The Gypsy Enlightened Power Co - dan

I met Jim Funk at his loft last Saturday to build the racks for Gypsy's new solar panels. I showed up a bit early and couldn’t help but walk the docks and gaze at the beauties.
When I say that I helped Jim build the solar panel racks, what I mean is that I held the tape measure for him and said "yes" to his terrific ideas as how they should be made. Jim has a great design sense and is a genius with stainless steal construction. I couldn't be more pleased with how the racks came out.

This solar array will form the heart of our planned electric power system. I'm hoping that we'll be able to get at least 90% of our electrical power from the sun. To that end we're doing two major things; 1) reducing our electrical needs to as little as possible and 2) fielding the largest solar array that's practical.

We'll be completely covering our bimini with solar panels. Our array will be comprised of two 40" x 65" Sharp 224 watts panels that will hopefully produce about 150 amp hours of electricity on sunny days. On the conservation side we'll be doing things like installing LED lights and putting in a high efficiency refrigeration system if we have the amp hours to spare. What we want to avoid is running our big diesel engine just to make power. We also got a small 2000 watt Honda generator to make up the difference between what the sun produces and what we need. The Honda will also serve as an emergency back up to our power system. It seems like a good idea to have redundant sources of energy.

Of course Gypsy's biggest energy collectors are her sails which are capable of moving her across oceans by the force of the wind.

249 days...

the story of the chair - susan

as i review the possessions in my house i realize there are criteria that are playing unofficially in my mind as to whether i will keep an item or pass it on. details of the history of these pieces come into focus; some items are easy to let go of; others hold a special place in my heart. this particular chair came into my life by accident. my dad and my 12 year old self were at an auction; the entire contents of the house were being sold; no children had lived in this family so my main interest in this event was to spend time with my dad and to marvel at the skill and song of the auctioneer. the annotation of what each item was and how it might be needed in the buyer's life was witty and playful. if i remember correctly, this chair just "needed a little fixin!". when the auctioneer looked my way i intended to smile a "hello" but must have added a slight nod as the cry rang out "sold to the young lady right here in the front row!" the item was mine! i had no real interest in this piece of furniture but was thrilled to be caught up in the excitement of the experience! the chair was green; the bright, dirty green, painted year after year, that only a spare kitchen chair could be. the seat, long ago broken, was wound with remnants of cloth and padding to allow it to serve its function. my dad paid to check us out and i giggled as we left the auction; me with my "purchase", my dad with a few "new" tools. my mom found the story amusing but certainly was not about to allow that chair into her house! the excitement of the accidental bidding over, i soon forgot about the chair. my dad being the resourceful, practical man he was, took it upon himself to make the chair functional. it is not clear to me now if it was my birthday or christmas when my dad presented me this lovely wooden chair with a carved rose in the curve of the back. this detail was indistinguishable with the layers of paint that had come to coat this piece throughout its life. the seat had been caned and the initial purchase bore little resemblance to the finished product. this piece became my desk chair then, and has held places of distinction in the homes i have created throughout the years.
there is not a time when i look at this salvaged chair that i do not remember my dad. the love and lessons he conveyed with this gift continue to influence my life style even now. this chair is a keeper.

sustainability susan

to make bread or not to make bread? - a question! though we don't need to eat sandwiches every day, the idea of smelling fresh baked bread in our cabin, not to mention eating the hearty, satisfying end product, is too delicious to pass up.


as we researched a variety of sources on how to live aboard, we learned some valuable facts. wheat berries keep indefinitely; wheat flour deteriorates once the wheat kernel is broken. so to have whole wheat flour one had better grind ones own wheat berries. and what does that entail? with more research on flour mills; i did business with pleasant hill grain (www/pleasanthillgrain.com), a very efficient and courteous company to work with. it seemed consistent with our commitment to self sustainability to purchase a hand grind flour mill. along with that i also purchased a whole grain bread cookbook.

i was very excited when the mill arrived and on saturday dan and i alternately ground 4 cups of flour in about 20 minutes. the grinding and squeaking of the mill and the heat we built up in our bodies produced this delicate mist of powder from the mill. slowly the peaks of flour blended together to fill our bowl. i then followed the directions as closely as possible to "construct" my test loaf of bread! it was a lot of work to inspect the loaf at each level to see it the gluten was intact and if the air bubbles were all released and if i was maintaining adequate warmth for the bread to rise. i learned i need to get a better thermometer and also a slightly smaller loaf pan. although the finished product was not ready for the bakery shop, it was edible and enjoyable. there was a satisfaction that both dan and i felt to start from scratch and to produce our food.

it is each process along the way that makes this journey we about to embark on more than a sailing adventure; it includes examining our choices in our lives and making decisions about how we want to live on this planet.











“If thou tastest a crust of bread, thou tastest all the stars and all the heavens.”
Robert Browning

Big News - dan
Susan and I met Jim Funk, our canvas worker at his Mystic loft last Friday. He had just completed sewing our new dodger and it looks great! Jim has a very complete understanding of sailboats and is a craftsman of the highest caliber. We then all traveled over to Gypsy in Noank to check out our bimini setup and review how our solar panels will attach prior to Jim starting that project. Once we decided how we’ll alter the bimini we removed it and the dodger (to have handles welded on). Jim’s going to set the bimini frame up in his loft so we can build the solar panel supports there.

Jeff Morgan (our rigger) arrived at Gypsy just as Jim was leaving. Jeff installed the new lifelines he had just made and they look and function great!

After Jeff and Susan left I wandered the docks looking at boats. New England has to be one of the best places on the planet for that with more classically beautiful boats than just about anywhere. While I was wandering around I met Steve who was also gawking at boats. Turns out that Steve has a beautiful Cape Dory one dock down and invited me aboard. He has a heater aboard which was greatly appreciated as the sun was going down that the air was turning quite cold. Steve it planning on sailing to Bermuda this spring which will be the first major crossing for him. We’re leaving for Bermuda at the end of October so it was fun to compare notes and the excitement is infectious.
The big news came then next day on Valentine’s Day; Susan got an offer on her house in New York State. After a couple of counter offers over the phone they’ve come to an agreement. Fingers crossed, that’s a big hurtle for her to get over in getting her life set to go cruising.

257 days...

Autumnal journeys - dan

I was thinking about our upcoming journey this morning, thinking about how it fits into the context of the greater journey of our lives. It occurred to me that where we are in our lives affects and informs our individual journeys.

We start out in the spring of our life making our first tentative and short forays. Eyes wide open, breath short and expectant, startled and excited by any new stimulus. We fall down, skin our knees; tears and smiles flow as we learn and grow. These “spring” journeys are usually quick and exciting.

Summer journeys are hot; we’re searching for ourselves and sometimes full of ourselves. Our eyes are still wide and hungry, hearts open, desire strong. It’s here that we start to face life’s challenges on our own; mother & father no longer always there to pick us up when we fall. Our character forms. Summer journeys can be long, deep, joyous and stressful.

Autumns journeys may be the sweetest ones yet. Autumn is harvest time where we get to collect the fruits of our labors. On autumnal journeys we see the world with informed eyes, eyes that seek to understand the eyes that are looking back at us.

I am very much looking forward to our travels. The autumn’s golden light is one of my favorites and is such a beautiful way to take in the world.


"For everything there is a season,
and a time for very purpose under heaven."
Ecclesiastes
258 days

The ongoing development and grace of gypsy nomads - dan

The above photo of Grace was taken last weekend at Spicer’s marina. She’s located right behind our Gypsy on the main dock and I always pause to gaze at that boat when I pass by. She’s beautiful from her massive bowsprit to her elegant canoe stern and of course I love her name.

We had a productive but short workday. We got the zinc changed on the bow thruster. That was a challenge. Working one armed, elbow deep in an 8” tube to remove; a nut, two screws and a vertical drift pin but we were able to swap the bastard out. Then reverse it all to get the new one installed. Next was the engine zinc; piece of cake. Then we cleaned out the heat exchanger and installed the seawater return hose on the engine cooling manifold. We were definitely on a roll until we ran into our friends from Right’s of Man, Marcia and Jack who managed to persuade us to knock off early and join them for drinks at the Seahorse (occupational hazard).

We’re unquestionably on a journey even though we haven’t left the dock yet. Every day we’re changing, little by little, shaping ourselves, our vessel and our lives into a gypsy nomadic future.

For whatever we lose (like a you or a me), It's always our self we find in the sea.

e.e. cummings

262 days

Secrets – dan
It happened during a lull at work. The group was gathered in our central area and talking casually when I walked in. I paused to enjoy some informal time when one of them asked if I had made any vacation plans. An innocent question that I was able to dodge with the truthful answer of “no”, as I’m not planning on taking any vacation, I’m planning on retiring. I don’t like secrets and I’d almost unveiled my plans earlier this year before a trusted colleague advised me to “keep a lid on it”. He said that as soon as I made that announcement I’d be marginalized and ineffective at work and I don’t think I could stand that. In fact my near term retirement has embolden me to take potential career limiting risks that have proved quite fruitful.

I’m also not really sure when I'll leave work, so many factors come into play. I turn 55 in May and can start collecting my pension but it would be really nice to quit a little sooner, at the end of March and devote myself fulltime to preparing Gypsy for spring launch (exact date TBD). I can afford to leave work early but the fiscally smart thing to do would be to continue working and saving as long as possible, which theoretically could be right up til the end of October. I’ve still got to sell my house and who know how that will go in this dreadful real-estate market.

Back to the “water cooler” discussion with my group: The next question was harder to dodge; “Do I have any cool sailing trips planned”? After a pause, the best I could come up with is “I'm working on that”. They're a great crew, I’d love to tell them, and my boss who I like and greatly respect. I'd love to share the confidence, the joy and all the excitement but for now, for prudence sake, I’m going stick to tried and true sailing advice; “hold your course and keep a sharp eye out.”

269 days to departure

rolling with the sea susan

as often happens, the improvements to the kitchen will be made as i prepare to put my house on the market. today the carpenter came and removed the cabinet doors in preparation for their painting and for the replacement of the hardware. looking around the room i feel exposed!
all the "things" i have stuffed out of sight are no longer out of sight. as i look into the cupboards, i see very few items that i wish to keep. mostly i will eliminate the pots and pans and dishware in an estate sale, retaining only the items i anticipate i will need until we depart. there is no escaping the process. it's not that i want to. 9 months to grow this dream!

i have also started a "hope" chest! well, not in the traditional use of the word, but i have a locker (left over from one of my kids, no doubt) where i have been placing the items i know will be aboard. - my snorkel equipment, water shoes, dry bags, that sort of thing... i continue to sift through my closet and eliminate clothes i will not be wearing again...
we are rolling with the momentum of the sea...

Last time? – dan












We went down to Gypsy yesterday; put a charged to her batteries, measured her chain (to make sure we get compatible chain for the new anchors), measured the waste tubing in order to get the right sized Y-valve and picked up several boat parts that we had on order. I’m no stranger to the high price of boat things but even so I was surprised; one engine pulley (cooling water drive) $365, one quart of Sikkens marine varnish $45.00. Wow.

All in all it was a good trip and we managed to gather all the parts we had hoped to (a first). Again, even in the cold of winter, I love being down by the water.



Today we went cross-country skiing with friends.














Susan announced that exactly nine months form today we head out to Bermuda and beyond. She also built a snow “person”. I wondered if this would be the last time that I ever ski. Being that our round-the-world trip will keep us mostly in the tropics with no certain itinerary and an unspecified return port, who knows when or where we’ll end up. I love cross-country skiing and the stark beauty of winter but I’ll gladly give that all up forever, for the incredible opportunity of the voyage. I love the unpredictably of our journey and it’s open-ended nature. It wouldn’t be half as powerful if I knew in advance where we were going to end up.

9 months till departure