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.

Team Red Cruising

  • Merry Christmas from Red Ranger

    Wed 25 December 2013

    Christmas Day 2013 on Red Ranger.

    IMG_2120
    IMG_2120 "*Our stockings were hung in the cockpit with care — Dark Chocolate Oranges!*"
    IMG_2127
    IMG_2127 "*The Bar is Open — Bloody Mary Fixings*"
    IMG_2126
    IMG_2126 "*Christmas Waffles — A tradition that may not last much longer*"

    The iTunes Christmas Mix in on shuffle.

    It should warm up from …

  • Visitors and Jobs

    Sun 22 December 2013

    Our friend Chris — from way back in the hazy past of high school — stopped by for the day. He was in Florida for a bunch of family-related things (weddings and some vacation and stuff.)

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    IMG_2113

    Nothing more helpful than a steady, extra pair of hands to work on a fiddly …

  • Three Kinds of Wind

    Sat 14 December 2013

    There are three kinds of wind: too little, too much, and in the wrong direction.

    Last Thursday was too much wind. We waited. Friday to Saturday was forecast to be the wrong direction. We're waiting.

    We decided to walk the 2+ miles to the bus stop and take the #11 …

  • Is the Weather Window Closed?

    Thu 12 December 2013
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    IMG_2096

    Yesterday's forecasts looked good for a run down the coast. We took on water, cleaned up, did laundry showered. We had a final checklist for this morning's departure.

    Today…

    Well. It was a difficult decision to make. And there's always the regrets after making the decision.

    Did I do …

  • Cleaning and Watching

    Tue 10 December 2013

    Condensation was everywhere. Everywhere. Cold days and colder nights means water running down the inside of the boat. Running. Rivulets. The bilge pump had to run. Amazing amounts of condensation.

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    IMG_2090

    CA took the entire aft cabin apart.

    She wiped down everything with vinegar water to reduce the mildew growth …

  • Winter Weather Window

    Sun 08 December 2013

    Since we're looking at a series of day trips from here to Jacksonville, we're not looking for big weather windows. We think we can deal with some sail-and-then-wait cycles.

    We can't really dawdle too much longer. We had a great time with Venerable Great Aunt Diane. We need to move …

  • Peculiar Failure Modes

    Fri 06 December 2013

    Two very odd failure modes this week.

    The freshwater pump corked off. While we have a guest aboard. Venerable Great Aunt Diane was perfectly happy using the hand pump until we could sort out the pressure water system.

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    IMG_2086

    The backbone of the freshwater system is a Jabsco diaphragm pump …

  • Charleston and Warmer Weather

    Thu 05 December 2013

    Enjoying Charleston.

    Enjoying warmer weather. The heaters aren't running. Hatches are open.

    We could go sailing and see the Charleston Waterfront.

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    IMG_2078 ""

    Wind out of the N meant a great beam reach across the harbor. We motored up the Ashley to see the mega-dock; we didn't think we could short …

  • Charleston

    Tue 03 December 2013

    Hung around with the crew of Baccalieu yesterday. They got beat up heading south from Beaufort and decided to stop in to Charleston and wait for the bad weather to pass.

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    IMG_0768

    They've been following some other boats south — boats which have started into the South Carolina and Georgia part …

  • Venerable Great Aunt Diane

    Sun 01 December 2013

    Family visit in Charleston. The Venerable Great Aunt has taken up residence in the V-berth.

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    IMG_2077

    We're already running low on martini olives, red wine, bourbon, the good coffee and really good cheese.

    Besides having good taste in food and drink, she has a car. We can restock all the …

  • Some Things We're Thankful For

    Fri 29 November 2013

    It's 1°C this morning. We're thankful for unlimited shore power, and two 1500W electric heaters plus a propane heater. Being at a dock is expensive, but sometimes the money's well spent.

    We're thankful that I figured out how to operate the excess fuel cold start device on the Mr …

  • Great Success

    Sat 14 September 2013

    Four big things yesterday.

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    IMG_1740
    1. The Battery Filler. Totally works. Waited until a few hours after the sun went down and the batteries had finished charging. Put the pickup hose in a jug of distilled water. Pumped in at least a quart. I guess they were low. Need to do …

  • The A/C Issue

    Fri 13 September 2013

    Another issue to wrestle with: the air conditioner.

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    IMG_1733

    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 …

  • Chainplates Halftime: 8 down, 8 to go

    Thu 12 September 2013

    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 …

  • Chainplates, Chapter 2

    Tue 10 September 2013

    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.

    See Week 46: Deltaville Days, Week …

  • Week 51: End Of Year One

    Tue 10 September 2013

    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 …

  • Battery Filler

    Mon 09 September 2013

    Highly recommended product: The Pro-Fill system from Jan Watercraft Products.

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    DSC03486

    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 …

  • Waterman Wedding

    Sun 08 September 2013

    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.

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    IMG_0721

    There were perhaps five visiting deadrises.

    It is the official Viginia state boat.

    The good news is that they …

  • Fuel Consumption [Updated]

    Fri 06 September 2013

    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 …

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