Near disaster and other happenings - dan

Last week ended strongly for us. Susan’s property in NY finally closed and there’s been a lot of activity on her house in CT as well. I put my house on the market last Wednesday, had the first showing that afternoon and received a full price offer the next day. Four showings were scheduled for the following day and I was hoping for a bidding war. Friday afternoon Susan drove to my house and then we traveled together down to the marina that afternoon anticipating another full weekend of boat work. What we didn’t realize was that a class one tornado would hit my town (and my street) within an hour of our departure.

We were on the boat when we heard that strong thunderstorms were moving across the sound. We could see the sky darkening to the west of us and then cloud to cloud lighting. We rigged for heavy weather but it passed us by. We thought all was well until I got a call from my realtor later that evening. She said that Wethersfield had been hit by what appeared to be a tornado. Large trees and power lines were down all over town and some homes were totally destroyed. She had checked my house and found a lot of water on the 1st story floors, an inch of water in my basement and a tree had glanced my garage. She cleaned up the water and other than that said my house seemed ok. I’m very grateful for her concern and action in protecting my house. The power was out all over town and wouldn’t be restored til the following evening. Even though it was 10:30pm when we got the call we were so wired from the news that Susan suggested we leave immediately for my place to assess the damage first hand. When we arrived the town looked like a war zone. It was eerily dark; the only light around was from the flashing lights of police and emergency crews hard at work.

It was tragedy and a miracle rolled into one. Wethersfield is one or the oldest towns in the state. Founded in 1633 it prides itself on its historic homes and majestic trees. The tragedy was that many of the great old trees and some historic homes were damaged. It was a miracle that no life was lost and relativity few homes were destroyed.

Susan and I got up at 5:00 on Saturday morning and walked around town to see the damage. It was an amazing display of the power of nature. Then we cleaned up my house & yard as best we could and headed back to the boat. I’ve still got some hanging limbs to cut down, clear the limbs from my garage and a few holes to patch in the side if the garage. Could have been worse, much worse and for that I am grateful.
Jim Funk had installed our dodger earlier in the week and we were delighted to see it installed. He’s an amazing craftsman and I am very grateful to be the recipient of his art.
Susan hoisted me up the mast and I was able to properly secure the mast head light. Right about then friends Elaine & Tom showed up and helped with the arduous chore of scraping varnish. We took a brief break in the afternoon and dinghyed over to the Mystic Seaport where they were having a wooden boat show that we were able to enjoy from the water.

The Amistad (one of my favorites) was there along with dozens of other wooden beauties. On Sunday we did more boat work. I managed to get the solar array on line on Saturday and that seemed to be working great. It was a magical experience for me to disconnect the boat from shore power and while we ran all kinds of power tools, the batteries remained topped off. I’m hopeful that the system will be able to support refrigeration without running a generator. It will truly be wonderful if we can supply all our electrical needs from the sun, fingers crossed.




125 days

So much to do; so little time... susan

A list directs me most days but I am halted by the item I have not yet checked off: Sell my house. I have at long last closed on the Perkinsville house, Dan is nearing a deal on his house, only one day on the market, and two weeks ago now I had been racing to prepare my house for an open house – and wait! Have you ever lived in a house that is on the market? I don’t naturally live this neatly! There are no hiding places! I forgot the sheets for Gypsy last weekend because I didn’t set out the “go to Gypsy” pile during the week as things surfaced that needed to go. Once in the past when selling a house I remember putting all those non specific “things” in the car each time I left the house for a showing!
I have to get over this! I do well if given an assignment. I took the storm sail to Ace Sailmakers to get the hank-ons placed. Doing business with Aaron is a pleasure. He is always patient with my limited knowledge of amending sails or with Jordan series drogues, for that matter! I completed my last day of tutoring at New Haven Reads yesterday. There are lots of “lasts” starting to happen…
Maintaining the bright work on Gypsy in within my jurisdiction. Initially it was a challenge to see how large a piece of varnish one could peel off by hand. The previous varnish did not soak into the wood. There had been places where water had seeped under the varnish and lifted the multiple coatings away from the teak. The wood is in very good condition so care is being taken to accost the fibers as little as possible. I then graduated to using a knife to ease off the varnish. It is amazing how much bright work there is on our fiberglass vessel! Along the cabin there are strips of teak that have been repaired and may need to be completely replaced. Dan printed me a guide for varnishing that talks about thinning the first applications at decreasing percentages until finally getting to full strength varnish; then apply full strength for numerous coats! I need some dry weather to move forward. I intend to try this method on a stray piece of teak to see the outcome.
The clock is ticking away and there are many things to complete both on the home front and on Gypsy.

Another busy weekend - dan

Susan and I met at Gypsy Friday afternoon. I arrived at the marina first and discovered that our friends Jack & Marcia on Right’s of Man were still at the dock. They were supposed to have departed for Bermuda and the Europe by now so I dropped in to see how they were making out. What I found was two whirlwinds of activity; Jack busy doing last minute installations and Marcia packing all their provisions.
Susan showed up shortly thereafter with our newly remade storm jib. We unloaded our cars and set to work immediately. I was anxious to see if the replacement Tri Color light from OGM worked so Susan hoisted me up the mast to install that. Unfortunately the mounting bracket that I had worked out when the mast was down didn’t fit. I had failed to take into account the butt end of our wind instrument which wasn’t installed at the time. I plugged it in anyway and fastened the bracket with only one screw so that we could at least see if the light worked and it did, finally! I’ll have to go back up the mast in the near future and straighten out that bracket.

In the last minutes of remaining daylight we tried out our remade storm jib on the new inner forestay. Aaron of Ace Sailmakers did a super job of re-enforcing the luff and installing jib hanks in place of the bolt rope. I couldn’t be more pleased with how it turned out.
The next morning we started to work early installing the solar system. There was tricky wiring to run in difficult to access places and that project consumed the day. When it started to get dark we had dinner and then installed the modem for the Ham/SSB radio. The physical hook up for that went smother than expected with excellent instruction from Dockside Radio. We won’t know if it works until I can download the Airmail software onto my computer.

On Sunday morning we went for a short walk before starting our day’s chores. We spotted this beautiful little vintage racing sail boat on C dock.
We also checked in on the restoration of this classic sailboat that in another part of our marina. I can’t imagine how much work in involved in a project like this, tons I’m sure. I’m glad someone is making the effort because this is a lovely boat that deserves preserving.
Then it was back to work for us. Susan spent most of the day scraping varnish and I finished hooking up the solar system. The panels were putting out an amazing 35 volts of electricity and the monitor seemed to be working but for some unknown reason the system wasn’t charging our batteries. After working on it all day I gave up for the time being planning to come back and look at the problem with a fresh prospective as I was feeling burnt out by then.

We drove to my place together Sunday night so that we could be ready to move my furniture back into the house bright and early on Monday morning. I had refinished all the floors and it was time to set the place up for market. After moving the furniture, Susan cleaned most of the windows and I sanded and painted the back porch. In the middle of the day I visited my doctor for a physical and got a clean bill of health. There’s still lots to do at my place before it's ready to show but we’ve got most of the work behind us.

We both feel like we’ve been running on a treadmill for months and are looking forward to the day when we can slacken our hectic pace and enjoy our boat.

131 days

Dogfish – danWhat’s in a name anyways? This boat is sitting on the hard at our marina; one of the last boats still out of the water. Most boats, like people have a story. I wonder why “Dogfish”; what would possess someone to choose such a name? I’d love to hear that story!

We've been very busy with life lately as well as continuing our work on Gypsy. Susan’s daughter flew is from Guatemala via Mexico for a visit and they’ve been busy conducting tag sales in between home showings. I sanded & polyurethaned all the wooden floors in my house. I also met with a realtor yesterday and that went well. I want to meet with at least one more before I put the house on the market which might happen next week.

I worked on Gypsy all Sunday and didn't want to come back at the end of the day. I really love being on the water. I managed to get the solar wiring laid out and hope to pick up the tinned wire I need this weekend and start installing the charge controller, monitor, shunt, battery sensor and breakers for the system. Quite a science project.

Everything seems to be happening very fast now. I wish it would slow down some but I don't seem to have that kind of control. Feels a bit like the end of one's last year of high school, the heady time just before graduation. I've told my boss I'm retiring (he's jealous) and have an appointment with HR to work out the details. This is a good time for me to leave work as things are slow with the lagging economy. I'm taking the test for the Ham Radio General license tonight. I have a ham Technicians license (prerequisite for taking the General test) and want to get the General ticked so that I can have complete access to all Ham frequencies.

The replacement LED Tri color masthead light from OGM finally arrived and I hope to get that installed this weekend. I also received the modem for the Ham/SSB radio so there’s that to hook up too when I get a chance.

Condensing my life into boat size proportions continues to be an interesting process. Going through all my stuff; scanning old photographs, Craig's List, Free Cycle and giving stuff to friends. I've also been dreaming like mad lately. I figure that I must be sorting through things in my head at the same time I’m sorting out what's in my basement. A couple of nights ago I had what seemed like a very intense and lengthy dream session. I woke up after what felt like a full night's sleep only to discover that only forty-five minutes had passed. The whole rest of the night went that way; tons of dreams and me waking every hour thinking that "it must be time to get up".

I’ve often been intrigued by what I think of as physical metaphors; things in the physical world that represent and seem to be connected with things in the psychological and energetic realms. So as I sift through all my life's possessions in the process of letting go, I seem to be doing the same thing with the thoughts and memories in my subconscious mind. Krishna Das once said that the “letting go” muscle is the most powerful one we’ve got. I’ve been giving mine quite a lot of exercise lately.

Another development has also been taking place. As my preparations progress for this journey I'm feeling increasingly alive and vital; colors more vivid, smells seem richer, my dealings and interactions with people more meaningful and deeper while at the same time I've been feeling a greater sense of peace and contentment. I'm also increasingly aware that all things are "all good", just different. I wish I could slow this process down and enjoy it more but that doesn't fit with all that we have to get done by our November 1st departure date.

138 days

letting go of the house... susan

The purchase of my current house was a decisive action. I had done the drive by and at the time of the appointed viewing I made sure both of my kids were present. It was unanimous, we wanted to live in this house and make it our home. So after the usual bartering and negotiating we paid the bill and moved in! Over these past 7+ years the accumulation of memories is vast. Only the positive memories shine through. Before the closing, my son, David, worked out an agreement with the owner to paint “his” room as he was going to be away at a soccer camp at the time we would move in. My daughter, Chelsea, and I vied for the largest bedroom but I won out; after all, I am the mother – and paying the bills! Over the years we rotated between these two rooms, each applying our own flair for the décor.

The first Christmas we added an outdoor hot tub – a family gift! Many an aching muscle has been soothed in that hot water in addition to “heated” discussions of world politics or life goals. Once the kids had senior privileges to leave campus at their nearby high school, sport teams made their way to the soothing bath; towels littering the kitchen floor as evidence.

A monthly music gathering at my previous home was motivation for me to start a women’s drumming circle. Initially the intention was to be a continuation of an Afro Caribbean drumming class I had just completed. This group has become vastly more… We meet monthly starting with a potluck dinner and promptly at 8 we form our circle, honor the Directions and center our selves directed by Evelyn our wise and insightful leader. Though this group has seen folks come and go, there is a core of cohesion that drives us forward. Chanting, tapping our legs or beating a drum create the vibration that brings us to a common place, reinforcing the sameness we share… The energetic wave that filled my home following our gathering was worth sharing with the group and others now rotate hosting the event.

This house saw team dinners, sleepovers and just a place to “hang out”. There was always room to squeeze in another sleeping bag or blanket. (The most recent gathering hosted by Chelsea this past Winter Solstice found 22 bodies strewn over the house the morning after!) Holiday traditions stemmed from our kitchen. New friendships blossomed as various friends and family joined us over the years to eat and share good conversation. And the music, always the music… I have always said, “My house has a stove and a refrigerator and a piano!” Guitar players, pianists and loud voices have blended to ring out many an old tune.

Improvements to the house were necessary and my Dad, who always brought his work clothes when he came to visit us, were jointly undertaken. Touches of my Dad’s craftsmanship live on. As I have gone about the house cleaning, sorting and “staging” I was overcome with memories of those joint efforts. The shelf in the kitchen, the laminate floor in the upstairs study, the fixtures in the bathroom – all projects undertaken by my Dad to make our house a home. Moving away from these reminders tugs at my heart a little bit – let me never forget the ways of his love…

When my Dad passed and my Mom’s grief overcame her, we made over a room downstairs and had Mom come and live with us. Over that time several dear caregivers came into our lives and continue to remain family friends. My Mom passed away in my arms in this house surrounded by the love we lived every day.

These mere four walls on Burton Street hold within a slice of several lives. Houses line the streets around us and tell many other stories. When I was a kid my Dad was offered a promotion to move to another State. I freaked out! I couldn’t leave our house and my friends and my horses… My Mom calmly guided – We can made a home anywhere that we are all together… As this house is now on the market and potential buyers come to look at the space, my wish for them is that they find here the peace and love that my family found.

Settling in, old dogs and people too - dan Although the primary focus of this past weekend was to start the process of moving aboard, that wasn’t all we did. We started at Susan’s house on Friday where we did the last of the cleaning in preparation for the real estate open-house that was scheduled for Sunday. We were still cleaning as we moved out the door early Saturday morning. Next we went to a flair training and hands-on practice session that was held by the Coast Guard Auxiliary at Esker Point Beach in Groton. It was an interesting and informative session where we got to shoot off some flairs which proved both entertaining and educational. The 12-gauge flairs were unimpressive, with the Orion High Performance 12-gauge being the worst of the bunch, sporting a dismal 75% failure rate on flairs that were well within their expiration date. The 25mm areals seem to be the best.

Next we went to our old marina to see our friend’s new catamaran. They had bought a new Fontaine Pajot, Mahe 36 and had it sailed over from France by a delivery crew. This was their first weekend on their new boat and they were busy settling in themselves when they weren’t busy showing off their beautiful new cat.

After that it was back to work for us. With the help of our friend Tom we managed to mount our new solar panels and bend on the main and genoa sails. That was a big job and we were glad to have a third set of hands to help out. We also tried out the storm jib on the new inner forestay location which looked great; hooked up the GPS and cleaned the boat.

Susan’s elderly dog Casey joined us as usual but the poor thing seems to be fading fast. Her appetite is almost gone in spite enticements of smoked turkey and fresh liverwurst. Casey is also having a hard time moving around. Comments along the dock ranged from “that’s a really old puppy” to “what’s wrong with your dog” and this comment from the oldest guy on the docks; “might be time for that dog to bite the bullet”. Many offered genuine sympathy and related beloved dog stories of their own. We’re closely monitoring her quality of life and hope Casey passes painlessly in her own good time.

I’ve noticed that people often freely speak of much loved pets that have passed but rarely speak of deceased people. I wonder if that is just a cultural thing or if it’s a universal human trait. On our trip around the world it will be interesting to be on the lookout for signs that will help me understand where my own boundaries lay between the two.

I’m no anthropologist but it seems to me that we humans define our cultures differently in several major areas; how we deal with our dead, how we raise our young, what we eat and the way we prepare it, religious beliefs & practices, gender rolls and how we express ourselves creatively. It will be interesting to notice the differences between cultures in these areas as we make our way through different cultures that make up our world. But first we still have two houses to sell, a ton of stuff to deal with and the need to finish preparing Gypsy for the journey. Will we get it all done? Probably not but I don’t see any show stoppers at this point.

146 days

New digs - dan
We moved Gypsy to her summer dock in Mystic on Wednesday. It was just a short hop around Morgan Point and then a couple of miles up the Mystic River but still it provided us with bit of excitement. Just after we pulled out of the slip, as we were leaving the Marina, we heard a squeaking noise that wasn’t right. It happened just as I increased engine RPM. I immediately throated back and the noise went away. I had previously brought the engine up to full power with no ill effects at the dock, in neutral. I suspected the stuffing box; that the packing might be too tight around the prop shaft. I loosened it a bit, Susan put it back in gear and throttled up and the noise was gone. Smiles all around.

Also the bow thruster didn’t work and I couldn’t do anything about that. The motor ran but to no effect. I figure I must have incorrectly assembled the prop when I change the zinc anode over the winter and it’s just not engaging. Oh well, that will have to wait till the next haul out to fix. In the mean time I’ll get plenty of opportunity to improve my docking skills.

We’re headed down to Gypsy this weekend to install the solar panels and bend the sails on. It will be very interesting to see how the energy needs of our new life will measure up against 35 sq.ft. of collection area. We trying to make ourselves as self sustaining as possible and these solar panels along with Gypsy’s sails are the cornerstone of the effort. I also am looking forward to raising the storm jib at the new inner forestay to see how that shakes out.

In other news: After a world wind of activity Susan’s house went on the market this week. There is an open house scheduled for this Sunday, fingers crossed.

149 days

Gypsy floats! - dan

Susan got the call from the marina Monday morning; Gypsy has been launched, her mast stepped and is tied to a dock (they didn’t say which dock). We were ecstatic. Like teenagers, we raced down to the shore. I couldn’t wait to see if all the work we did on the seacocks and the plumbing was good. It’s a hell of a test but there your have it; after all the plumbing work we did over the winter, we drop her in and hope water stays mostly on the outside and any water that does come inside, stays within the plumbing. Big test and we passed. Well almost, sort of, fudged a bit...
But first we had to find our boat. You’d think it would be easy to find a 42’ long sailboat but it wasn’t. We were looking at the field of masts out over the dock system and trying to find ours, the one mast that I know in incredibly intimate detail. It was like trying to spot one tree in the forest. We ended up combing the whole marina before we finally found her and when we did my heart soared.
The first thing we did was to check the bilges for leaks. That looked ok, phew! The next thing I was dying to know was how our engine work turned out. We had removed the engine driven refrigeration unit, reconfigured the generator & water pump belt system, moved the raw water strainer and replaced the salt water intake hose. The big question in my mind was; would Mr. Beke (our Westerbeke 46 hp diesel engine) run. And if he did, would he run well? First step in that process was to open the seacock for the water cooling system. A great gush of water, the bad kind, the kind that goes rushing into your boat trying to sink her, shot up from the valve. Unfortunately this was the most inaccessible seacock on the boat. I thought there might be something wrong with the valve itself but after adjusting it, I discovered the problem was simpler than that. I had neglected to tighten the hose clamps. What a dummy! Still, it’s such a difficult spot to get at, it took Susan and me, working together from different access points, a good ten minutes to tighten those two clamps. Once that was done and the engine fluids were topped off we fired Mr. Beke up. He coughed a bit at first but then purred like a kitten. What a relief.

We then hauled our dinghy, the main and genoa sails plus a few assorted odds & ends from my van on to Gypsy before calling it a night; finishing up our first work day on the water at dusk. We were rewarded with a beautiful sunset and a deep sense of accomplishment. Feels like we’re floating on top of the world, come to think of it, we are.

152 days