Norfolk, VA
To see as much of the world as we can,
Using the smallest carbon footprint we can,
Spending the least amount of money we can,
Making as many friends we can.
Monday (Year 2, Week 2: Finishing Up) I was having a sphincter-clenching moment because things were not done and time was running out. Quickly.
Then, yesterday, Wes showed up with the last of the chainplates. I still have to install them, but they're here.
Grayson showed up with the last …
We're ready to paint. That should only take about a day.
We're ready for the last six of our chainplates to be made. The mainmast is complete. All ten of those chainplates rebuilt, the rig tensioned as best I could reset it. The six mizzen chainplates are still pending.
We …
There are two schools of thought on sanding the bottom.
Do.
Don't.
We've read a bunch of material on the "do" approach. The paint itself says this.
"PREVIOUSLY PAINTED SURFACES: In Good Condition: Remove loose paint by sanding with 80 grade (grit) paper, wipe with Special Thinner 216."
We've talked …
I think we've got an acceptable coat of polish on Red Ranger's hull. It's not really great. The boatyard folks can lay on a great finish. But. It's better than the finish has been in a long time.
You might be able to see the line in this picture …
The ICW ‘stash is a common problem.
In this picture, you can see that brown wave-shaped area in the bow.
There are lots of suggested remedies for the ‘stash. Here are a few.
Oxalic Acid, also known as Wood Bleach. For example, this: http://www.acehardware …
Started our second year living about Red Ranger by hauling her out of Jackson Creek.
And washing her for the first time in—at least—two years, maybe closer to 30 months.
Of course, we had barnacles everywhere. And "soft growth" (algae) that was right thick.
So far …
Four big things yesterday.
Another issue to wrestle with: the air conditioner.
We've used the forward A/C twice in the last two years. About a month ago when it was hot. About a week ago to test it after I pulled it out to get at the chainplates.
It's been hot. Really …
The machine shop did an excellent, outstanding, amazing job of cloning the first 8 chainplates.
It took some beating to get the new ones into the boat. Mostly the beating was because the new steel was perfectly straight and the fiberglass knees are slightly irregular.
The trick appears to be …
We spent part of our summer dismantling Red Ranger to get at the chainplates. They seem like massive blocks of steel. Except. While stainless is chemically tough, it's not really all that stiff. I learned this while westling with 12′ pieces of bar stock.
Now is the time to write a pithy, clever retrospective on the first year of living aboard a sailboat and seeing the watery parts of the world.
Instead, I've posted a picture from our first sail on Red Ranger, from June 27, 2010. We hadn't rigged the ratty old dodger …
Highly recommended product: The Pro-Fill system from Jan Watercraft Products.
I saw the video. Discovery recommended it highly as a great simplification in topping off the water for large battery banks. We have four Trojan T105 Plus batteries, and the two in the back of the area are almost …
The marina had a wedding reception for a local waterman. That means a lot of deadrises tied up to C dock. Plus a tent. Plus a DJ. Plus some music.
There were perhaps five visiting deadrises.
It is the official Viginia state boat.
The good news is that they …
The question arises, how much did we spend on fuel? What's the cost of bopping up and down the coast?
As they used to say, Your Mileage May Vary. If you're planning your first big trip (like we were not so many years ago) you'll need to think through your …
Happy Birthday Marja! Thursday was a big old party out in the parking lot by Motu. We saw Sapphire, Tilt, Baloo, Serenade among others.
Summer Wind was there, too.
We met them last year in Elizabeth City.
See "Week 6: Get Out of Town (Point) for Hurricane Sandy" for …
Even more foraging fun. Miss Ingy taught CA how to use a crab pot. She got four Jimmies her first day.
In addition to the crabs, she also got some ugly-looking Oyster Toadfish (a/k/a Mudtoads.)
It's a bit of a struggle getting the crabs to stay in …
That was fun. And now we know a little about how it all works.
Brooke and Susan from Liquid Therapy showed us the basics of catching Croaker.
Brooke likes a 2 oz. weight, and two number 4 hooks. He suggests synthetic blood worms in …
In addition to fussing around with software, we're also doing minimal boat jobs. CA's making Floating Leaf Tiny Quilts, working and learning how to crab as well as fish. Crabbing. Animals that live in the mud under the marina.
Meanwhile, I've done almost nothing.
Said farewell to Escape this …
Time to upgrade to a better blogging tool.
Avoid the rush, update your bookmarks now. Our first year, 2012-2013, ends soon.
Our second year officially starts September 16, 2013, at the new address:
In addition to fussing around with software, we're also doing minimal boat jobs. CA's making …
Made slow progress on two jobs: chainplates and raw water pump.
Chainplates have been inspected. We're still working on putting everything back in place. And working out the next steps.
The raw water pump is in place, too. We still need to test it. That requires time and a certain …