "forever" boat, I thought that perhaps I could learn a thing or two. (Universe, we would *love* a three cabin Hallberg Rassy 46, just in case you are wondering!) 

I started reading and after two chapters I felt compelled to write Deb this email:

Hey Deb! I am plowing through your book - just wanted to let you know that I am THOROUGHLY enjoying it!!!! I will probably have a review up in the next week...I'll give you a heads up, but - wow - so impressed!! I love it! You and TJ are great writers (odds of BOTH of you being equally entertaining?!?!) and there's so much good knowledge in there - can't wait to share my review. Thanks again for the great read. xo

If that doesn't tell you how I honestly feel about this book, I don't know what will.

I would absolutely put "How Not to Buy a Cruising Boat" on the 'short list' of essential reading for any aspiring cruiser. And, believe me, I have read a LOT of great books about cruising. This book has earned a place at the top of the ranks. Why?

• It's a quick and easy read, yet full of fantastic tips. They truly cover all the bases with enough info to make you 'dangerous' but not too much information that it becomes a tome. For example, they ask the question: Are you really going to "sail around the world" or are you content to island hop around the Caribbean? Making a sound and realistic decision on this can save you many thousands of dollars on the boat (and gear) you "need".
• It's written from a "his and her" perspective. One thing that amazed me the most was the fact that both Deb and TJ write this book, and both authors are equally knowledgeable and entertaining. They alternate perspectives and chapters and it makes for an interesting read. I wasn't expecting that and was pleasantly surprised by this unusual style.
• They walk you through it all. Deb and TJ began from zero. No sailing background, no family boating ties...they did it all from scratch. From searching for boats on Yachtworld.com to your first survey, they'll walk you through the entire process of buying a boat and yet it doesn't feeeeeel like they are walking you through the entire process of buying a boat. They're just friends telling you a story. How did they do that?
• It's based on experience. Next time Scott complains about our boat, I'm going to make him read this book. Holy hell. It's really quite amazing that Deb and TJ have not a) thrown in the towel or b) gotten a divorce as they seemed to be living the "Marley and Me" of boating life. Learn from their mistakes.
• They keep it light. This is not your average, dry, "how to" reference-style book. More than once I laughed out loud at their recounting of a mishap or experience. As a fellow cruisers, these two speak the truth and with a great sense of humor.
• They are thorough. Deb and TJ are cruisers who went "all in" and by that I mean, they are really, really well researched. TJ also comes from a long line of mechanics and was an airplane technician in his former life so these two know what they ar talking about from a maintenance/mechanical perspective.
• They Keep it Real. For better or worse, they really drive home what it means to be a cruiser in this book; the good, bad and ugly. Anyone thinking of jumping into the cruiser lifestyle will not only find this book to be a treasure trove of great information on boat buying, but a really good glimpse into what it takes to live the lifestyle. Deb and TJ ask tough questions that will have you taking a good, hard look at what you want to do and why.
• They mention us. Okay, this is no reason to buy this book, but holy cow was it crazy fun to see "www.windtraveler.net" listed in print as one of twenty blogs singled out as helpful to them in their preparation! Not gonna lie, I squealed, took a screen shot and sent it to my best girlfriends. Big honor. Hugely flattered.

I loved this book and I think it's a really important read for anyone in the market for a boat. Your vessel will HUGELY impact (and I mean "make" or "break") your cruising experience, so this is a purchase that should be taken very, very seriously from the design to the integrity, from the mast head to the keel. There may not be such thing as the "perfect" boat, but there is definitely such a thing as the "wrong" boat and this book will definitely help steer you clear of mistakes that many cruisers make to end up there.

Deb and TJ: Saving potential cruisers from headache and heartache one crappy boat at a time.

Five Year Anniversary: Thoughts, Reflections and Confessions

Five years ago yesterday we untied the dock lines from our slip in Chicago and changed the course of our lives forever. If Facebook hadn't gently reminded me that "Here's a memory from five years ago!" and showed me the above picture, I absolutely wouldn't have remembered it (I mean, I can barely remember my own wedding anniversary), and I wouldn't have spent a large part of the day reminiscing and reflecting on all that has happened. I shared the picture to our Windtraveler Page with this caption:

This was the day we departed Chicago, 5 years ago. We sailed through the Great Lakes, across the Erie canal, down the Hudson River, down the East Coast, to the Bahamas, Turks and Caicos, DR, PR and all through the windwards and leewards to Trinidad. It wasn't always pretty or easy (and more times than I'd like to admit we wanted to throw in the towel on the lifestyle and each other) but it was definitely an adventure!

Two boats, over a dozen countries, fifteen thousand nautical miles, three daughters, countless 'wins', an equal number of mistakes and zero regrets. 

When I look at this picture, I am struck by several things. First, how utterly naive we were when we left. I mean, we did not have a CLUE. When we think back and talk about those days, both Scott and I shake our heads in disbelief at how ill-prepared we were and thank our lucky stars that we didn't get ourselves killed. Which tells you a little something about boats (they are stronger than we are), common sense (a little goes a long way), and luck (it was on our side). We made so many mistakes...We sailed right into a terrible storm (still to date our worst yet), ran into a rock in the Erie Canal (it's truly a miracle we didn't sink our boat), took on water (thank God it was fresh) which, subsequently, killed our transmission (hooray for warranties!) And that was all within the first month of our leaving! We had never, ever anchored. We'd never even heard of a GRIB file, hadn't really communicated via VHF before and - aside from one little shakedown sail across the lake - had never sailed over night. I will say this, though, those first six months - as steep of a learning curve as they were - were among the best, most exciting months we've had. The world was our oyster, and everything felt thrilling and new. It was, in hindsight, a pretty magical time. We took baby steps the entire way, and that is a large part of the reason we are still here.

The other thing that strikes me when I look at this photo, is how different our initial agenda was from what has become our reality. We all know that 'plans' are subject to change - particularly for those of us who have the luxury to live on boats with no real agenda other than that which our vessels and Mother Nature dictate... but it's funny how quickly - and drastically - ours changed. Our journey went from being a "3-5 year circumnavigation" to becoming an open-ended semi-nomadic life in the Caribbean. Why? The obvious answer lies in our blissful naiveté, we literally had no idea what, exactly, a circumnavigation entailed and, frankly, we decided that maybe we didn't need to circle the globe to be content (we reserve the right to do this later when our girls are older!) The other answers are tied up in getting work to fill the cruising kitty, taking six to thirteen month shore-side breaks to have babies and getting a bigger boat to accommodate this rapid crew expansion. The other day I ran into a friend from our Chicago sailing days and she said, "Hey! You guys were going to sail around the world, right?" and I laughed and replied, "Yeah, well...we didn't get very far!" But what we didn't cover in nautical miles, we covered in life (three of them, to be exact) and those little girls are our greatest accomplishments. Our's is more of an evolution to a life less ordinary than a journey "from point A to point B," and I'm cool with that.

I'm also struck by how much we have changed both as individuals and as a couple.  There's been a lot of laughter and a lot of tears. There's been some serious soul searching and many, many questions. The emotional roller coaster that is life on a boat has been as diverse as the winds and seas we've sailed in. When we left, Scott and I were newlyweds - and now, after spending almost all of our married years together 24/7 on a (relatively) small sailboat we're... not. There are land-based couples who don't spend as much time together as we have in five years in twenty-five years and that is really something. That much togetherness is intense and, to be honest, it's been pretty detrimental to our relationship at times. In fact, I'm not sure that kind of excessive togetherness is healthy for most couples (sure, there are the "unicorn" pairs for whom this sort of situation is 'easy' but that is not us) and I have many friends that tell me there is no way they'd survive day in and day out with their spouse. We are still very much trying to navigate the ocean that is wedlock and it is challenging to say the least, particularly on a boat. We've learned a lot about ourselves and each other, and it's not always pretty. But we ride the waves; learning, loving, stumbling and growing - trying to stay afloat both literally and figuratively. Some days are easier than others, just like cruising.

We've sailed a bunch of miles, traveled to some amazing places, and done things that most people will only dream of - but, at the risk of sounding mega corny - these things are very much secondary to the journeys that have taken place within. Among other things, we have found our passions on the sea; I have found a voice on this blog and now know my calling is to write and share; Scott got his 200-ton captain's license and has found his life's work on the ocean. We have grown from wide-eyed wanderers to lightly-seasoned cruisers who have decided to make a life afloat, at least for now...

I think that's what strikes me the most about this picture: the fact that we had no idea what was ahead. If you would have told me five years ago all that I have just wrote, I don't know that I would have believed you. I look at this picture and feel hope, excitement, and wonder. I can put myself back in that precise moment five years ago like it was yesterday; the nerves, the butterflies, the giddy excitement, the awe...I can feel the (unusually) warm fall air, hear the gentle rumble of our engine, recall exactly what I was wearing (my SLAM long underwear and Patagonia pants, no shoes) and summon the surreal feeling of being hyper-aware of how lucky we were, of being totally cognizant of a mega paradigm shift and knowing full-well that nothing would ever be the same from that moment forward. I was totally present and grateful. 

And that, right there, is the beauty of the endless horizon. You might know exactly where you've been, but you never know exactly where you are going.

Living Legends: 10 Questions with John and Amanda Neal

John and Amanda Neal are not your average sailing couple. At first glance, they look like any other pair of cruisers you'd see at a dockside pot luck; good looks, sun-kissed skin, Hawaiian shirts and easy smiles. You'd never guess that they are bonafide modern-day adventurers and incredibly accomplished sailors who have literally sailed circles around the vast majority of us. I met them last January and they are as unassuming as could be. But don't be fooled, they are anything but "normal". Having logged over 600,000 miles between them, it's hard to tell based on numbers and stats alone who is the 'saltier' of the two. At the tender age of 22, John took the helm of his 27 foot sloop and singlehanded from the Marquesas to Samoa (4000 miles) and wrote a best selling book about it. As a teen, Amanda sailed from New Zealand to Vancouver with her parents and in 1990 she completed The Whitbread Around the World Race (now The Volvo Race) as rigger aboard s/v Maiden, the first all-women Whitbread boat. Individually, their resumes are impressive and together they complete the dynamic duo behind Mahina Expeditions; the hard-core, hands-on, live-aboard sail training school that takes place in waters that most sailors only dream of.

I have been a huge fan of their website, which hosts a wealth of information on all things voyaging, since the beginning of this blog (check out their "boats to consider for offshore cruising" page for starters) and I still find myself referencing their site from time to time. These two are the real deal and it's my honor to present to you my interview with them:

1.  They say the #1 rule of cruising is to not have a schedule, yet you run a successful offshore sailing school that requires one which I imagine must be stressful at times. How hard is it to plan your itineraries and stick to them?  

It isn’t hard at all. I spend a lot of time researching the routes plus I’ve sailed most of them several times over the past 40 years and have a fairly good idea of what to expect, weather wise. I also crank 30-50% extra time in to the plan, so if we need to wait for better conditions we can drop some places we would normally have stopped to explore.

2.  You have done your fair share of sailing in both the big and little latitudes. Do you prefer one over the other? What stands out in your mind as the biggest difference between the two and what do you find the most challenging about high latitude sailing? 

We find the high latitudes more challenging, more difficult and more rewarding. Tropical sailing is lovely, and when we’re in Patagonia or the Arctic getting knocked around and cold and wet, we sometimes say, “What are we, crazy? Remind me why we left the tropics for this abuse?” We don’t prefer one over the other. We’ve just left the South Pacific after five incredible, over-the-top years. It was quite sad leaving several countries, but we’re already looking forward to return, although probably not for several years. (The biggest difference is:) The stronger winds, substantially larger seas and faster speed of movement of the weather systems. For instance, nearly each of the 15 or so times we’ve made the 2700 mile passage from Auckland, New Zealand to Tahiti on the northern edge of the Roaring Forties we’ve seen 50-60 kts and very large seas. On this passage we find professional weather routing very valuable.

3.  You do a lot of sailing instruction with people who are dreaming of taking the plunge into the live-aboard life. What would you say is the most common mistake or misconception your clients make/have when it comes to sailing/cruising? 

We frequently hear that folks find ocean passagemaking more physically demanding than expected and that their boats require substantially more time and money to maintain than anticipated. Another common mistake is waiting too long to reduce sail – which frequently results in damage to sails or rig.

4.  Similarly, you do a lot of consulting with people to help them find the perfect cruising boat. What is the one piece of advice you would give to people shopping for a boat? 

Give yourself plenty of time to find, repair and outfit your boat. Currently, the selection in North America for good offshore-capable boats in the under $100K and under $200K categories is quite slim. Unless the seller has just spent a substantial amount of time and money upgrading and preparing their boat for offshore, the purchaser can easily spend 100% of purchase price and 1-2 years in repairing and outfitting for passage making. The older you are, the newer the boat you should purchase, even if it is smaller, if you really want to go cruising.

5.  You and Amanda are both very skilled sailors with impressive resumes. What is one skill each of you possess that you found the most useful in regards to the cruising lifestyle? On the flip side, what is something you wish you were better at that would be helpful with life aboard? 

Amanda has an amazing situational awareness – when something breaks or there is a critical time, she can instantly figure out exactly what needs to be done and make repairs. I think this is partly a result of her extensive offshore racing background including completing the Whitbread Around the World Race as rigger aboard Maiden and surviving two hellacious Sydney-Hobart races in boats that slowly disintegrated. She wishes she had more interest in following the weather. I’ve found the ability to keep the big picture and plan ahead for everything helpful. Although we can both speak and understand basic French, I wish we had better language skills, particularly Spanish and Portuguese.

6.  Amanda is a very accomplished racer turned cruiser. Many women who cruise are following their husband's dreams and a rare few are as competent on a voyaging boat as Amanda. What is a piece of advice she would give to other women who are looking to boost their confidence and/or sailing skills?

• Discover your learning style. Most women learn differently then men. Cruising World magazine commissioned me to write this four-part series of articles on women cruising.
• Take the learning at your own pace and keep it fun and enjoyable. Don’t beat yourself up if something goes wrong.
• Don’t forget to take time out for yourself and your own passions/interest, whether sewing, bird watching, dancing, reading, yoga, fitness or whatever. I often find the most interesting and happy cruising women are ones who take time to incorporate their own interests.

7.  If you could give one piece of advice to people who are starting out cruising, what would it be? 

Get off your boat and explore every chance possible. Don’t let your boat become all-consuming. Follow your personal interests and passions while cruising. Use your skills and ingenuity to make a positive impact on the places you visit and people you meet.

8.  You have made your life's passion (sailing/voyaging) your work. How do you not get "burned out"? 

We are never on the boat 12 months a year, and find most people who are, get burned out with cruising. We always plan ahead and find a safe place ashore to leave our boat during hurricane or winter storm season. As much as we love being on the boat, we’ve found it very healthy to have 4-5 month breaks each year. In the beginning it was because I’d always run out of money and need to head home to work for a few months. Now, even if we didn’t need to come back to work, we still would as we really appreciate the change of focus and pace. It’s a joy to catch up with friends and family and mentally stimulating to work, but by the time we head back to the boat, we are both really looking forward to it. 

9.  You sail on a Hallberg Rassy 46 (coincidentally our *dream* boat) - why did you choose her and if you could change one thing, what would it be? 

We looked worldwide for several years before ordering a Hallberg-Rassy 46. Some of our criteria: great sailing performance, protected helm position (the factory option of a permanent hard dodger is brilliant), substantial build quality as we sail in some fairly extreme weather conditions, extensive tankage (265 gallons water, 1400 mi range under power), simple and sturdy rig, moderate draft (6’1”) and tons of storage space. We’ve now sailed Mahina Tiare III 181,000 miles, the equivalent of seven times around the world and she is still in excellent condition. (For more, read John's review of the HR 46). The one thing we would change would be no teak decks. We tried to get HR to skip the teak decks, but as they’ve never built a boat over 34’ without teak decks, they have no non-skid pattern in the deck mold and wouldn’t do that.

10.  Of all the places you have sailed, is there one that keeps calling you back? I know it's almost impossible to ask "what is your favorite" - but...do you have a favorite destination? 

Amanda: The Azores – they are so fresh, small and romantic. We really love and are drawn to isolated, small offshore islands and the very interesting people we find there. Some examples: the Aran Islands off the west coast of Ireland, Norway’s Lofoten Islands, the Shetlands, Chiloe Island in Patagonia and the tiny, isolated islands of the South Pacific like Mopelia. 

John: I would add Vanuatu and Fiji for the islanders infectious zest for life and crazy sense of humor and Antarctica and Spitsbergen for the 24 hours of daylight mid-summer and how everything seems like it is in 3D and larger than life.

Want more of the Neals?

John and Amanda will be presenting at the upcoming Chicago, Seattle and Vancouver boat shows.
Sign up for their in-depth full-day seminar on Offshore Cruising (which covers 18 topics and includes their 260 page cruising companion) or check out their smaller free seminars on everything from storm tactics to outfitting.

Check out John's book Log of the Mahina - A Tale of the South Pacific about his journey to the South Pacific.

Aside from being an accomplished sailor, Amanda is a talented cook as well. Check out her book: The Essential Galley Companion - Recipes and Provisioning Advice for your Boating Adventures

All photos used in this post are by Tor Johnson and used with permission.

Will We Be Seeing you at the Boat Show?

For land-locked boating enthusiasts who are kept from the water for one reason or another (in our case, arctic cold and operation "supersize our family"), there are few things more exciting than ogling new boat designs, perusing useful boat products, and - in general - wading through a virtual sea of what many of us like to call "boat porn".  Yes, people, I am talking about attending boat shows...and this weekend our home port of Chicago just so happens to host one of the very best.

Strictly Sail takes place every winter here in Chi-town and before we became cruisers, Scott and I spent many, many hours navigating the aisles of this stellar show as we fed our dreams and plotted our course to the future.  Anyone who loves sailing can enjoy walking around to see what it has to offer and if you are an actual boat owner, well, be prepared to drop some coin as there are often great deals on awesome products from ground tackle to galley equipment and everything in between.  It's all here and racers, day sailers, bare-boaters and cruisers will run around like kids in a candy store trying to see the myriad of booths and vendors that cater to each of them.

Before we set out cruising, Scott and I were particularly fond of the free seminars that would be offered.  They cover a whole host of topics on all things boating and cruising and there is definitely something to tickle the interest of every caliber of sailor from the newbie to the old salt.  One look at this year's seminar list and you'll see it's a virtual who's who of the nautical world with presenters like Nigel Calder, Lin and Larry Pardey, John and Amanda Neal, and John Kretchmer to name a few.  Pretty awesome if you ask me.  It's not every day you get to rub shoulders with the likes of those folks!

This year we are particularly thrilled because, as luck and fate would have it, we have been invited by our wonderful friends, Paul and Sheryl Shard of Distant Shores, to be guest speakers during their Friday seminar "Earning While Cruising" (ironically, the four of us also contributed to a recent blog post on the same subject).  While the presentation is all Paul and Sheryl (two of the nicest cruisers you can ever hope to meet, by the way) - they will be giving us the floor for a bit to talk about our experiences funding our dream as well as being a part of their Q&A session with audience members at the end.  So. very. cool!  

We are totally flattered and honored to be a part of this and we're looking forward to meeting a few of you wonderful folks as well!  If you plan to be at the show tomorrow, be sure to keep your eyes peeled for us and - if you have the time - stop by room 313 at 3:30 and have a listen (yep, Isla will be there too!).

OH! And in case you don't recognize us without out swimsuits and lovely tans, I'll be the one sporting the giant Buddah belly! (33 weeks pregnant today!!)

Happy New Year

My how things have changed.

Turns out, New Years Eve is pretty much a non-event when you have a baby under one year old and a husband who is away working.  In my wilder days I might have been up partying long past midnight, but last night?  Well... I was up at midnight,  but only to administer some baby tylenol to Isla who had a little fever (she's fine now, thanks).  When I heard her whimper I checked my watch (as I always do) and lo and behold, it was twelve o'clock on the dot!  "What are the chances?" I though to myself.  I picked her up, kissed her sweet little face and whispered "Happy New Year, baby".  No horns, no fireworks, no champagne.  Just a little kiss, 2.5 milligrams of Tylenol and back to bed we went.  Am I complaining?  Nope.  It was perfect.  And no colossal hangover today!  Point for child-rearing.

2012 was an incredible year for our family marked by some pretty life-changing events:  We sailed to Trinidad, had a baby, bought a new boat, sold our old boat and spent over two months prepping the new boat for extended cruising.  We are looking very forward to another year full of love, adventure and new horizons in 2013, and wish the same for you.  Ten days until Scott comes back and shortly after, we are Bahamas bound!  Hooray!

If there was one photo that captures the essence of our child, it is this one!

Approach the New Year with resolve to find the opportunities hidden in each new day. 

 ~Michael Josephson

Mini-Fit

Scott and I aren't entirely sure what a "refit" entails, but we're pretty sure we did it on our last boat.  Rasmus got a new engine, new sails, new rigging, new steering, new wires, new hoses, new seacocks, new electronics...the whole nine yards.  Sigh.  It was a hard decision to sell what was a literal "labor of love", but we knew that eventually we'd need a bigger boat.  The buyers market combined with being land-locked and able to shop around for six months meant the timing was right.  So here we are with our new boat, checking things off another "to-do" list. (And yes, our beloved old Rasmus sold).

While Asante's work list is impressive, we wouldn't call it an actual "refit".  We like to call what we've done the past eight weeks a "mini-fit".  For those of you boating enthusiasts who care about lists like these, here is what we have accomplished since we arrived down here at the end of September (actually, it doesn't look so "mini" at all now that I see it all typed out):

• Deck coring fixed
• Re-bedded deck hardware from bow to midship
• Bottom peeled and re-painted
• New custom-made navigation station panel
• Moved chartplotter
• Added stays’l
• Added bilge pump control switch
• Wired bilge pump directly to battery
• Added two Y Valves to aft head and manual whale sanitation pump to allow us to either pump out our holding tank manually or divert black water overboard
• Installed fresh water filter
• Installed Cruise RO watermaker
• Replaced pressurized fresh water system pump and added new fresh water accumulator and sea strainer
• Replaced broken fresh water foot pump
• Converted starboard salon from a two seat arrangement to single settee
• Replaced pedestal wiring box cover with starboard
• Replaced broken panel breaker switches
• Replaced all halogen bulbs with LED
• Added pad eyes in lazarette to secure bins and increase storage
• Built starboard cutting board/sink cover to create more counter space
• Custom-cut board to convert settee into double berth
• Replaced old sink faucet heads
• New EPIRB
• New (to us) Yamaha 15 HP outboard motor
• New deck-mounted liferaft
• Added 7 isolation valves to sea chest
• New manual whale bilge pump
• New SSB
• New AIS (receive and transmit)
• Weber baby Q grill and mount
• 2 Solbian CP 125 watt solar panels
• Fusion stereo and remote control in cockpit
• New VHF and RAM mic
• 5 Caframo sirocco fans
• 4 speakers - 2 cockpit, 2 in main salon (making a total of 4 salon speakers, as there were already 2)
• PYI instrument antenna pole with rogue wave wifi antenna, aft deck flood light and AIS GPS antenna with wire run for optional secondary VHF antenna
• Outboard motor hoist
• New stern light with LED bulb
• New custom made support for starboard side table
• Victron battery monitor
• High water bilge pump alarm
• Remote for inverter/charger
• Remote for Genset
• 4 DC outlets (to make seven total on the boat)
• 1 AC outlet (to make seven total on the boat)
• Centerboard retrieval hole drain cover in cockpit
• Got three jerry cans (5 gallon jugs for fuel, gas, and water)
• New Rocna 73 lb anchor
• New windlass gypsy to house 3/8 G4 High-test chain
• Sails removed, cleaned and serviced
• Canvas enclosure cleaned and re-stitched with UV protected thread

Still to come in the next few weeks:

• New dinghy davits by UMT Marine
• 275 Feet of new anchor chain
• Replace all mast lights and navigation lights with LED bulbs

So... as you can see we ("we" being Scott for the most part) have done a lot.  None of it, aside from the deck coring and adding the stays'l was structural or what we'd consider "major".  Most of the projects were upgrades to make life a little easier and additions to make this boat a little better suited for cruising and for our family.  I am sure I've missed a few things, but this is the gist of it.  While Scott did a fair amount of this work by himself, we couldn't have done it without the help of our buddy Walt Genske, our boat neighbor Dave, our friend Travis and our new friend, Jake, of Muszynski Marine.  Work is always better and goes by a LOT faster when shared with (capable) helpers!

Winding down...The Twelve Days of Refit!

We have exactly twelve days before Scott leaves for Grenada to Captain s/v Diamant.  That is has inspired a twelve days of christmas style song...because frankly, Isla woke up at 5am this morning and I don't have much more in me at the moment.  Here goes nothing...

On the first day of refit, my true love gave to me: a Y valve in our aft head!
On the second day of refit, my true love gave to me: two pumping bilge pumps!
On the third day day of refit, my true love gave to me: three working faucets!
On the fourth day of refit, my true love gave to me: four new DC outlets!
On the fifth day of refit, my true love gave to me: five fuses fusin'!
On the sixth day of refit, my true love gave to me: six fans a blowin'!
On the seventh day of refit, my true love gave to me: seven brand new hoses!
On the eighth day of refit, my true love gave to me: eight icky roaches!
On the ninth day of refit, my true love gave to me: nine pieces varnished!
On the tenth day of refit, my true love gave to me: ten electronics wired!
On the eleventh day of refit, my true love gave to me: eleven bins to stow things!
On the twelfth day of refit, my true love gave to me: twelve ordered spares!

...and so much more.  This boat is a completely different boat than it was two months ago.

While this list has obviously been manipulated to fit into a zippy Christmas tune, Scott has been nothing short of amazing and with a little help from our friends, he has seriously kicked our project list's ass.  It's incredible how proficient in everything "boat" he has become.  It looks like we'll be good to go come January 21st.  Most of our big projects are complete or well on their way to completion, and all we have left are piddly little projects that can be done underway if need be.  It feels so good to see the light at the end of the tunnel and I am SO proud of my handy hubs.

As for Isla, it looks like she might have inherited her parents athleticism.  At seven months old, she is not only crawling around like mad, but standing up and balancing on her own!  She even creeps and inches along furniture to get from point A to point B.  She is so clever and funny, so inquisitive and deliciously cute but boy oh boy do I hope she holds off on walking for another few months!

Maiden Sail

We took Asante out for her maiden sail yesterday.  While we sea trialed her back in July, yesterday was officially the first time we sailed her as our own.  Despite the fact that we still have quite a few projects to complete and cleaning up the boat to take her out for a day sail was no small feat, Scott was adamant that the first time we go sailing NOT be to the Bahamas, which I get.  Scott readied the boat, cleaned her up all spic and span, I made sandwiches and packed the beer and off we went with a few of our closest Lauderdale friends.  It was a little nerve racking at first:  new-to-us boat, unfamiliar engine, new deck layout and feel to the helm.  If Scott was nervous, he didn't show it but I had butterflies in my tummy as a myriad of "what if's" scrolled through my worrisome head.  It was all for naught though, because as soon as we made it out to the ocean, our boat behaved beautifully, little Isla was a natural and the entire process went off without a hitch.  Huge thanks to our good friends Travis and Dave for being a big help to Scott while I tended to (and napped with) Isla.

The wind was about eighteen knots out of the ENE with 4-5 foot waves and our boat, tank that she is, handled the confused seas and gusty breeze beautifully.  She's a lot less lively and significantly more solid on the water than our old boat, Rasmus.  She will definitely be able to handle bigger seas and heavier winds with a more grace due to her size and relative weight.  The success of yesterday's sail was exactly the confidence booster we needed to push us through this final stage of refitting.  When we got back to the dock, Scott cracked a beer with a big grin on his face and toasted, "Let's go to the Bahamas!"  The next time we go sailing, we just might!

Six Less Than Ideal Things to Discover About Your Boat

Peek-a-boo!! You can't see them, but they can see you!

The past few days have been busy, busy around here.  Scott has assembled a skilled and capable team of three guys including our awesome boat neighbor, Dave (former woodworker extraordinaire), to help bang out a bunch of projects over the next couple weeks.  They've already completed a lot: the bilge pump is hard wired to the battery, they installed a high-water bilge alarm, our watermaker is almost completely installed, we have new DC outlets in strategic places around the boat, our holding tank manual pump-out is ready for install, lazarette sectioning off has begun and much more.  It feels really good to see things getting crossed off our list and Scott is much more efficient with this great team around him.

While Scott is doing manual labor on the boat, my job - besides caring for the best baby on the planet (wink) - is to do research.  Lots and lots of research.  I order parts he needs, email companies and research solutions for problems.  Between Scott's manual labor and my super-sleuthing, we have discovered some not-so-great things about our new boat.  I will chronicle them here in the hopes that a) we don't make the same mistakes again and b) if any of you are looking for boats, you can keep your eyes peeled for these things.

Six Less-Than-Ideal Things to Discover About Your Boat 

1. Your chain and anchor are undersized.  We knew this when we bought the boat.  Not a big deal.  When it comes to ground tackle we go big.  In our opinion, this is not an area to cut corners on.  We were planning on upgrading the 50lb generic claw anchor and 5/16 BBB chain anyway.  We figured all we'd need was to purchase a new 73lb Rocna and swap out the old gypsy with a 3/8 G4 High Test gypsy and we'd be good to go.  Not so.  Which leads us to number 2...
2. Your windlass no longer exists, and neither do the parts it.  Unfortunately, the above projects are much bigger than originally thought because our Simpson Lawrence windlass is no longer in production (I literally have scoured the internet for hours and have yet to find another photo of it) and parts for an unidentifiable out-of-production windlass are hard to come by.  The company has apparently been bought by Lewmar and is slowly being faded out of existence.  I contacted the folks at Lewmar and they told us that our windlass is so old that not only does a 3/8 gypsy not exist, but neither do any spare parts.  It's looking like we'll be in the market for a new windlass...sigh.
3. Your winches no longer exist, and neither do the parts for them.  Another project I was given was to purchase some service kits for our winches.  Turns out, our Barient winches are also no longer in production and finding parts and service kits for them borders on the impossible.  They might be working fine at the moment, but on a boat, it's safe to assume that everything will need servicing sooner than later.  Guess we'll have to hope for the best here because we are NOT replacing all of our winches.
4. You have aluminum water tanks.  Aside from the fact that aluminum pits and corrodes, did you know that aluminum is linked to all sorts of health issues from Parkinsons to Alzheimers!?  I did not.  Some people suggest coating the inside of the tank with epoxy to help with corrosion and/or drinking aluminum which sounds fine and dandy, but to open up, clean out and paint our water tanks would involve tearing the boat apart.  Like, literally tearing it apart.  Again.  Anyone care to weigh in on this matter?  Big deal, not so big deal?
5. Every lightbulb on board is halogen.  Energy efficiency is key on a cruising boat and Scott and I replaced every single bulb on Rasmus with LEDs.  They last longer and use up to 75% less energy than other types of bulbs.  While this is NOT a cheap undertaking (LED bulbs range from $10-$50 bucks a pop), it was well worth it in energy saved.  Last night, I went through all the lights on Asante (except the ones up the rig) and determined that not only is there not a single LED on board, but every friggin' light is halogen.  Heat generating, energy sucking, fire hazard creating halogen.  Sweet.  Replacing all these is going to be very costly and a bigger-than-it-seems project.  
6. Your boat is housing baby German cockroaches.  This one is the clincher.  Remember when I found that one cockroach on Rasmus?  Yeah.  I nipped that problem in the bud right away and we never saw another after that.  The other day, Scott and I were inspecting under the floor boards when we saw these tiny brown bugs crawling around.  A little Googling here, a little photo identifying there and it's official:  our boat is housing baby German cockroaches.  The thought of this makes me gag and shudder with creepy-crawliness so Scott is, at this very moment, getting an arsenal of cockroach killing supplies (foggers, boric acid, roach motels - the works).  We are not moving aboard until after we kill these bastards and, obviously, thoroughly clean the boat to remove any traces of toxins from all surfaces.  Insecticides and babies do not mix.  

So yeah, we're taking two steps forward and two steps back at the moment and not in the cute Paula Abdul kind of way.  It's how it goes in the world of boat refitting.  We'll get as much done as we can and leave the rest to accomplish as we go.  In the meantime, if any of you have any advice/solutions/thoughts on any of the above we'd love to hear them!

Baby Stays and Bins

Our new baby stay is installed!

Yesterday was a big day around here.  Our boat was officially converted into a "slutter" with the installation of our new furling baby stay (read this post to find out why) and we unpacked ALL of our boxes.  Yep, all thirty-four of those puppies.  We are very, very excited about these two things.

Scott and I are pretty organized when it comes to stowing our boat.  The number one goal being to maximize space while maintaining order.  I'm not sure if it's the "right" or the "best" way, but what we do is go absolutely nuts with bins.  I've spent hundreds of dollars on bins and/or storage solutions in the past four years and, in our opinion, it's money well spent.  Not only do bins keep items organized (for example; we have a "battery bin", a "charger bin", an "electronics bin", a "lightbulb bin" etc.) but it keeps things clean, rust free and safe from any water intrusion or spills as well.  More than once we discovered minor leaks because salt water pooled on the bins rather than being absorbed into the cabinets which not only made the leaks easier to diagnose, but spared damaging our stuff.  Another time we had a minor "oil spill" in our lazarette and instead of oil covering everything and ultimately draining into our bilge, the spill was contained in a single bin.  Suffice it to say, we dig our bins.  We also dig the incredible amount of storage space on this new boat.  All our belongings have been stowed and we have plenty of unused spaces in which to 'grow'.

The way we typically figure out our bin configuration is by trial and error.  I get a slew of various sized bins from The Container Store and then we play real-life Tetris with those bins to find the best and most efficient configuration.  Bins we like, we get more of.  Bins that don't work, we return.  From there, we load our belongings into them - usually with some sort of theme as I mentioned above - and label them with our label maker.  The most useful or "every day" items go in the easier to reach places, the less used items go in the more tricky places.  We love this system and find it has been the best way to stow our boat with the least amount of chaos.  Chaos on a boat is not a good thing.

Isla also enjoyed her time aboard her new home.  This child is all about being on her feet these days.  Crawling is merely a means to get to some place where she can prop herself up to stand and, preferably,  bounce.  Walking we fear is just around the corner.  While a walking baby on a boat definitely falls into the "chaos" category, we'll refrain from the urge to stick her in a bin.  And unfortunately, our new baby stay has nothing to do with a baby staying anywhere on this boat.  Ho hum.

We're curious, what are the ways in which you stow your boat? Do you use bins as well or do you have another method? Have any tips or tricks that work for you?

The Taxman Cometh

Okay, that was a really bad attempt at a clever blog title.  But even still, it is appropriate.

In my post the other day, I alluded to the fact that we must leave Florida by January 21st because our sale tax exemption will run out.  I don't know much about sales tax at all really, but in Florida the magic number is 6%.  If, however, you buy a boat here and register it elsewhere, you are able to skirt this tax (which in our case is not insignificant so skirt it we will).  There is a catch, of course:  you must leave Florida in 90 or 180 days*, and you must send PROOF to the Florida Department of Revenue that you left.

When we bought the boat, we were given a choice:  we could file for a 90 day extension for $20 bucks, or we could file for a 180 day extension for $425.  Luckily, Scott and I decided to err on the side of caution and opted to spring for the 180 day exemption just in case.  While our "original" plan had us leaving...well, yesterday...we knew from our Rasmus refit that boat projects always take longer than anticipated and, obviously, we were right.  With the 180 day exemption we calculated that we had until the middle of February to leave.  Turns out, we were wrong.  Turns out,  January 21st is, in fact, d-day.  Glad we checked!

While that may seem like plenty of time to get things done, our situation is a little unique: Scott is leaving for his next rotation as captain with Island Windjammers on November 28.  He returns somewhere around January 12.  As such, that doesn't leave us much time at all.  In fact, it's less than two months of good, solid work days.  We are definitely up against the clock over here.

On the bright side, there is nothing like the threat of having to pay uncle Sam thousands of dollars to light a fire under your ass!  We will be avoiding the taxman and making a run for the Bahamas January 21st or sooner.  Scott is organizing a merry band of misfits to help him knock some projects off our to-do list so that we can move a little faster and be as close to 'ready' before he leaves for Grenada as we can.  Let the countdown to departure begin!

* "Leaving" can constitute going to, say, Georgia for a day and coming back - or crossing over to the Bahamas and coming back.  But if we're going to leave...we're just going to go.  No more messing around!

The Ft. Lauderdale International Boat Show

"Yeah, Joe?  Can you move a few million for me...there's a boat here I want to buy"...

If you are mega rich, it's only natural that you should own a mega yacht.  Yesterday, Scott, Isla and I took in the Ft. Lauderdale International Boat Show and holy MONEY...  Judging by this show I would say that life in the world of the filthy rich is...well, filthy rich.  I don't know about you, but I cannot even fathom having the kind of coin that would allow me to drop a cool six million on a boat.  Six million.  The expense doesn't stop there either - the yearly operating costs of these mega-yachts is enough to pull a small island nation out of poverty.  It's mind boggling.  Scott and I walked lazily along the docks (Isla was on my back) and were mesmerized by perfectly polished stainless steel, glossy hulls buffed to a mirror finish, and teak varnished to an impeccable lacquer.  Many a loafer was worn without socks and there was a lot of Louis Vuitton going on.  At one point as we were walking I stopped Scott's and said, "There are people actually shopping for boats here.  People are actually buying these boats!".  It's pretty hard to imagine.

What is also hard to imagine are the logistics required to pull a show like this off.  It is impressive.  Keep in mind, the average boat is probably - oh, I don't know - one hundred feet in length...and they pack these puppies in like sardines.  Like they're dinghies.  There must have been at least four hundred boats in an area that was smaller than a square mile.  BIG boats.  Some were no more than a foot or two apart.  They then brought in temporary floating docks to surround all these boats creating a veritable maze of opulence that was, admittedly, a little hard to navigate.

We had a great day wandering semi-aimlessly among the boats and imagining the lives of the people who were clearly shopping and not just ogling.  The tents that housed the vendors were interesting as well - particularly if you are in the market for a personal submarine, a jet-propelled water toy, and/or luxury bedding.  Unlike Strictly Sail , this show (obviously) caters more towards the mega yacht crowd and there's not much to offer the budget conscious cruiser.  Even so, we did manage to meet a few vendors and got some interesting contacts.  We even splurged and spent $60 bucks on new 16 piece set of Galleyware dishes while some other sucker out there spent $6 million on a mega yacht. Psh.

BIG thanks to our friend Dominik of UMT Marine for getting us tickets to the show! You're the best buddy!

Work: The Double Edged Sword

When Scott got his USCG Captain's license, we new that it would open up a whole new world for him in terms of work.  And it did.  It allows him gainful employment as a captain with Island Windjammers and opens up a bunch of other opportunities from doing deliveries to helping out on mega yachts here in Ft. Lauderdale (he's got a five day gig next week with our buddy Travis!).  You never know what the future leads, but I am pretty certain the sea is where his life's work will be, no more going to an office for him.

This is fantastic for us because a) he can potentially find work wherever in the world we are and b) these jobs will allow us to cruise indefinitely.  The down sides, of course, are a) we will not be able cruise while he works and b) we spend weeks apart at a time.  Yep, even when you live like wayward nomads in cool places,  it's difficult to have your cake and eat it too.

Scott reports to Grenada for an eight week rotation at the end of November and he is really scrambling to get all of our major projects completed before he departs.  Our goal is to be - more or less - ready to go when he returns mid-January.  At the moment he's working solo on the boat from 8am to 8pm, stopping for few breaks in between.  I bring him his lunch, steal little moments to help him here and there while Isla is napping, but for the most part - we pass like ships in the night.  Not ideal, but it is what it is.

Projects underway:

• The addition of an inner stay with a roller furling staysail (the boat is already set-up for this, but does not have one) in progress with a local rigging company
• The modification of our bimini and solar panels so that the two can zip together in progress with local canvas company
• Installation of our new watermaker
• Installation of isolation valves on our sea chest (more on this later)
• Installation of dinghy davits by UMT Marine
• Addition of our dinghy motor hoist to our instrument pole
• Mounting of our new Viking life raft canister to the deck

Those are the big ones, there are countless more "little" projects that must be completed as well.  While we might have more money to pay for these projects, we have less time to complete them.  And therein lies the double-edged sword.  We'll get there.  At the moment progress is slow, but slow and steady wins the race, right?

Boat is Launched and it is HOT

Asante has been splashed!  While this might seem like quite the milestone, I assure you, we have a LONG way to go.  As we learned with the refit of Rasmus, when it comes to boats, projects seem to beget projects and multiply overnight.  It's the nature of what we like to call the "onion peeling" game:  you solve one problem but in the process discover another.  And so it continues...

On the immediate list at this particular moment is getting our air conditioning working.  If you have never lived in the lower latitudes, you seriously have no idea how hot the interior of a boat can get in a yard or harbor devoid of breeze.  Our shirts are completely soaking wet (and I mean soaking wet) within the first five minutes of being down below.  You can literally feel the water pouring out of you.  Yesterday, the temperature inside our boat was 97 degrees with not a whisper of a breeze to provide relief.  The heat is even more oppressive because we don't have any fans installed yet, so getting the AC up and running is numero uno on our to-do.  Scott should have it fixed today and we're pretty certain we'll not only increase productivity, but lengthen our shortened fuses tremendously.  Turns out extreme heat is just as much of a mood killer as hunger or exhaustion.

I know, I know.  Yes, Asante has "air conditioning".  This was not something we were looking for when buying our next boat, but because she had it - we're keeping it.  AC is something that is very common in Florida-based boats, because the inland waterways and harbors offer little breeze and the summer is so god-awful hot. We had no AC on Rasmus and we were fine without it.  It's a system we foresee hardly using once we get underway.  In our experience, we found that with our fans running and hatches open, the boat was comfortable in 95% of anchorages so the need to run a power sucker like AC is nil (and they are power suckers!). 

You know who's taking all this heat the best?  Isla.  She's just happy as a clam as long as she has some item not intended for babies in her possession.  Whether it be my iPhone, camera case, car keys or sunglasses in her chubby hands, she's content.  Her face, hair and body might be all slick with sweet baby sweat, but she just happily entertains herself with whatever she can grab, flashing us her beaming two-tooth grin every now and then in between chews.  Such a trooper.

Many of you are curious about what we're doing to the new boat.  Here's the short list of "big" things on our "to-do" list, in no particular order:

• Install antenna tower with outboard motor hoist
• Install new AIS
• Install new Rogue Wave wifi booster
• Purchase and mount dinghy davits
• Purchase and mount solar panels
• Install new Fusion Stereo
• New AGM batteries
• Mount new Viking life raft canister
• Mount new EPIRB
• Replace broken breaker switches
• Replace fresh water pump

We also have about a thousand little things to do like double up hose clamps on thru-hulls, replace a wire here and a hose there, service winches, re-bed some hardware and the like.  We'll get it done, we've done it once before and we can do it again!

Love,
Brittany, Scott & Isla

Work Hard, Play Hard

It's been a busy couple of days here as we scramble to get the boat ready to launch.  As much as it pains me, Scott is pretty much a one man team while I stay back with Isla to make sure she gets all the attention she needs.  When you only have 2-3 hours of "wake time" in between "nap times" - there's little room for any significant boat work.  We were prepared for this.  Scott gets up early and heads to the boat, while Isla and I work on crawling, sitting up and eating organic veggies between slumbers.  Then we take a walk to meet daddy at the boat.  Pretty interesting stuff.   No, really, it is.  I can't wait to tell her she started crawling on astro-turf like carpeting of the Bali Hai Motel.

Anyway, yesterday was a productive day:  we decided where our new watermaker is going to go,  made our first (but certainly not last!) trip to West Marine, organized a meeting with the company who will create the vinyl lettering for our boat's name, lined up a few more big projects and installations, and Isla ate pureed carrots for the first time.  All of these indicate forward motion and forward means we're moving in the right direction!

When 4pm rolled around we decided it was time to call it a day so we headed to the beach and found a nice little bar to enjoy a couple happy-hour Coronas al fresco.  Turns out, Isla likes happy hour just as much as Scott and I do.  What fun is all work and no play anyway?

Love,
Brittany, Scott & Isla