Beannacht being lowered back into the water

We’re back in the water! Alan dropped us in again on Friday morning, and after a few tense moments watching water slosh around the bilge wondering if we were still leaking, we confirmed that the keel repair had worked and could concentrate on other things. The water was a hangover from installing a new fresh water filter in the galley, rather than the creek making its way into the boat. It’s fantastic to be floating again, but a sharp reminder of the extensive list of things still to do before we can set sail. We’ve worked on boat projects on a daily basis, but while the boat was sitting on the hard it wasn’t our fault that we hadn’t left yet. Now the yard is finished it’s entirely up to us.

So we’ve pared down the to-do list to essentials only for now, and yesterday got busy. Our shipment will arrive from Canada on Wednesday and brings with it both the means to get things done, like our sewing machine, and also things to get done, like install our SSB radio. Again our task list in prioritised, but we definitely can’t leave without a working engine, installing our anchor windlass (winch), lee cloths (that keep us in bed while we’re in the ocean), jack lines (that keep us attached to the boat should things get rough), and some refinements to our storage onboard to accommodate the 11 boxes arriving from Vancouver.

Our engine still isn’t working which is depressing, the amazing powers of Stu the mechanic have been exposed as the amazing overconfidence of Stu the bullshitter – which of course is nothing new. Having just tightened the last bolt on the injection pump I discovered a spring that fell out of the governor while I was replacing the o ring seals that had expired. I bled the fuel system and tried to start it just in a vein attempt to overcome physics by willpower, but no luck. All will be disassembled again tomorrow and I’ll take a trip to Coastal Diesel for the missing part.

Keli has been reading loads on Bahamas and bought some navigational charts and guidebooks this week. They’ve been arriving everyday, which feels like a special treat. Whilst our time in the states has been unexpectedly fulfilling, we’re both compelled to be in the Bahamas by Jan 29^th, and really excited about making our first passage too. It will feel real when we get there I think.

Yesterday we spent the day fitting our newly tuned sails. Mark Weinheimer a local sailmaker modified them to make them more suitable for offshore use and strengthened a few weak spots. Seeing them up on the rig was satisfying and we were delighted to have Mark Lucas, Sailcraft’s rigger and our newfound friend for a day’s free labour. Unfortunately our lack of engine prevented a test sail in the bay, but that will come early this week.

Another Oriental friend Stephanie is heading back to Chicago this week to finish her Phd in Archaelogy and asked to interview us as a potential adoptive parents for one of her cats. Radiator has been in her herd for over a year, but still hasn’t made peace with the alpha female and needs to be re-housed. We agreed to take him on a quick seatrail to see if the sea, or more specifically the confines of a small boat, might suit him.

On Thursday evening Steph and Mark came over for dinner and Radiator stayed on until the morning as a quick test. At least he stayed onboard until sometime in the middle of the night before he broke out of the boat and made a bid for freedom. Kel and I woke up thinking that he was in a zen-like state, only to discover that he wasn’t there at all! Panic ensued, but a couple of hours searching in the neighbourhood drew a blank.

Last night as we were heading to the loo for the last time Keli spotted him in the carpark. I ran to the boat for a can of tuna and Kel worked her feline ways getting him to come to her, I think she understands cats better than she understands me sometimes. She carried him back onto the boat, got the tuna and water on the go, and we spent the night with him sleeping in our bed. He had been hiding in the boat yard for two days and although the thought of returning to the secne his captivity probably wasn’t in his five day plan we were the best thing going. Steph came to collect him this morning and promptly removed him from the adoption programme.

Radiator on Steph's lap in the boat

We’ve spent time this week watching the weather systems down the coast to get a sense of what we can expect for our journey south. In November, the first safe month to sail after hurricane season, you can sail directly to the Bahamas in one go as you have slower moving pressure systems that sustain the necessary Northerly winds. At the minute the longest window we’ve seen is 2 days, and most are less than 36 hours. What that means is that we’ll leave from Oriental with a view to getting as far south as we can before the wind shifts, and then pull into a port to wait for the next window. While we’re waiting we can explore the local areas and keep working on the boat.

Anyhow, off to breakfast with Steph and Mark, will get back online later in the week as our departure plans take shape…

Well we arrived safely in Oriental so we’re not completely useless on the water. Good to know.

We travelled down from an anchorage off the Pamlico Sound on Monday morning and pulled up in the slip at lunchtime. Our second night setting anchor wasn’t as smooth as the first, and we ended up following Ghost Dance into a new anchorage after dark, following a conversation over the VHF about the weather. Rob, Joanne and Graham on Ghost Dance are good banter, dope smoking Canadians, and we’ve really enjoyed hanging out with them and learning from them. 

Arriving at Sailcraft was challenging, the channel into Whitacker Creek, just north of Oriental, was really narrow, with depths of less than 7 feet. Our boat ‘draws’ 5’6″, so Kel was glued to the depth sounder as she steered us in. We’d been hailing the yard on the VHF from 5 miles out, but couldn’t get a response, so we just tootled in very slowly hoping that someone would be there to meet us. And to our amazment and delight there were about 10 willing volunteers, a couple of local boat owners, Alan the yard owner, Mark our rigger, and Bert one of the yard’s long term staff and a life long Oriental native. The sense of peace we got from arriving in a yard and being instantly greeted by those friendly and helpful faces was deep and has lasted.

The yard wasted no time in getting us out of the water, first unstepping the mast, and then lifting us on the travel lift. We thought that watching the boat be hauled was nerve-racking, but yesterday we got the real treat – dropping the keel. Our keel weights 5,000 lbs, and is held on by 20 bolts. If you lose your keel whilst on the water, which does happen, the boat immediately inverts and won’t right itself – ‘come in International Rescue’ time. Having a doubt in the back of our mind about the integrity of our keel is not an option, it’s a costly process, but this was one of the essential tasks before we head offshore.

The list of tasks to be completed before we can safely leave the US coast and head out to shore is long enough, and we’ve been working hard getting through those as quickly as we can. Boat yards are expensive places to reside, and already we’ve uncovered a couple of blips that will cut into the cruising budget a little, like the need to replace our drive shaft, and change our transmission coupling.

The first blip was on the way down when I discovered our holding tank, that’s essentially our septic tank on the boat, wasn’t working. I’ll allow the motion picture to do the talking, it’s fair to say that I’d rather have been doing other things…

So back to work, this morning order lots of marine related toys – all necessary unfortunately, I’d love to be ordering fun stuff, but on our budget it’s the essentials only, and maybe a Christmas present or two given that we’re in Oriental for Christmas on our own this year.

We had a couple of drinks in the pub, a local pub for local people. It was great to have a good chat our fellow cruisers, and Dennis was full of hilarious stories about his earlier years – getting arrested in Cuba due to trading Marlboroughs for beer among other exploits. Tonight felt like our first night of cruising for me, meeting other yachties and sharing sailing stories over a pint – not that I’m flush with sailing stories yet.

Kel and I got through a few more tasks today on the boat- installing a new fresh water pump, servicing the outboard motor, cleaning the head (fancy name for the toilet), and doing a last run to the shops for supplies. We borrowed the marina’s car – the same one that carried us to the pub – and headed to Walmart to grab some budget items for the boat – Jerry cans for diesel, unleaded and water, two-stroke oil, spanners…as you would imagine I was enjoying the spending experience.

The plan at present is to head south on Tuesday, assuming our order from West Marine arrives on Monday. We plan to take the boat out into the bay tomorrow for a test sail – pretty scary actually, we haven’t moved the boat since we got on board on Wednesday.

Jill and Don – our B&B hosts – called down this afternoon to see the boat. It was lovely to have friends aboard and to show off our hard work. The boat is really starting to take shape and it’s nice to take credit for hard work.

And so off to bed. Another day of hard work behind us, and one step closer to the Bahamas, or so I keep telling myself!

So we’ve actually done it. Tonight we’re sleeping on our very first boat for the very first time. I have moments of pure excitement, pinch me to wake me up, freshly ground Columbian dark coffee first thing in the morning. And then I swing to terror, somebody get me out of here, we really don’t know what we’re getting ourselves into.

And that’s the point. We don’t know what we’re getting ourselves into, how could we. But we have prepared as best we can. We’ve saved our pennies, or at least not spent all the pennies we were fortunate enough to collect. And now it’s time to cast off, to step into the unknown and embrace the danger as well as the pleasure.

It’s really just camping on a grand scale, with 12v electricity and the equivalent of a porta potty. But it brings with it deep relief, and the possibility of an exit to the Bahamas in the near future.

We’ve had a fabulous time in Deltaville so far, and Jill and Don our hosts in Sanderling House have gone out of their way to provide a homely welcome and an insight into the culture of the town. They run the premiere B&B in Deltaville (I say, therefore it is so), we awoke every morning to fresh fruit salad, fresh baked pastries, freshly baked bread – you name it. Keli and I were both extremely blessed by their hospitality and their generosity. Jill actually followed me to the airport today to bring me back to Deltaville after I dropped off our rental car. Amazing.

Aside from Jill and Don, we’ve met numerous people who have gone out of their way to be helpful, informative, considerate. Tonight we set off walking to Cocomos a local restaurant about 15 minutes away on foot. We had only made it about 2 minutes up the lane of the boatyard before Gunter, our neighbour who sails a 38 foot power boat, stopped to ask us where we were going and then promptly drove us to the restaurant despite it being in the opposite direction to his destination. After dinner the restaurant’s head chef Loretta took off her apron and drove us back to the boatyard in the middle of her shift.

I’m in bed as I write this post. Hanging the laptop out the hatch above our bed to get a wireless signal from the marina. Tomorrow will be a day of cleaning, and working out how to fix the broken water pump and hook up the propane cylinder.

Nice problems to have…

 

Kel and I just got back from a great night in Taylor’s pub and restaurant in Deltavllle with Jill and Don our new found friends, and landlords for our time here. Naturally in my usual fashion I’ve attempted to make a celebrity of myself out of every opportunity, and over the last 48 hours have been referred to as ‘oh you’re the person who bought that boat…’ on a number of occasions. Earlier today we called into a marine consignment store on the main strip to check out their wares, and in the course of mentioning our interest in a dinghy with outboard motor managed to identify ourselves as guests of Jill and Don, and purchasers of the Beneteau. An hour later Jill had run in to the store owner and they had mentioned us… I like being this notorious!

Jill and Don took us out for dinner in Taylor’s as a congratulations for buying the boat, and a goodbye as we prepare to leave Deltaville for southern shores. We decided today that we were going to sail south to Oriental to get the work done on the boat, not least so that we could give all the systems a test run and work out what we actually need to buy for the boat. We braved Wallmart today to pick up some essentials and were both exhausted after 40 minutes of walking through the aisles.

All being well tomorrow night we climb aboard Janus-de-la-Mer, soon to be Beannacht, for the first time and not long after that we’ll sail off into the sunset…

Our flights to Richmond were very straightforward, and we arrived at our hotel without event before heading across the street for some good old Southern cooking. Fried food is the local delicacy in these parts, and spicy fish is particularly good. Always one to stretch our culinary boundaries we even tried Budweiser’s new brew – a pale ale – which I’m almost ashamed to admit was really tasty!

Thursday was thanksgiving and we woke up to a ghost town, not unlike Christmas morning only one shop open on main street, few cars on the road. Realising that dinner prospects in Deltaville were almost non-existent we called ahead to the B&B and arranged some food there – lovely roast dinner as it turned out. A peaceful afternoon followed as we chilled in their lounge, walked along the docks, and reading cruising guides to the Inter Coastal Waterway and Bahamas. We tried to get to bed early that night to prepare for a big day, but we were both over-excited and lay awake chatting and pinching ourselves, and each other.

On Friday morning we headed to the boat yard at 9.15 to spend some time inspecting the boat before our surveyor arrived at 10 to head out with us for a seatrial. We were both really wound up, a mixture of complete excitement and anticipation, coupled with the memories of Rhode Island and an awareness that this boat also had the potential to disappoint. We met Jonathan and Ann, the husband and wife team who run the yacht brokerage, and got onboard the boat for our visual inspection.

Much to our relief the boat was great. We’re buying a 1985 boat, so it’s not going to be in perfect shape, but what we’re looking for is a robust platform from which we can build a boat that really works for us. Janus was just that. The electrical system, water and fuel tankage, galley (that’s the kitchen for all you landlubbers) and rigging were key areas for the inspection, and they all functioned well. The boat doesn’t have much by way of navigation systems or other electronics, a fantastic excuse for me to spend some cash, but the things that were there were adequate.

The seatrial was where we got to see how the boat handled. Don joined us for this part, and we headed out of the marina with Jonathan at the helm – partly because we didn’t own the boat yet, and also because he had previously entertained us with tails of customers who had phoned 5 minutes after leaving with their new boat to say they’ve just run aground just outside the narrow channel!. Kel had her eyes peeled incase we had to do this ourselves in future. We got out into the Chesapeake Bay, a stunning cruising ground, and hoisted the sails to get moving. The sun was shining, we had 15 knots of breeze, and we our breathing had returned to normal. It was wonderful.

Then we got the bad news. While travelling on Wednesday I had received additional pictures of the boat by email, one of which showed a substantial amount of rust on the keel at the joint between it and the hull, something Don had noted this in his survey. This was a high priority during the seatrial, and as Don and Keli inspected the bilge as we were under sail it became clear that the boat was taking on water. Kel and I had suspected that the rust was more than just a surface issue, and Beneteau’s steel keels are prone to this problem. 

We motored in to shore having checked over the instruments, engine, water system, and the faulty keel; to sit with Don and talk through the rest of his survey. Overall the boat was great. A good price, a lot of boat for our budget, and a layout and accommodation that we were happy with. It was a simple platform to build from and had better sails than we had expected. Don left us to think things over and headed home to finish writing the survey.

Over the weekend, with help from our broker Ian, and Jonathan and Ann, we agreed to split the cost of fixing the keel with the seller and have bought the boat. It’s amazing news, and we’ve been beaming from ear to ear all day. Both of us were starting to get a little stir crazy in Vancouver, and the snail’s pace approach to boat buying had placed strain on each of us. We’re both quite action-orientated, so sitting at home talking about boats, instead of being out there doing boats, didn’t quite suit our style. We’re breathing easier today!

And so tomorrow marks the start of a new phase of our life, our first boat and one less excuse as to why we’re not in the Bahamas already. It will take a day or two to swap over the titles on the boat and transfer the money, but we should be floating home owners by Wednesday. In the meantime we’re going to be busy pricing the keel job and other maintainence in two boat yards in Deltaville and one in Oriental, deciding where we will get the work done, and getting moving.

It feels like the blog will at last have some worthy content, and we will have no legitimate reasons to feel lazy or bored! People get your diaries out and book your holidays, this puppy has twin aft cabins and sleeps 9. Nearly enough space for the Lowly Knights!

We’ll keep you posted.

I’ve held back from writing much about our latest boat buying adventure mainly because of the disappointment of the last one, and a little faux superstition that talking too much about it might be tempting fate. But I thought a proper update was due before we head off to Virginia tomorrow morning.

The boat is a Beneteau First 38, and is actually 40 feet long, which was our original goal actually, although we revised this down when our money started to get tight. We found it online after our last purchase fell through, and weighed it up against the boat in Alameda that we had been considering. The main benefit in the end was that it was on the East coast of the states, Deltaville Virginia, and we could just sail it out of there instead of having to put it on a truck, an additional cost of up to $10k.

We offered on the boat at the start of November, and we signed off on it with a completion date of the 3rd December – tomorrow week. Having learnt a lesson in caution after our first failed purchase we decided we would arrange for a surveyor to inspect the boat first and give us a report on its condition before we booked flights and travelled out to view it ourselves.

Our surveyor gave us a verbal report on Saturday and the boat is in pretty good shape, with a few minor issues that we will need to examine carefully when we get there. We’re buying a 1985 boat, so it’s never going to be perfect, but we need to ensure that it’s in good overall condition, and all the essential electrical, mechanical and structural systems are sound.

Tomorrow morning we fly to Richmond Virginia, and then drive across to Deltaville to view the boat, and then take it out for a seatrial on Friday morning with our surveyor. If all checks out and the seller is willing to work with us to resolve any issues that arise from the survey and seatrial then we will be boat owners. At this stage it’s too early to tell if that will work out, but Keli and I are confident that this model of boat will make a fantastic home on the ocean.

So today is all about packing, getting things finished, and saying goodbye. We’re taking Dennis and Pat out for dinner tonight at the Boathouse for a celebratory dinner. They’re in the process of boat buying too, so they’ve been a great support in this difficult process, and despite having a fair idea of the perils we’re getting ourselves into have been overwhelmingly positive in endorsing our mad plan.

More details to follow soon, but for now it’s back to work.

Stu.

A little leafy conflict in our new threads, Keli was a little naive.

We picked up some new wet weather gear this week thanks to Sandy a life long friend of Dennis and Pat. So we took to the garden for some fun raking the leaves in our lovely clothes.

In other news, our offer on the Beneteau First 38 in Deltaville was accepted which is just amazing. We’re arranging a survey next week, and are scheduled to take ownership of the boat on the 3rd December. We’ve been this far in buying a boat before (Rhode Island), so whilst we’re both really happy with the boat and excited about completing the deal, we’re reserving our full celebration until we’ve paid over the cash and collected the keys!

The plan at this stage is to fly out to collect the boat at the end of the month, and sail it South to North Carolina where we will spend the month of December getting ready to leave. We had hoped to make it to the Bahamas for Christmas, and we’ll definitely do this if at all possible.

We’ll keep you posted.

We’ve just taken a couple of knocks on the boat buying, and the list of boats we’re considering is now too short for comfort. We’ve two more hands to play, and then there’s some real thinking to be done. We’re trying to be patient and allow things to happen, and at the same time Christmas is just around the corner, and we really wanted to be in the middle of the trip by then – Cuba perhaps, or the Bahamas at least.

So, in a bid to remain positive and relaxed, we’re going to make an offer on a boat today – this one if you’re interested – and then go to Vancouver Aquarium for some marine fun.

Vancouver is still great. Dennis and Pat are really great hosts, and we’re so well catered for. We’ve really enjoyed hanging out with friends and getting some culture. But we came here to buy a damn boat! Today I shall remain optimistic, it’s Christmas party with Gran Balfour tonight, fun for all the family!

Here’s a few shots of our last couple of weeks:

 

Keli and Lashwood on Cypress Mountain.

 

My first ever Canadian Halloween Pumpkin – exciting!

Not irreparable, but not confidence inspiring either.

The biggest omission was that the boat had been in a racing collision and had no pullpit – a stainless steel frame bolted at the bow of the boat that supports the lifelines – two wire lines that surround the perimeter of the deck and are primarliy for safety. In addition there were a few bits of equipment listed as being on the boat that were either never there, or had been removed. The total value of this gear was something like $8-10k, and dramatically changed the value of our offer. Actually the damage to the bow is totally repairable, but Kel and I both felt very uneasy about the lack of clarity coming from the seller/broker, and in the end felt it was wiser to withdraw our offer and consider other options. Our boat will be our home, and we really want to be able to step onto it with nothing but excitement and joy.

So it’s been back to a week of hunting for boats and looking for options. I was really depressed by the whole experience so I took a day off from thinking about it today and am sitting in the window seat in the Bean enjoying some funky tea and listening to a Genius playlist on my ipod. And before I go further, can I commend this piece of binary engineering… on the way across town in the car this morning the old pod spat out this concoction, and I must say it was just what I needed:

1. Maps – So Low So High
2. National – Show Show
3. Editors – The Weight of the World
4. Andrew Bird – Fiery Crash
5. Bell X1 – Rocky Took a Lover
6. Phosphorescent – Wolves
7. Miracle Fortress – Hold Your Secrets To Your Heart
8. Broken Social Scene – Swimmers
9. Spiritualized – Soul On Fire
10. Interpol – Rest My Chemistry
11. Bloc Party – Kreuzberg
12. The Secret Machines – Alone, Jealous and Stoned
13. Maps – To The Sky
14. Sigur Ros – Hljomalind
15. Bat For Lashes – What’s a Girl To Do?
16. National – Mistaken For Strangers
17. Beirut – Guyamas Sonora
18. Andrew Bird – Scythian Empires
19. Black Rebel Motorcycle Club – Weapon Of Choice
20. Miracle Fortress – Beach Baby
21. The Stills – Lola Stars and Stripes
22. Editors – Spiders
23. Broken Social Scene – 7/4(Shoreline) *My favourite of the mix by far!
24. Klaxons – Two Receivers
25. Maps – Back and Forth

DELUXE.

Anyhow…I’m enjoying my day of recovery. Keli and Pat have been in the Wickaninnish Inn on Vancouver Island for a three day spa and some serious mother-daughter time. Yes I am an amazing husband, and yes I intend to get this one back in a three-day motorcycle holiday somewhere fast and warm! Needless to say Dennis and I starved for the three days, but enjoyed some Granville Island Beers and watched the hockey on TV – I’m turning in to quite the Canucks fan!

The weather has been amazing here, loads of stunning tree colours, and lots of cool crisp air coupled with non-stop sunshine. Three days a week Dennis, Keli and I get up for a 6am fitness class – which of course I have bragged about before! Dennis and I run along the sea wall in West Van watching the moon set and the sun rise, it’s honestly the best way I’ve ever known to start the day. I’ve been running on the weekend in the Capilano Canyon which has also been fabulous. If it means anything it’s where Rambo First Blood was filmed, of course I didn’t know that either…but it might come up in a pub quiz? Here’s the clip…

Despite the last week’s challenges, these few months in Vancouver have been a really enjoyable mix of tourism, catching up with old friends, and making lots of new ones, and I’m really grateful for the experience.. Last week we joined the fitness group to celebrate Rika’s 60th birthday, it’s was such a blast to hang out with the group socially, and Dennis and Pat have really allowed us to borrow their friends! It’s also a little depressing to work out with people twice your age who look better than you do!

Actually that was one of my early West Vancouver discoveries…a nice bottom, one that looks say 25, or even 22, is actually more likely to be attached to a face that is 54, or even 65. So take care to connect the bottom to the top before you make a move. Which of course I wouldn’t be anyhow, I was just making an anthropological observation.

Finally, today I did some great online retail therapy, and thought I’d mention a funky little clothing company that are having a blow-out sale. ILK Industries is the clothing arm of an Edinburgh Design House, and they’re current knocking out some high quality cotton Tees, Hoodies and Bags, all organically sourced and not made by poor people – lovely! Check them out at ilkindustries.com, and more importantly sneak your way to their BIG sale here: http://sale.ilkindustries.com/products - don’t say I never give you anything!

The ILK Industries Sale site - get there.