I HATE SHOES

I had a little party on board last weekend with temps in the low 70s. We used the grill on the stern rail and cooked up some tasty stuff, talked boat talk, and went to the top of the mast! I got hoisted up to get some Christmas lights down that got stuck up there in December for the christening, but forgot my camera. My friend Johnny wanted a turn so up he went, this time with the camera...he got some good shots. Thats me looking up in the one looking down on  Winchelsea .

Not that owning a sailboat is particularly cheap, but it's really not as hugely expensive as most people are led to believe. I had been looking at sailboats for quite some time before I bought Winchelsea , and most were out of my price range. However, given the dismal economy and the end of summer 2009, prices hit the deck (pun totally intended). People did not want to pay for winter storage, and there were many going for much less than Winchelsea, some under $1,000. Most were not in the greatest of shape though, and had been neglected or had some hull damage, and were generally more trouble than they were worth.  Winchelsea  was advertised on craigslist for $7,200. After driving down to Rhode Island to see her, mulling it over for a day or two, we agreed on $5,500. I just got my tax return back, and claimed Winchelsea  as my first home purchase so I got an extra $550 to bring the total cost to $4,950. I bought a new battery for $90, gas was about $80 and I paid S...

Yes, what others take for granted on dry land is something I have to work at, typically. Labors of love though, I swear.  Anywho, I filled the tank up with water today. The water tank is about 50 gallons. It is filled via a hose that hooks up to a line that is actually submerged under the dock to keep it from freezing. You can see that it is under the settee berth and the filling hole is forward. It is connected to a pressure pump under the sink, as seen in the second picture. Also in the second picture is the drain for the sink, more on troubles with that later. The previous owner had installed a new fiberglass cover and cleaned it out just before I took ownership of it. It smells clean, so I decided to go ahead and fill it. I brought the hose aboard and turned on the valve, piece of cake. I then left the end of hose just an inch below the hole so that when it was nearly full I could tell by the absence of a splashing sound. I then turned on the pressure pump and started to s...

It's probably the most common question I've been asked since I posed my proclamation a few days ago. I plan to keep my job as long as possible (I'll either quit mid July, get laid off, or get fired for not showing up for a week because it's forcast to be 78 and sunny for 8 days straight in June or something), so I should have a small chunk saved up. I've got quite a bit in my 401(k) and I won't dip into that unless absolutely necessary. To make up the difference and get me to San Diego, the basic plan, or lack thereof, is to work odd jobs for cash along the way to keep food in my mouth and the boat sailable. Material luxuries won't even be kept to a minimum, more along the lines of nonexistant. The luxuries I will enjoy will be in the form of working when I have to, sailing when I don't, and living a life people dream to have when they're 60 at 26. Not to mention the freedom, breathtaking scenery, and exotic surfing spots aplenty. It's a trade of...

"The decision to flee came suddenly. Or maybe not. Maybe I'd planned it all along -- subconsciously waiting for the right moment." Hunter S. Thompson I am leaving Boston. There is a laundry list of reasons why, but it boils down to an essential few. This is my third winter up here, and to be honest I've had about enough. The cold is oppressive; it latches onto your soul, sucks your vital will to live and leaves you breathless and desperate. It inhibits activity on both a mental and physical level. I've tried to get used to it, but the thoughts of what I could be doing if it were 30 degrees warmer have overcome me. My career, more than likely, will be put on hold. Had I known that I would be spending 8 plus hours per day staring at a computer monitor in the middle of a cube farm, while the world, my youth and my life pass me by, I would never have signed up in the first place. I have been with the same company for three years, since I graduated college, and I hav...

The high yesterday was over 50 and is today as well! Not a cloud in the sky today, here is a picture I took in a park adjacent to the marina...I have identified my mast for you. Last night we had another dinner party as well, here are a couple of snapshots from that.  Today I'm just puttering around, doing some maintenance items from the list I posted awhile back. I can't wait for more weekends like this!

Nothing to speak of, really. No news is good news, right? Since the huge gale about a week ago, things have been relatively quiet around here. The low pressure system that has been hanging around for about a week is expected to lift on Saturday and make way for 6 days of sunshine and temperatures around 45 to 50. On a side note, I have started on a 24 hour navigation course with the folks at Courageous Sailing . I can't say enough good things about this sailing club. They offer free sailing for kids and teens, the best rates for adults to sail on the harbor, and very reasonably priced lessons. We are now learning about traditional paper chart navigation, which is the focus of the course. They come from the standpoint that pretty much anyone can navigate via a GPS and chart plotter, and that a heavy reliance on technology can get you into trouble if you don't have a backup plan when it fails. It also gives you a great sense of security and confidence, whic...