Hanging out for the holiday

Mark sorted out our dinghy davit set up.
Still needs a few parts.  What boat project doesn't?

 Last week was Thanksgiving, and we both had the week off!  But, alas no sailing...

Project in Pictures: Copper Coat Bottom Paint

Here's the before... 1/4" of so many years of paint

Welcome to our Project in Pictures!  Here's photo log of the copper bottom application.

Getting rid of 20 years of stuff...

The condo is almost empty...

Day of Rest

I think it's officially Fall in Savannah...

You won't see that much around here these days - a Day of Rest.  

Living in the In-Between

Thanks to a post by Melissa over at Little Cunning Plan, I've been inspired to do a quick update on what it's really like around here.  You know, behind the scenes.

Projects: Hard Top and Tower

Raising the "Tower in a Box" with the boom for installation

Installing a hard top and tower is a major project that we've had in the works since we bought Luna.  

Please. Stop. Breaking.

Mark breaking down the engine to figure out why it wouldn't start...

There are a million sayings to describe what "Cruising" really is:

• Cruising = Fixing your boat in exotic locations
• B.O.A.T. - Break Out Another Thousand 
• 1 Boat Dollar = $1000
• If you wait until your boat is ready, you'll never leave the dock!

We thought we were ahead of the game on this.  Our plan was to buy a boat that didn't really need a lot of work and then make some improvements to make it comfortable for us to live on. And, you know, maintain some stuff along the way. 

Projects: Faulty Parts

There's a reason you don't use certain metals in a saltwater environment.  

#BoatFail - 5 Kitchen and Bath Fails

We don't take purchases lightly.  We have a strict "Buy 1, Get Rid of 1" rule in this boat.  Want that cute new shirt?  Which one are you going to get rid of if you buy it?  New shampoo?  Your bottle is not empty yet - put it back on the shelf.  New wrench for current boat project?  We have one at the condo - so drive over and get it, instead of running to the hardware store to save 3 minutes... So a lot of research goes into pretty much anything that we buy.  In fact, most things need to have at least 2 uses, or at a minimum - be space savers. All things have to "work" on a boat.  Here are some of the things we've bought and tried to use on the boat.  They've basically just been a waste of money.  Maybe this post can save you some cashola - and I'll tell you what worked in the end, if I've found a solution...

7 Random Things About Living on Land

Our fabulous back yard - where we learned to SUP

We've been back in the condo for almost 2 weeks now.  Don't get me wrong - we are so thankful that we haven't sold it yet.  Living on the boat in the boat yard (out of the water) with no air conditioning, in Savannah, GA, would not be ideal to say the least. Particularly in August/September.  It is hot.  And sticky.  And the sand gnats are starting to come out again.  Don't laugh.  If you're laughing, you clearly don't know what a sand gnat is...

So how are we faring in the land of endless baths (there are TWO bathtubs here!) and various kitchen appliances?

Here are 7 random things I've notice lately:

Boat Projects: The BIG stuff begins...

It's finally happening.  We've moved from making curtains and cushions to the meatier, more significant projects!

Boat Food: Gazpacho!

 We are smack dab in the middle of summer.  And that means lots of fresh veggies!  I was really excited when I realized one of my favorite summer soups is easy to make and store on Luna Sea.

ASA 101 - Was it worth it?

So, we're two years into sailboat ownership/usage, and I decided to take the Intro to Sailing certification at a nearby ASA certified marina.  How did it go?  Was it worth the price tag?  (need to catch up?  Here's the first part of this story.)

Day #1:

This. Was. Fun.

ASA-101

A few months ago I decided it was time for me to take a sailing course.  I did a quick search, knowing I wanted something ASA Certified.  The options can be overwhelming!  Did I want a package deal in an exotic location?  Did I want a bare-bones course close to home?  Or maybe something in the enormous in-between?

Boat Food: Chunky Hummus Wraps

Sometimes I have to get creative.  Ok - I pretty much always have to get creative.  Living on a boat directly translates to being creative.  At least in the kitchen (galley).

This is actually a good thing to me - I'm always trying to figure out how to do something on the boat that you wouldn't think twice about on land.  And I love it!  (most of the time)

2 Year Sail-iversary: Lessons Learned

If you read our recent "cost" post, you know that we headed out for a week long sailing vacation.  And that we visited some cool places.  But what did we really learn on this trip?  Because that is ultimately what these trips are for, for us.  Doing new things with Luna Sea and prepping to sail away into the sunset - and if we have some fun along the way?  Even better!

Cost of a Cruisin' Vacation

A week away on a sailboat.  Cruising around, visiting beaches and small towns.  Sounds extravagant, right?  Well, here's the breakdown* on what it really takes to sail your home around for a week of fun!

Lazy Jack Bag? Check!

So a while back I mentioned that a new Lazy Jack bag was in the works.  While it's taken me ages to do the update, it only took a week to do the project!  (I did it in the afternoons, after work, so not even close to a full week's worth of hours) That is so much faster than I thought this dreaded project would go.  It looked so intricate hanging on the boat - and it was!

BEFORE:

Original bag - even has a patch where the Moorings logo was, eons ago.

One Action a Day, One Day at a Time

We've been cranking along around here, finishing projects left and right - while also adding new ones as we run across them.  Thankfully, nothing large has come to light - just small projects, usually improving our storage/organization, etc.

But, I admit it, I occasionally get lazy or bored.  

Boat Food: Quick Breads!

I admit it.  I eat the same foods over and over.  And over.  Usually to the point I can't bear to look at that food again for a long time.

For a while now, that has been Avocado Toast.  It's super easy, delicious, and thanks to the avocado, very filling.  I just toast some really good bread (on the boat, that means put it in a skillet on the stove top...) and top it with avocado slices/smear and some sun dried, or really good, fresh tomatoes.  And maybe some seasoning salt.  I have been eating it off and on for years, but here on the boat, I'm finding that I eat it almost all week long.

Yesterday I ran out of bread.  Oh.  Em.  Gee.

Updates and next up - Lazy Jack Bag!

View from our "new" slip

I know - it's been quiet on the blog.  But guess what that means?!  It's crazy around here! (well, it could also just be boring around here, but nah - it's crazy!)

I finished my finals at school last week - and am now a chef!  (technically, a Certified Culinarian...)  I'm still at the bakery and loving it.

I'm starting to teach fitness classes again - so that should be fun.  And since we have been "spending more time on the boat" for the past 2+ months, I'm able to paddle at least a few days a week.  Just shove that board off the handy rack, and splash - time to paddle!

Proof that boat designers hate live aboards

Hanging space and why boat designers hate live aboards/cruisers.

Boat Projects: How much anchor chain do we have, anyway...?

When you anchor out, it's pretty important to know just how much anchor chain/rope you have attached to the end of your anchor.

Making Omelettes

What to do with a Dozen Broken Eggs?

About a week ago, I dropped this handy little egg storage device and to my surprise, broke evey last egg in the "protective" case.

Projects: Genoa Sacrificial Replacement

If you read the last post, waaaay back in January, you know we were working on replacing the sacrificial on the jib/genoa**.  Between starting my last semester of Culinary school, working part time at the bakery, and Mark working full time and on other projects, it took 5 weeks to complete this sucker - but we FINISHED!  And it looks good.  

A little tiny bit of backstory?  I am not a seamstress.  Or a canvas maker.  And I'm only just becoming a sailor.  So how to do this? Grab the Sailrite and go Step. By. Step.  I started by ordering two books:

I think I got these on Amazon - but just shop around to find the best price. 

Projects: Knee deep in Sunbrella

We're still here!  I feel like I say that a lot, as we're way too busy to blog on the daily.  Or weekly, apparently...

But here's what we're working on!  (and almost finished with!)

#1:  Took down our Genoa (the front sail) and are right smack in the middle of replacing all of the worn out Sunbrella

You can see the dry rot on the far right of this pic

Dominican Republic - resort style

We headed off to the Dominican Republic on December 21st.