Bust Out Another Thousand

Our boat has been renamed!

Air scoop

Anchoring platform and bow roller

Companionway doors

Propane stove

     Those of you who have owned a boat - or know someone who does - is familiar with what B.O.A.T. actually stands for.  They tried to warn me, you know, that a boat is really just a big money pit.  But I didn't listen.  And so, as of today, I've busted out quite a few "boat bucks", trying to get my pride-and-joy repaired, upgraded, and ready for our big upcoming trip. 

      But there is good news afloat.  MANY of the projects on my to-do list are getting checked off.  Dragonfly is coming along, and is looking great!  And now that we are officially moved out of our house in Houston - and the scorching heat of summer is finally over - I can really focus on getting boat projects completed.

      And not only that, but we have actually taken her out sailing a couple of times.  I am thrilled to report that Dragonfly is a magnificent sailing vessel.  She responds to the wind, and tiny movements of the helm, like you wouldn't believe!

     Yeah, we've had our moments, too.  Like the day we tried to take her out when the water was too low, got stuck, and had to call for a tow.  (Blame Mother Nature, who gave us big northerly winds for several days that blew all the water out of the bay.)  But life is for learning, and Lord knows I've had a heaping helping of that lately.

      Here is a quick list of some of the big projects I've checked off:

• ·       New name applied.  See photo above.  We even had a renaming ceremony at the dock.  Gotta pay our respects to the sea gods, you know.  Kudos to Joan and her vinyl cutter for making those great-looking letters and logo.
• ·       Improved storage all over.  See photo above of wall baskets in the V-berth.
• ·       New flooring in cabin.  Made of a tough, stick-on material that simulates teak planks.  Looks great, and feels great on bare feet.
• ·       Lots of engine maintenance.  Oil change, air filter, fuel filters, coolant, kill cable, and more.  Considering that my Yanmar diesel had apparently NEVER been properly maintained, it's a wonder that it even started.  But that little 16 HP bugger is indestructible.  It just runs and runs and runs.
• ·       In the back cabin:  rotten wood removed, new decking carpentered in.  That was a particularly hot, dirty, nasty job in a hot, stuffy, dark, cramped space.  So glad to get that one off the list.
• ·       New propane stove and tank stowage.  The boat standards say that a propane tank must be able to drain overboard if it leaks.  So what better place than right on the stern rail!  See photo above.  Also configured a solenoid valve with a shutoff switch right on the electric panel.
• ·       New batteries.  This was not on my original to-do list.  But after I opened up the original wet-cell batteries to top them off and discovered that the liquid was gone, they were toast.
• ·       New anchor, anchoring platform, bow roller, and chain.
• ·       New companionway doors.  See photo above.  Now we can easily move between the cockpit and the below-deck salon, and close the door behind us in inclement weather.  I even constructed a screen that can inserted into the doorway, to keep bugs out.
• ·       BBQ pit in cockpit.
• ·       Air scoop on forward hatch.  See photo above.  An easy one, but it sure helps keep the air below fresh.
• ·       New bimini and windshield.
• ·       Solar lights in the cockpit, and on the foredeck.

       And many more, but these are the big highlights.  And more to come, too.

      So here is our plan for the next few months:  At the end of November, we move out of our Kemah apartment and become official boat "Live-Aboards".  So we will have downsized from a 2300 square-foot house, down to a 500 square-foot apartment, down to a boat with maybe a hundred square feet.  Try it sometime, if you think that's easy.

     In mid-January, Joan officially retires from MD Anderson hospital.  No more commuting for her.

     And then, around the first of February, we cast off the dock lines, and away we go!  From Galveston, we head eastbound down the Intracoastal Waterway (ICW).  After a couple of short passages in the Gulf of Mexico, we should make it to Miami by mid-March.  And then it's outward in the Atlantic Ocean to the Bahamas, where we island-hop our way down the Exuma chain.

     Once our trip gets close, I'll have a lot more exciting adventures to blog about, rather than harping on and on about maintenance and spending big boat-bucks.  Stay tuned!