"Old" Is Relative

I think I may have mentioned in an earlier post that many people are surprised to learn that C-Time is 15 years old.  Because she has been cared for, she looks and runs like she's much younger.  In contrast, there are a couple boats in our Marina that look much older than their actual ages.  Their owners have neglected to regularly run the engines, air out the interiors, repair leaks, and clean and wax the decks and hulls.  One in particular has taken its owners on adventures to many parts of the world, but has spent the last several years tied to the dock.  Most of us are disappointed to see such a fine vessel ignored for so long.

This week, however, the marina was abuzz with activity on this, and another, sailboat that have sat idle for several years. 

The "Ideal" Plan

So, yesterday we were enjoying Applebee's riblets when Carla asked, "Ok, what is your ideal plan?"  Having been married for more than 30 years, I immediately suspected that this was just her way of starting a dialog.  She confirmed my suspicion when she responded to my ideal plan with, "Ok, what is your second ideal plan?"  For months now I've been counting down to December 1st, but she doesn't want to leave her employer shorthanded during their busiest time.  If we wait too long, we'll be rushed to make it to Trinidad before the 2014 hurricane season starts.

Meanwhile the countdown continues, sometimes working in our favor.  For example, retailers are starting to mark down their summer clothing, of which Carla and I took full advantage this weekend.  Summer shorts, shirts, tops, and dresses were reduced up to 70% at Kohl's, AND Carla had a 30% OFF coupon.  We walked away with arms full of clothes for only a few hundred dollars.  Considering we'll probably wear next to nothing most of the time on the boat, these clothes should last us decades.

Running out of time can also have a negative impact on our pre-adventure.  Of the 16 or so weeks left, I still have at least 3 weeks of work on the cockpit enclosure, 4 weeks on the interior upholstery, a couple weeks of travel to the Annapolis Sailboat Show and a business trip for Carla, cleaning out and moving from the hangar/apartment, diesel engine and diesel generator maintenance, deck waxing, final interior cleaning, and finally boat provisioning.  Oh, and we still have to obtain boat insurance, health insurance, and life insurance, and we have to notify everyone of our change of address.  It's really starting to get exciting now!

INSERT CARLA, DANIEL, AND C-TIME HERE

Looking "Sew" Good!

Daniel is working hard already on sewing us a new enclosure and some other things.  I wanted to share with you his work area and a picture of him hard at work.

Shoot! We Got The Anchor Dirty

We're frequently bashed by one of our marina buddies, Ann, for not leaving the slip very often.  This weekend two Customs and Border Patrol guys were walking the docks and stopped to talk with me.  I started asking them questions pertaining to foreign travel, and one of the guys asked if we sailed in and out of the country very often.  I responded, "Not very often", to which Ann commented, "Hah!  They never leave the slip!".  Well, I want everyone to know that we left the slip yesterday, AND Carla was at the helm.  She did an excellent job despite her nervousness and my 30-minute pre-trip technical lesson on pulling forward out of a slip.  This is all part of the preparation for the unlikely event that I become incapacitated or otherwise unavailable.

Anyway, back to the dirty anchor story. 

Of Course You Can Oil All The Interior Wood

I couldn't resist sharing a photo of Carla hand rubbing oil on all the interior woodwork.  The Hunter 410 has a lot of wood cabinetry, and I doubt that it was ever oiled prior to our purchasing it.  I think this makes the 3rd time that Carla has gone over the entire interior, and it looks more magnificent each time she touches it.  Let's see, 2 small pieces of exterior wood that I sanded and finished with 3 coats of varnish, and the whole interior that Carla hand rubbed with oil.  I'd say we're about even.