tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-77024279118244105682024-03-10T23:23:37.560-04:00The Floating EmpireThe blog of the design, construction, and launching of the vessels "The Floating Empire", "Tesla's Revenge", and the shantyboat "Dragonfly", floating tinyhomes made from recycled or repurposed materials.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger446125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7702427911824410568.post-56628370758636555332022-11-11T13:18:00.004-05:002022-11-11T13:35:12.230-05:00Wow<p> Wow, long time no post, but we've been frankly exhausting ourselves with this project. Lemmessee, where did we leave off?</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY8r4oe0hLrR2dqrhvFLWG_zA3XMExbgOMN0eCJG8PmsvaDjOMDdsEYa0pKLlO2EX-QuHM6Kwox59isDclt7TmJubbNt-_m7hEZ9AkO_vdppWAESesBrK7RiEKbCg69zVKO7_oHVrIwUgnrlJ9Ir9tdNklODi1f6-kYml1B5Kn0didt_8GfoD7Xnf1/s4160/IMG20221012122210.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4160" data-original-width="3120" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY8r4oe0hLrR2dqrhvFLWG_zA3XMExbgOMN0eCJG8PmsvaDjOMDdsEYa0pKLlO2EX-QuHM6Kwox59isDclt7TmJubbNt-_m7hEZ9AkO_vdppWAESesBrK7RiEKbCg69zVKO7_oHVrIwUgnrlJ9Ir9tdNklODi1f6-kYml1B5Kn0didt_8GfoD7Xnf1/s320/IMG20221012122210.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We finally got done with the damned Epoxy.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>After a lot of trial and error and cursing and everything we own either being sticky or ossified, we finally completed epoxy on the hull. The seams, as aforesaid, are done in 6 oz tape, which is doubled on the leading edges to help protect them. The whole hull up the to gunwale is covered in 4 1/2 oz biaxial cloth, and then two coats of epoxy over the whole surface.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh1VJDID7rP1dSi5zco8mxjVnyrUJqmwATIfbcAXk2hM2bIELoh1IdCGN2-2ox3DRODCY4z1cPAWU21hQpcnYL2xaI5KsFLmi2rl2PlG8kCiZqODLMTDLZ4DxjUFqGsPIu3VQ-k3Es1D05JgFqwtCki1vjpbtrNJOZbFk8druTEEpD8oZw6H1wkAXR/s4160/IMG20221020114037.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4160" data-original-width="3120" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh1VJDID7rP1dSi5zco8mxjVnyrUJqmwATIfbcAXk2hM2bIELoh1IdCGN2-2ox3DRODCY4z1cPAWU21hQpcnYL2xaI5KsFLmi2rl2PlG8kCiZqODLMTDLZ4DxjUFqGsPIu3VQ-k3Es1D05JgFqwtCki1vjpbtrNJOZbFk8druTEEpD8oZw6H1wkAXR/s320/IMG20221020114037.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The squeegee proved a much better tool for applying epoxy than a roller or brush.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>While still slightly tacky, we applied the bottom paint (Interlux ablative) to make a chemical bond.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN2Wh9GL1ocg9uN1y6Z6pg5HnjfrDkLHuqVIcZZqDcvjdLbwZTDopbAi8mpMCMBYN2NnsGaHY_fUy6QzfwgtoEma-F0xuoRghD7a2DaAeouAIGCzzuC8ZaSI2xmIyGChLYr8oPoH233UlVnZVVAjS2qzHOlLVVdcftWNXrF0dW7ZjF1wovujEfl29y/s4160/IMG20221020135325.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4160" data-original-width="3120" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN2Wh9GL1ocg9uN1y6Z6pg5HnjfrDkLHuqVIcZZqDcvjdLbwZTDopbAi8mpMCMBYN2NnsGaHY_fUy6QzfwgtoEma-F0xuoRghD7a2DaAeouAIGCzzuC8ZaSI2xmIyGChLYr8oPoH233UlVnZVVAjS2qzHOlLVVdcftWNXrF0dW7ZjF1wovujEfl29y/s320/IMG20221020135325.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So glad to see the bottom paint go on.</td></tr></tbody></table><br />AAAAAAND we messed up. By the time we finished the hull, some parts had fully cured and the bottom paint crazed off. We were forced to do a bit of scraping and sanding on those parts that didn't fully adhere and then to recoat.<div><br /></div><div>Finally, though, we got a double coat of decent antifouling paint, and then gave it a couple of days to cure.</div><div><br /></div><div>Now we come to the scary part: Turning over the boat hull. I frankly had no idea how this would go, I just knew we would need a lot of hands. Kyle at the Marina floated using the sling lift or fork lift, but at this stage the boat had no internal structure, so I was more than a bit leery of that. We managed to assemble five people and tried to lift the thing. We did, but it was far to heavy to be safe (I'm figuring that, by this point, the hull is around 8-900 lbs). We sent out scouts and managed to get our number of helpers to nine, picked up the beast, moved it over ten feet, then set it on it's starboard side, and gingerly walked the thing down onto some 2x4s.</div><div><br /></div><div>I wish I had more pix of that, but all hands were . . .well. . .more than somewhat occupied. Many, many thanks, though to those who pitched in.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTosrQ2L4fdHaRAOADpk6d6XNZqoq9lVie_2kLubV6do06ax-5TBdEdU4DqwVmNHjmdMAgJqnx5g4jos6avk6wIlup9Fl2ZmHiMHS-j8q1hykts1J6xjaPQ1GbgBpgxQgmezaUdn0VwwHw6F9LsniXaMtyjHeXbYHDaaVeFnrMjQuVrBKLygLFHB7z/s4160/IMG20221022133927.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4160" data-original-width="3120" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTosrQ2L4fdHaRAOADpk6d6XNZqoq9lVie_2kLubV6do06ax-5TBdEdU4DqwVmNHjmdMAgJqnx5g4jos6avk6wIlup9Fl2ZmHiMHS-j8q1hykts1J6xjaPQ1GbgBpgxQgmezaUdn0VwwHw6F9LsniXaMtyjHeXbYHDaaVeFnrMjQuVrBKLygLFHB7z/s320/IMG20221022133927.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The hull was surprisingly solid when we turned it, no creaks or groans. It didn't seem to flex at all.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><p>Then we covered the thing and hid from the rain for two days. The cover leaked. The thing was a swimming pool, but at least it held water. We used a wet/dry vac to suck the water out, swabbed the inside, and let the sun dry her out.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxbxF8WJIPDt2c4W_pJsJxV3KPTDsf1o1Ai1AoOBdZO6uNH0_EcRzNQhl83iLKKL5PssqowX8hDnmn4UYNyquXKUP1EDa0w7BIhPw-BgsbQsgiGPpRBOFfVobl9kK3eN0vA62XGY2arbrLzaoN4LCmJSjdZlpaE5TzVi1M-OkPAXmJJMCUesPNvq4W/s4160/IMG20221027143051.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4160" data-original-width="3120" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxbxF8WJIPDt2c4W_pJsJxV3KPTDsf1o1Ai1AoOBdZO6uNH0_EcRzNQhl83iLKKL5PssqowX8hDnmn4UYNyquXKUP1EDa0w7BIhPw-BgsbQsgiGPpRBOFfVobl9kK3eN0vA62XGY2arbrLzaoN4LCmJSjdZlpaE5TzVi1M-OkPAXmJJMCUesPNvq4W/s320/IMG20221027143051.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sole going in.</td></tr></tbody></table>We now began putting in the sole, inslulating between it and the hull with Reflectrix (it's a kind of silvered bubble wrap), and putting spacers along the chine to support the flooring.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlkm-6GQ2wTWfTRK-Z1-xmqHF6LRILAA6IzRCgnHhNlDtwvgsG2cA96I2dXDV2o3r0iTciu6JHqvzxRoKWhDpzThTXvF9TAenPdAzfBD5Ynlz9EDMgJEcaStTa5OzRF3VgEvzFhU_CZyQZiXFLP2KvTM-IkFOfJBBgf_TgbYQIrHftiCC8Acx_MfXt/s4160/IMG20221028120111.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4160" data-original-width="3120" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlkm-6GQ2wTWfTRK-Z1-xmqHF6LRILAA6IzRCgnHhNlDtwvgsG2cA96I2dXDV2o3r0iTciu6JHqvzxRoKWhDpzThTXvF9TAenPdAzfBD5Ynlz9EDMgJEcaStTa5OzRF3VgEvzFhU_CZyQZiXFLP2KvTM-IkFOfJBBgf_TgbYQIrHftiCC8Acx_MfXt/s320/IMG20221028120111.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Foiled again.</td></tr></tbody></table>Having gotten all that done, we began contemplating getting the walls up.</div><div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh__mv316nHJUKrKOB8B8nL-gwLQE5jz4Sv0NX8OAgHN7FOWjiS_u8liUA2qXMus0UJ6Ak955j-3NBFqFmtSL4x_4UlxNMm3romm6QEjvLMQq8SdWe-zmYVNluJVbFWpG7KR7DJ4KTtvozLEqY8ZYxd7cxmkmna9QCJNlmcayS6u-Gonka0IRajGfaB/s4160/IMG20221028124445.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4160" data-original-width="3120" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh__mv316nHJUKrKOB8B8nL-gwLQE5jz4Sv0NX8OAgHN7FOWjiS_u8liUA2qXMus0UJ6Ak955j-3NBFqFmtSL4x_4UlxNMm3romm6QEjvLMQq8SdWe-zmYVNluJVbFWpG7KR7DJ4KTtvozLEqY8ZYxd7cxmkmna9QCJNlmcayS6u-Gonka0IRajGfaB/s320/IMG20221028124445.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I would be more badass if everything didn't hurt by this point.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>The walls are 2" foam, framed in 2x3, caulked and screwed into place, and will be coated on the outside with an elastomeric coating and inside with an exterior latex. The foam sheets are spendy (about $52 each) but when you combine the light weight and insulative properties, they actually are a bit of a bargain.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRhNHS_9cMmQ-zaEPUIqZzC_pqLNYBpsXF75YgSPzUI9upnvncy08Jixk2HF2VY_OvACVvyjTpPXlyPHjbpaajXDaqVJyDgvYjX9QOhy1gOwCYj_OvfZAOnmiSLRCD7587XqjXQGdzWnK5NDH5BBIMFAyOKpihkaSCoSd1PkhYHa9yeyqeuiuuJFkz/s4160/IMG20221102114439.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4160" data-original-width="3120" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRhNHS_9cMmQ-zaEPUIqZzC_pqLNYBpsXF75YgSPzUI9upnvncy08Jixk2HF2VY_OvACVvyjTpPXlyPHjbpaajXDaqVJyDgvYjX9QOhy1gOwCYj_OvfZAOnmiSLRCD7587XqjXQGdzWnK5NDH5BBIMFAyOKpihkaSCoSd1PkhYHa9yeyqeuiuuJFkz/s320/IMG20221102114439.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Foam sweet foam.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVPZf6ArVMyMzHW7_2l840z9yqYKzf4sgJetS2LcXDahNMgW81qcWEg5KhzRIbf22ZlFp_16oy591nAZpE8mlRcWIP1qmB2ND_ytxFHg4RxqYnSwo6tZ9QBkahHlHo42SSipDTxIhip-muH0DoVqAdfhpzVGZNNOcCkcfw7gk-QljI7WFoVqzmpC30/s4160/IMG20221102111337.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4160" data-original-width="3120" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVPZf6ArVMyMzHW7_2l840z9yqYKzf4sgJetS2LcXDahNMgW81qcWEg5KhzRIbf22ZlFp_16oy591nAZpE8mlRcWIP1qmB2ND_ytxFHg4RxqYnSwo6tZ9QBkahHlHo42SSipDTxIhip-muH0DoVqAdfhpzVGZNNOcCkcfw7gk-QljI7WFoVqzmpC30/s320/IMG20221102111337.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Meanwhile, gail started insulating the side walls.<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table>One of the problems with building like this (that being, in an open field with no strongback) aside from rain and wind is that it's really hard to keep things squared. As I said with the original <i>Floating Empire, </i>"Welcome to the Temple of Accumulated Error" (with apologies to Domebook II, if memory serves).</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsG2Dj9yaw8a-nhNn7Bmh9FFGlHkE55NyvZva26sgQXCtPon5-kk5yMSreEf7VobeqRtG9TGoGVX359ifSqlrpLuYnN6zSaZqzCrVDXnI0HOR1phaL-jW9FMZpM6jp-bRfK14WZ58ycSmIsHyP9NCK-c0EPxnQtiWZLRUiOa1u92h4Th-q57aMb8rz/s4160/IMG20221105105525.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4160" data-original-width="3120" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsG2Dj9yaw8a-nhNn7Bmh9FFGlHkE55NyvZva26sgQXCtPon5-kk5yMSreEf7VobeqRtG9TGoGVX359ifSqlrpLuYnN6zSaZqzCrVDXnI0HOR1phaL-jW9FMZpM6jp-bRfK14WZ58ycSmIsHyP9NCK-c0EPxnQtiWZLRUiOa1u92h4Th-q57aMb8rz/s320/IMG20221105105525.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The framed foam walls are light and surprisingly strong.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJkd-w-hLtZ1TMFtk9HHQ7I0RlwgqdtGqksJXxkWQjSx3ghAOeJLD_FiC5Ydj5iz3oiQZ_-BZKcxnNZgglUvClIXdeATevhAciDrx3b7E8imP1Rw2chjC0bebBzYM9fRztkQewWZ8KcYk8zNZZAJbNUOcRviww8DbFFEcMnmWa6NcXKneMBMPuB0NP/s4160/IMG20221105121359.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3120" data-original-width="4160" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJkd-w-hLtZ1TMFtk9HHQ7I0RlwgqdtGqksJXxkWQjSx3ghAOeJLD_FiC5Ydj5iz3oiQZ_-BZKcxnNZgglUvClIXdeATevhAciDrx3b7E8imP1Rw2chjC0bebBzYM9fRztkQewWZ8KcYk8zNZZAJbNUOcRviww8DbFFEcMnmWa6NcXKneMBMPuB0NP/s320/IMG20221105121359.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Roughed (and I mean roughed) into place.</td></tr></tbody></table><div><p><br /></p></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIxZxJMR80hX-ZwNFum38PMAEnA2zicblgGuQoZ-OM5MwTryTnMQmQzKB85TQU1kIHFN2oy-aBeBWEjQauHRBLtLU3tm-pfOfFVADF0h2Vwekokhl7NIkoIRIexhrjTtQL2Gd5_c0MWjW_qIkt1YdZ5EZo_A2xubfNwSCfedhzlfkD91_zxNGEsdLe/s4160/IMG20221105132837.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4160" data-original-width="3120" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIxZxJMR80hX-ZwNFum38PMAEnA2zicblgGuQoZ-OM5MwTryTnMQmQzKB85TQU1kIHFN2oy-aBeBWEjQauHRBLtLU3tm-pfOfFVADF0h2Vwekokhl7NIkoIRIexhrjTtQL2Gd5_c0MWjW_qIkt1YdZ5EZo_A2xubfNwSCfedhzlfkD91_zxNGEsdLe/s320/IMG20221105132837.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The framed walls (4' 3") will give us 6' 4" over the sole of headroom.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL21z-D25ltvkABZN8eFs0MB-6zwlbuZYc4u0L1N8d730CW3Pujq8yohS-qA43Nl9qBixSdi3lWM9zzmIamnez4xlN74_44CFXviWpXdWRYhddoluZrkxXGcdKrIJpMamLApmm7v4Hpf34723rOnSws4Wk5P2gndNP3UbUxRvtRL1OHdr0Y3XEUf1R/s4160/IMG20221108142414.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4160" data-original-width="3120" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL21z-D25ltvkABZN8eFs0MB-6zwlbuZYc4u0L1N8d730CW3Pujq8yohS-qA43Nl9qBixSdi3lWM9zzmIamnez4xlN74_44CFXviWpXdWRYhddoluZrkxXGcdKrIJpMamLApmm7v4Hpf34723rOnSws4Wk5P2gndNP3UbUxRvtRL1OHdr0Y3XEUf1R/s320/IMG20221108142414.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Closing in. As we're using membrane foor the roof like the original <i>Floating Empire</i>, the roof structure is just simple sheathing.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdercMBdSAxMl4Z_XCVifXHTuriKKoTKjgD52ds0RnKJlH7_Ihf7JFzSCKGEtysCj_6YnA7k7S_kCmQbYNJDP8kAzi9QmB3Oq0aXjwBdSBLbRvbeCoyKYh1mgAnVJeLpD6kEXnEc0RAKzOdWZ0mksjOPnqmt_vvpTlAPavfNQ6u57VAn3CgDbq_1XQ/s4160/IMG20221109134542.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4160" data-original-width="3120" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdercMBdSAxMl4Z_XCVifXHTuriKKoTKjgD52ds0RnKJlH7_Ihf7JFzSCKGEtysCj_6YnA7k7S_kCmQbYNJDP8kAzi9QmB3Oq0aXjwBdSBLbRvbeCoyKYh1mgAnVJeLpD6kEXnEc0RAKzOdWZ0mksjOPnqmt_vvpTlAPavfNQ6u57VAn3CgDbq_1XQ/s320/IMG20221109134542.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">With doors and everything. Things coming together more quickly now.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDJ44Go0BlWLvwS_ojBmQjHS9Ifd9o-KKvbdn_6jfOzpZktcBYZaJWyC7Qt_pPFJPmq9JlnkWlO1E9JLQhxQ7JOg1UYBSIw5Ar4uL8-7ThCRdjzBIkxqyt7bHHrySbYwft-FiXwjQIUvdDliy5dmuCLT1MGBQnVAmoZPAKICUYw-_DPKc2pyNzGJ5i/s4160/IMG20221110134351.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4160" data-original-width="3120" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDJ44Go0BlWLvwS_ojBmQjHS9Ifd9o-KKvbdn_6jfOzpZktcBYZaJWyC7Qt_pPFJPmq9JlnkWlO1E9JLQhxQ7JOg1UYBSIw5Ar4uL8-7ThCRdjzBIkxqyt7bHHrySbYwft-FiXwjQIUvdDliy5dmuCLT1MGBQnVAmoZPAKICUYw-_DPKc2pyNzGJ5i/s320/IMG20221110134351.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wave, Gail.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkwYkUMa6xBjvXNwoOANqE6Rg30IDAbGhb4EInWp49XzqPNPIZd4asi34KwBpH8XN4egj73-8qqhR6MC-g_b7UiLPMb9TtD7Kt-rRyUaNCq4aryrj-KOP9vVYo1S9AhxUTecZmt9RiHSR8AyCuhA8_wKn2CuulLtJIgJOB7GXnbMgcL4D7P6LEnOds/s4160/IMG20221109134605.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4160" data-original-width="3120" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkwYkUMa6xBjvXNwoOANqE6Rg30IDAbGhb4EInWp49XzqPNPIZd4asi34KwBpH8XN4egj73-8qqhR6MC-g_b7UiLPMb9TtD7Kt-rRyUaNCq4aryrj-KOP9vVYo1S9AhxUTecZmt9RiHSR8AyCuhA8_wKn2CuulLtJIgJOB7GXnbMgcL4D7P6LEnOds/s320/IMG20221109134605.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Excuse the blurry fisheye, but once the interior is enclosed, we now have a place to store tools and materials that isn't the back of my freaking car. As a live-abord, our cars <i>already </i>look like a homeless person lives in them. White box to the left is the water tank, ready to go under the stern deck.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwZ3n5SA68iyew-npAqBFjrXUxXHKSWDQ6LOITYZhfch4lVStuG29KQaXaFE4hnoiRnAaOKCufhjLvmDDARhx1c7_u__CE6w_I4xyEwKHCBgNVRbB_15YlTZDbv5JDXSHhVGZsiS8U-RnzMQEpHZpmU7shx09U27BM9begNkIP76bDGG31HMiPanXG/s4160/IMG20221110135647.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4160" data-original-width="3120" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwZ3n5SA68iyew-npAqBFjrXUxXHKSWDQ6LOITYZhfch4lVStuG29KQaXaFE4hnoiRnAaOKCufhjLvmDDARhx1c7_u__CE6w_I4xyEwKHCBgNVRbB_15YlTZDbv5JDXSHhVGZsiS8U-RnzMQEpHZpmU7shx09U27BM9begNkIP76bDGG31HMiPanXG/s320/IMG20221110135647.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And here we are thus far, ready for paint and for the roof to go on. </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>So here we are thus far. It's raining off and on all day, but tomorrow we'll finish the forward hatch and get the actual roofing on, then it's on to finish the interior, the galley, and the paint work.</div><div><br /></div><div>We both agree that this project has been good for the both of us, both physically and emotionally. During the building of the original <i>Floating Empire</i>, I lost nearly 35 pounds just from the effort, and that seems to be happening again, so if you want a great excuse to build a boat, just convince your spouse that you need to lose weight.</div><div><br /></div><div>More shortly, stay tuned.</div><div><br /></div><div>M</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7702427911824410568.post-10091071655627906162022-10-11T16:12:00.003-04:002022-10-11T16:17:08.585-04:00Freakin' Epoxy<p> </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS4CeX5PdxSqzojKSXFaYnic4GcJR7FI-MrcLQqXvJV1EbD2w2if9WEIbYVk3rtrHd4fjbGeFRZhm43FeNtWohXujGaUTirBRVDl9_aFuDjGfSt3zaE7vzbdRCAXHvDgqEflPW9NNp3P_YtZCqZS68yY3qoOHm_v--GClDF_QMsZBVXLDg3aHjpvpD/s4160/IMG20221009112428.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4160" data-original-width="3120" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS4CeX5PdxSqzojKSXFaYnic4GcJR7FI-MrcLQqXvJV1EbD2w2if9WEIbYVk3rtrHd4fjbGeFRZhm43FeNtWohXujGaUTirBRVDl9_aFuDjGfSt3zaE7vzbdRCAXHvDgqEflPW9NNp3P_YtZCqZS68yY3qoOHm_v--GClDF_QMsZBVXLDg3aHjpvpD/s320/IMG20221009112428.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I really hate this stuff</td></tr></tbody></table>We had a few days of decent weather and decent temperatures so we knocked out more of the glass work. May I say again parenthetically that I despise fiberglassing things. I debated doing it on this project and was finally convinced to, but I'm not at all sure of the decision. We finished the entire bottom of the hull, covering it with 4.5 oz cloth and epoxy and also covering the bow and stern. Tomorrow we'll do the sides, then sand--which will be miserable and prickly--then do an overall epoxy coat prior to painting.<p></p><p>bah.</p><p>Still, the boat proceeds, if a bit set back by six days of rain and wind. I'm hoping to get the beast painted and turned by midweek next week and then knock out the enclosure as quickly as possible.</p><p>After beating ourselves up sticking down fiberglass cloth yesterday, we went up to Carson's Creek for a libation and come calimari. I kinda figured we needed a break. So tomorrow we'll dig into it as quickly as we can (I'm trying to wait till the temperature tops 61F to work with the epoxy). Rain Thursday, and apparently rather heavy, so at least we'll get an enforced day off this week.</p><p>Stay tuned.</p><p>M</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7702427911824410568.post-90214944087463405592022-09-30T12:32:00.002-04:002022-09-30T12:32:38.178-04:00aaaaaand, there's a hurricane.<p> So here we sit in the rain, with Hurricane Ian having just clobbered Florida and the rain headed our way. We've covered up everything we can cover and will just have to sit tight for the next three or so days until the rain passes.</p><p>sigh</p><p>Ah well, ten years ago when we built<i> Floating Empire</i> (Go back to the very beginning of this blog if you wanna see that.) we went through the same thing, stymied by rain and wind until we finally got the boat closed in and could work inside.</p><p>It's the process.</p><p>Fortunately, there is wine.</p><p>M</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7702427911824410568.post-55667738325756751782022-09-28T09:53:00.002-04:002022-09-28T09:53:51.663-04:00The discrete charm of fiberglassing<p> . . .or: Why is everything sticky?</p><p>Yesterday we started--finally--fiberglassing the seams on the hull. It actually went pretty well.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGUfchDj-1CUUyEgn8LcysDN6w4kJwgrDZzg7T4z_8oa2JeZR4Qn5aM0fj2qOL9wxx1AyRB_5bsZnOIvPw9IHJIIPB-tmxYrTfKO-PeiymvtEZFa6eY_fX-OigIADZHqpEvV053TPhJlQeNOXT3nlX5oIyd032HYlZejNgAKqtbGLSWhMwHOXP2NVS/s4160/IMG20220927110810.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4160" data-original-width="3120" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGUfchDj-1CUUyEgn8LcysDN6w4kJwgrDZzg7T4z_8oa2JeZR4Qn5aM0fj2qOL9wxx1AyRB_5bsZnOIvPw9IHJIIPB-tmxYrTfKO-PeiymvtEZFa6eY_fX-OigIADZHqpEvV053TPhJlQeNOXT3nlX5oIyd032HYlZejNgAKqtbGLSWhMwHOXP2NVS/s320/IMG20220927110810.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This was tiring, but actually went pretty well.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>We're using a marine epoxy from the Epoxy Resin Store on Amazon, available <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00VXV9T8E?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details" target="_blank">here</a>. We chose this particular one because it's UV stable, reasonably priced, and doesn't produce and amine blush when setting. So far, so good. It gives a reasonable amount of working time before kicking, and the surface when cured is <i>really </i>hard. </p><p>While I'm on the subject, do you know this thingie:</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3CA1XFyLS7EX8wZ9ZuTX9baurJYzgbxye5vtQLn5kPLFXFKFFbTLQD-TRzB5v4XYimDf91ASC8yQ_UZUaNgsYqhM4tHA9xJYvhKhUdqE5sg7VLFgZ0FLY83DL9ZSP7alImGUoNFjU6YtLlEggY1PEFSOIX51AuH9DEpLIfybDw2TIJ25mojU8Acuc/s4160/IMG20220927125612.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4160" data-original-width="3120" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3CA1XFyLS7EX8wZ9ZuTX9baurJYzgbxye5vtQLn5kPLFXFKFFbTLQD-TRzB5v4XYimDf91ASC8yQ_UZUaNgsYqhM4tHA9xJYvhKhUdqE5sg7VLFgZ0FLY83DL9ZSP7alImGUoNFjU6YtLlEggY1PEFSOIX51AuH9DEpLIfybDw2TIJ25mojU8Acuc/s320/IMG20220927125612.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You need this.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>This little watzis is for rolling out bubbles in the fiberglass/epoxy without sticking to it. I asked a slipmate who does a lot of epoxy work if I really needed it. "Trust me" he said, and he was right. Makes things a whole lot easier.</p><p>So we're steaming along with the build. Unfortunately we're gonna get an enforced break this weekend due to fallout from Hurricane Ian, but I'll use the time to put together the second wood order for after we turn the hull.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGeZZLdpeGLfJdHQ_F8t_oCy0bA1ZuufZKb1R-dDCFbXWL9wWTbygfOE1nc008zFvpY-ZrbJ3-_0lYafa48KBXWb6mfzHC4MqvSJbl8emi71eMFnIiAoJWCFTvBIlpNUG30_3dELTILsjux0DvetYr9JfB_TrXdiCbPgq6bIOvJKiQE7U83xlaa8bV/s4160/IMG20220927125616.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4160" data-original-width="3120" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGeZZLdpeGLfJdHQ_F8t_oCy0bA1ZuufZKb1R-dDCFbXWL9wWTbygfOE1nc008zFvpY-ZrbJ3-_0lYafa48KBXWb6mfzHC4MqvSJbl8emi71eMFnIiAoJWCFTvBIlpNUG30_3dELTILsjux0DvetYr9JfB_TrXdiCbPgq6bIOvJKiQE7U83xlaa8bV/s320/IMG20220927125616.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The sand and fill stuff took waaaaay longer than I wanted. Be careful in your carpentry folks.</td></tr></tbody></table>M<br /><p><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7702427911824410568.post-25525531882252046932022-09-25T09:12:00.000-04:002022-09-25T09:12:01.240-04:00Scary day<p> I really wish I had gotten you guys pictures, but I was too busy having a heart attack. In the midst of the build, the Marina--which has been lovely with us btw--comes to us and says "we're shifting boats around and we need to move your hull." My face must've dropped, because that was followed up with "Is that a problem?"</p><p>See, here's the thing. The hull is, of course, currently inverted getting prepped for fiberglass. There is virtually no internal bracing at this point, and won't be until we flip her. So the idea of putting the hull in a sling is kinda scary. I had all sorts of images in my mind of the sides simply collapsing.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVciHieLKlLL5LumV4AzxQ1Zh66SAd7oZvClYlCf6CLmb_yIr8bvImt95cFox7uQrhbNzUtVNBvsL1hNz3c7guxrTP-FLG4eTKHb6B3IGLfZidFp5Hx1KnuRaMvRinpOqgm2et15oAIX4qWcrCJ25ZXcCkybjOsg27vmIxiT0ihFt1jrM_U_Huydai/s4160/IMG20220920114507.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4160" data-original-width="3120" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVciHieLKlLL5LumV4AzxQ1Zh66SAd7oZvClYlCf6CLmb_yIr8bvImt95cFox7uQrhbNzUtVNBvsL1hNz3c7guxrTP-FLG4eTKHb6B3IGLfZidFp5Hx1KnuRaMvRinpOqgm2et15oAIX4qWcrCJ25ZXcCkybjOsg27vmIxiT0ihFt1jrM_U_Huydai/s320/IMG20220920114507.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At this point, it's just a big box.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>So with me gnawing my fingers, they put the hull in the sling and moved the thing a dozen yards or so to a new location. It flexed. I could see it flexing. But in the end everything was fine, and the new location is frankly easier to work with.</p><p>So today is more sanding and filling, and hopefully tomorrow we'll be able to tape the seams, then fiberglass the entire hull the day after.</p><p>We make progress.</p><p>Stay tuned</p><p>M</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7702427911824410568.post-83266313561683185092022-09-21T15:51:00.000-04:002022-09-21T15:51:07.883-04:00Fill and Sand and Tabbycat.<p> It always amazes me how inconstant these builds are. Some days, you're handling large pieces of wood and they go together into large structures and you go "Wow, we got a lot done today." Other days your working your ass off on the little niggly bits and you end the day wondering if you've done anything at all. Both of course, are work that needs to be done. One of them is just hard to see except for your splinters, the other can be seen from space. Carry on.</p><p>Today we began sanding and filling in the gaps in preparation for what we hope will be fiberglassing this weekend (Wednesday at the moment). I've tried Six10 from West Systems for the first time. It's a two part epoxy fill and adhesive in a single cauking gun tube with a mixing nib. It works rather well, fills stuff easily and looks handy, but as a colleague warned me, it doesn't cover a huge amount of stuff and the pressure needed to squeeze the stuff out is substantial. Still, it's great for small cracks and crevasses and has the lovely addition that you don't freaking have to mix ANYTHING.</p><p>Gail basically wore her hands numb running a sanding disk to correct from my lousy carpentry, some lousy wood, and stuff. I remember a wonderful line in "Domebook II" many decades ago in which a geodesic dome builder greeted his friends with "Welcome to the temple of accumulated error."</p><p>Yeah, it's like that. Fortunately I'm GREAT at fudging.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnALt3XpSal_T4_m8S088bx9L5YpaYAbPxsYswoZpyN9BUbDkfTQ2PpGOILHcQiMCe4pqIUzmsIn_SvC0qnna1Budoif92i-sOlNKXXd06rvXelv__G2z4Y-cm3lFf-cqtxDxp63GctXIf7DSVIY612wDS2V3-1i5mWO2qgRhOsHzS4f_OBgXso5En/s4160/IMG20220921141414.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4160" data-original-width="3120" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnALt3XpSal_T4_m8S088bx9L5YpaYAbPxsYswoZpyN9BUbDkfTQ2PpGOILHcQiMCe4pqIUzmsIn_SvC0qnna1Budoif92i-sOlNKXXd06rvXelv__G2z4Y-cm3lFf-cqtxDxp63GctXIf7DSVIY612wDS2V3-1i5mWO2qgRhOsHzS4f_OBgXso5En/s320/IMG20220921141414.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Using West System Six10 epoxy filler. Takes some doing but works well.<br /><br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs6wDu6F886kkwfS6EElD2uTgI0iWstuqauc-HAukRMAzDaKFcmkIIRp4B553f7iQahkyzU3LOO1wpJlitPeoTJL3tnWRpgg0R19q5AzrttSvmTbyFJAMCFrr11nvTqUQ2CCEApQW1mMIh7-5y184UeysbJsIw7q8MDbftLpheCMHI5jwwnVY8WGhy/s4160/IMG20220921141504.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4160" data-original-width="3120" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs6wDu6F886kkwfS6EElD2uTgI0iWstuqauc-HAukRMAzDaKFcmkIIRp4B553f7iQahkyzU3LOO1wpJlitPeoTJL3tnWRpgg0R19q5AzrttSvmTbyFJAMCFrr11nvTqUQ2CCEApQW1mMIh7-5y184UeysbJsIw7q8MDbftLpheCMHI5jwwnVY8WGhy/s320/IMG20220921141504.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sand, sand, sand. . .you're not done until you can no longer feel your hands.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG-pOs0wrlHIneg0QYCx3nHnKr7RDegksBPxpUMLta-ui1jnVWMCiWsG9S2DvCAzWAi9GHFOlaxQTbz_N36sZRGBG2YRCkBYM0RwkDXLSAvQMbXrCP-ZNVXwMOZ8_50vRYOgByyhrY_eOKGTOCMsTt-410d5cjhZ6dELf9ld0IkSAXU6uhFgNnnE7E/s4160/IMG20220921120819.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4160" data-original-width="3120" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG-pOs0wrlHIneg0QYCx3nHnKr7RDegksBPxpUMLta-ui1jnVWMCiWsG9S2DvCAzWAi9GHFOlaxQTbz_N36sZRGBG2YRCkBYM0RwkDXLSAvQMbXrCP-ZNVXwMOZ8_50vRYOgByyhrY_eOKGTOCMsTt-410d5cjhZ6dELf9ld0IkSAXU6uhFgNnnE7E/s320/IMG20220921120819.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tabbycat. . . Ob Cit</td></tr></tbody></table>So tomorrow we're taking off. It's supposed to rain off and on all day, laundry is becoming a desperate need, and, to be honest, my screaming back muscles are demanding a break. The next day, Friday, we hope to get the hull prepped for fiberglass. I've never really done fiberglass. Stay tuned for comedy of errors.<div><br /></div><div>M</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7702427911824410568.post-88050216394401373702022-09-20T18:05:00.003-04:002022-09-20T18:05:50.247-04:00Sheathed in<p> Well, today at long last we finished sheathing in the hull with plywood. Due to a combination of lousy wood, warpage, and my generally horrible carpentry, it was a bit of a fight. We wound up using a <a href="https://www.finehomebuilding.com/1997/01/01/the-spanish-windlass" target="_blank">spanish windlass</a> to ameliorate a spiral warp that developed in the gunnel 2X4, but we made it work. (great little improvized tool, by the way, if you don't know it.)</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIhMjjGfD4WOZD_wE68_X5MVCnuLoTLHx-LefjXFKnvPKd1sY1la0ry56J7yFmHjUED5LRIMtJGOTEJduXF4Ig0hRxriD0WZbk2uWmorJ9l65Nm8wxemLwujA1cgj8XMl75Ufo7-Vz3bcYG9jUXx_y72UfhAX2r1L9K1zOmDwE-bN1XZKldH2N5Z1E/s4160/IMG20220920114507.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4160" data-original-width="3120" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIhMjjGfD4WOZD_wE68_X5MVCnuLoTLHx-LefjXFKnvPKd1sY1la0ry56J7yFmHjUED5LRIMtJGOTEJduXF4Ig0hRxriD0WZbk2uWmorJ9l65Nm8wxemLwujA1cgj8XMl75Ufo7-Vz3bcYG9jUXx_y72UfhAX2r1L9K1zOmDwE-bN1XZKldH2N5Z1E/s320/IMG20220920114507.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Finally closed in, and LOTS more stable.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>So tomorrow we begin sanding and filling in the gaps with epoxy resin and thickener. Thursday, there is supposed to be rain. On the weekend, though, we should get to applying the epoxy and glass. Wish us luck.</p><p><br /></p><p>M</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7702427911824410568.post-70866974629662337292022-09-19T09:32:00.000-04:002022-09-19T09:32:00.139-04:00By the way. . .<p> The boat has told us her name. Her name is "Dragonfly," because she'll flit lightly across the water. Just thought you'd like to know.</p><p>M</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7702427911824410568.post-11985103953703337572022-09-19T09:26:00.001-04:002022-09-19T09:26:51.829-04:00Missed it by that much. . .<p> Well, I <i>almost </i>called the initial wood order right. I forgot that I had to use some of the 2X4's as cribbing, so today I'm back off to Lowes for more wood. . .also more screws, didn't count that right either apparently.</p><p>Ah well, it's scheduled to be beastly hot here today, and frankly we got a bit overcooked yesterday, so a bit of a short work day isn't out of order. </p><p>We're doing this build in two segments: The first is the hull itself, through fiberglass and paint, and then, after we flip her over, the topsides. I could have done a single wood and foam order, but I frankly didn't want all my supplies sitting exposed here in the marina while I finished the hull.</p><p>We're watching the weather closely, but it looks like we can have the fiberglass work done by the end of the coming weekend.</p><p>More pix shortly, so stay tuned.</p><p>M</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7702427911824410568.post-1542035109343883642022-09-18T15:04:00.001-04:002022-09-18T15:04:30.504-04:00Sheathing<p> We began sheathing the hull today, using tightbond III glue and decking screws.</p><p>A whole LOT of decking screws. Guess who's going to Lowes tomorrow to get some more.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqoXnfh_Ji5_bFop7hwxGSsEW9f--ecEmrwlrR1rnXgiWzZo5ygNc19zPvVDGaJZM5uf6-OrH-VyA4ukPOJhnnXaXD9JVdq9uPKT1XJWh4KsLyWJ-AVtF6SKSzW1XoknBkNMjEz2Ex8YbO4tda9f6XlQf_8oDNtuFXlLqgV4qgU7D6W_nbC5HFoPq6/s4160/IMG20220918124419.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4160" data-original-width="3120" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqoXnfh_Ji5_bFop7hwxGSsEW9f--ecEmrwlrR1rnXgiWzZo5ygNc19zPvVDGaJZM5uf6-OrH-VyA4ukPOJhnnXaXD9JVdq9uPKT1XJWh4KsLyWJ-AVtF6SKSzW1XoknBkNMjEz2Ex8YbO4tda9f6XlQf_8oDNtuFXlLqgV4qgU7D6W_nbC5HFoPq6/s320/IMG20220918124419.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Everything takes longer than you think.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>We're countersinking the screws and will be filling all of them in prior to fiberglassing.</p><p>More shortly.</p><p>M</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7702427911824410568.post-91643696979974114322022-09-17T13:52:00.001-04:002022-09-17T13:52:14.424-04:00The hull truth and nothing but the truth<p> Today with a lot of cursing and sweating, we got the sides upright and got the stringers--most of them, anyway--screwed and glued into position.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9CG7jAX6idybaCr-KUToxdY2ry3TucABvPTpjLaD4riRyzk8tMjIQd4TprjHqxXX_edfBvksZtkiQljTjDDk5QFZ6WyNwOLgqQsbz8Hkf5jBrpJHkHJu3sW22yae8yifCUmKx55f83wAg3vpc8IbW9h23G6I7bTEbhT5SAzMJihd2IkdpUtXpq0Jp/s4160/IMG20220915111355.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4160" data-original-width="3120" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9CG7jAX6idybaCr-KUToxdY2ry3TucABvPTpjLaD4riRyzk8tMjIQd4TprjHqxXX_edfBvksZtkiQljTjDDk5QFZ6WyNwOLgqQsbz8Hkf5jBrpJHkHJu3sW22yae8yifCUmKx55f83wAg3vpc8IbW9h23G6I7bTEbhT5SAzMJihd2IkdpUtXpq0Jp/s320/IMG20220915111355.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">framing the side</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMvloQREZJLW9Y4gKoOXptrqGshzKO8dhLPzCYJlGrR8zxZlOfkXBlBq_iXauc7LTzDhW3wejIA5wk8mEwAlqhjJPtGOWzmGKfpdqH5qfO33S-zomQnxtu0bRNLV8548a2Xh0n8CgasCCbQz4Pl_lry7t_1_ozsn1wV3KTjtSYYR3SmrZXyZ95tj9M/s4160/IMG20220917113430.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4160" data-original-width="3120" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMvloQREZJLW9Y4gKoOXptrqGshzKO8dhLPzCYJlGrR8zxZlOfkXBlBq_iXauc7LTzDhW3wejIA5wk8mEwAlqhjJPtGOWzmGKfpdqH5qfO33S-zomQnxtu0bRNLV8548a2Xh0n8CgasCCbQz4Pl_lry7t_1_ozsn1wV3KTjtSYYR3SmrZXyZ95tj9M/s320/IMG20220917113430.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Levelling the beast was amazingly simpler than I'd anticipated. A couple of plywood scraps under the blocks and we were home free.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAcmjNW6jqSOa7LFGTA8hDdksrKh38waH-dEK54aRj4mTfI5Bgfoy6LMYZu6uAXj1l5fL1yZKiWviN7b7q6xHzUxxSOJ9zFelGBCNPZEH9Hl4OojrEVI1hv6DMwM4xiiObhEuz_Cavck_Eyn39HvPWxpdg7Xo4mrJ5tgaN8gXbMKACFN_OjSm-Um70/s4160/IMG20220917120603.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4160" data-original-width="3120" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAcmjNW6jqSOa7LFGTA8hDdksrKh38waH-dEK54aRj4mTfI5Bgfoy6LMYZu6uAXj1l5fL1yZKiWviN7b7q6xHzUxxSOJ9zFelGBCNPZEH9Hl4OojrEVI1hv6DMwM4xiiObhEuz_Cavck_Eyn39HvPWxpdg7Xo4mrJ5tgaN8gXbMKACFN_OjSm-Um70/s320/IMG20220917120603.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beginning to look quite a bit more boat-like.<br /><br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table>With any of these structures there's this weird point where your wanky carpentry suddenly goes from wobbly to rock solid. I can never anticipate where that moment is, but I'm always gratified to see it. In this build, it was about the fifth stringer in when the boat stopped swaying while we were working on it.<div><br /></div><div>I was also pleased to discover that--the gods knoweth how--the thing is a uniform 8 feet all the way down the hull. I <i>knew </i>sacrificing that chicken was a good idea. Ha! And you all laughed!</div><div><br /></div><div>Tomorrow, naproxin willing, we will begin to actually sheath the hull. That will be immensely satisfying.</div><div><br /></div><div>More later. I've a chilled bottle of Verdejo awaiting me.</div><div><br /></div><div>M<br /><p><br /></p></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7702427911824410568.post-13972033265015295622022-09-16T09:21:00.005-04:002022-09-16T09:33:49.677-04:00framing in the sides<p> Spent the morning yesterday finishing in the framing of the pieces which will become the sides of the boat, that and correcting some of my more lamentable carpentry.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixx_fKTs1J_cwGrCQbW5p63Hubn_KzNFJ5gYShxe3_Fv00uXCy6dbg2dzXchJxZWsjfRDAcyyX1E9WPnOfAW35149AnAkJYXlmKPR9HT9JCtRKan8Rkm1bltXpLjPQA6uAGkTat4_aWr9DRpbBEf3bKUfg9nmAUpf0FWAQ5sz7Z3qIoyCTRnnduDks/s4160/IMG20220915111355.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4160" data-original-width="3120" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixx_fKTs1J_cwGrCQbW5p63Hubn_KzNFJ5gYShxe3_Fv00uXCy6dbg2dzXchJxZWsjfRDAcyyX1E9WPnOfAW35149AnAkJYXlmKPR9HT9JCtRKan8Rkm1bltXpLjPQA6uAGkTat4_aWr9DRpbBEf3bKUfg9nmAUpf0FWAQ5sz7Z3qIoyCTRnnduDks/s320/IMG20220915111355.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'm honestly NOT forcing my wife to do all the work, I'm just the only one that carries a cell phone.<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table>We'll finish screwing in the blocks and braces today and tidy up the work site so we have some room to actually assemble the hull.<div><br /></div><div>When we built 'Floating Empire' we would work ourselves sick, and we're trying to be a bit more sensible about that this time. The rule is: once you get tired enough to start making stupid mistakes, it's time to knock it off.</div><div><br /></div><div>Progress will look a lot more boatlike from here on in so stay tuned.</div><div><br /></div><div>M</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7702427911824410568.post-70034132676515466832022-09-13T16:39:00.003-04:002022-09-13T18:57:48.892-04:00chines<p> Today we finished notching the chines (24' or 2"x8") and sistered the beasts.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho13PUnhYEBEmuXdpnjiBI8o5IpIWkxF3CkvgqgHcBf4fcX96F508ZehrLho7_EfnqgPfYFFi1nLGd751ajNBLiTAFYhCASKDhygnCiPfdXEZIk151WtEwDEZBVN1o5moDdOOc4PTkbf_MfpRh4j_4yf3JiUq3u_wgjyfzLZRwXD0WZMmdihEolWGo/s4160/IMG20220913122257.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4160" data-original-width="3120" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho13PUnhYEBEmuXdpnjiBI8o5IpIWkxF3CkvgqgHcBf4fcX96F508ZehrLho7_EfnqgPfYFFi1nLGd751ajNBLiTAFYhCASKDhygnCiPfdXEZIk151WtEwDEZBVN1o5moDdOOc4PTkbf_MfpRh4j_4yf3JiUq3u_wgjyfzLZRwXD0WZMmdihEolWGo/s320/IMG20220913122257.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The plywood under is just to provide us with some semblence of a level work surface.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAzLJ-K9vW4VQJrqoqhQQiekPBNnVAKkD8IdDp4cZxr8oQMsZlFDItIaYktKOukar3EgYnUOsTdfo_FT3naXBVhpnhoXOfhwZyF6tL6gw1AJWpKzPOKvKq4n6AE0eb3ieaU1XuAlzf39Y0xApzndshSHvoI2AdgZcnX-ONKg__8YpyOjSsYJwT_zca/s4160/IMG20220913122313.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4160" data-original-width="3120" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAzLJ-K9vW4VQJrqoqhQQiekPBNnVAKkD8IdDp4cZxr8oQMsZlFDItIaYktKOukar3EgYnUOsTdfo_FT3naXBVhpnhoXOfhwZyF6tL6gw1AJWpKzPOKvKq4n6AE0eb3ieaU1XuAlzf39Y0xApzndshSHvoI2AdgZcnX-ONKg__8YpyOjSsYJwT_zca/s320/IMG20220913122313.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is the sister/butt block joining the two halves of the chine. No, no, that's the wife, the sister is the wood thing.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpawbw5G4-sGnKweJnkrcRCdFRiBStNWtsI-yz8QTvVHkg4_Dyxc4W8wboFFSkc0bbW2bkxZbS6vz9YhzVhtwdrlyYn0bncsfc8LGSt0VU1F6BLzJ_rqmQkl7XFDhiUnhfY3EU_UmlXgjSRlkf85M5C0ashoGkDRVfTz8eZB4p_InIV8pv9m4sYV8T/s4160/IMG20220913123336.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4160" data-original-width="3120" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpawbw5G4-sGnKweJnkrcRCdFRiBStNWtsI-yz8QTvVHkg4_Dyxc4W8wboFFSkc0bbW2bkxZbS6vz9YhzVhtwdrlyYn0bncsfc8LGSt0VU1F6BLzJ_rqmQkl7XFDhiUnhfY3EU_UmlXgjSRlkf85M5C0ashoGkDRVfTz8eZB4p_InIV8pv9m4sYV8T/s320/IMG20220913123336.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It amazes me how the boat always goes from small to huge to small as you build the thing.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>Tomorrow the joined chines will be attached to the ply siding and the sides framed in, getting ready to add the bottom, at which point this will look a whole lot more boatlike.....or in this case, barge like.</p><p>Everything hurts.</p><p>Stay tuned.</p><p>M</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7702427911824410568.post-2036628753516736412022-09-11T10:01:00.002-04:002022-09-11T10:01:33.155-04:00IT BEGINS<p> We actually began construction on the new shantyboat yesterday, measuring and notching the chine logs only to have my jigsaw die on us.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJlFDU_UGyikJ6fSvz42SWlbtxdyFRn_3w_CQXg-YHZgPHrgTn_2n85PF_V4ctHk7Hge1zGJ9pBAm5ZHDScgUTVezxJCz5XLG2jHQD6hURt-LcTSKH14BL_QUexIeGpfMOCBKrAmXY5TU-8v4E9l_Q1JL9-_evFdT0E3aFpWQtMdh-ThgW4m1vRW_x/s4160/IMG20220910114940.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4160" data-original-width="3120" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJlFDU_UGyikJ6fSvz42SWlbtxdyFRn_3w_CQXg-YHZgPHrgTn_2n85PF_V4ctHk7Hge1zGJ9pBAm5ZHDScgUTVezxJCz5XLG2jHQD6hURt-LcTSKH14BL_QUexIeGpfMOCBKrAmXY5TU-8v4E9l_Q1JL9-_evFdT0E3aFpWQtMdh-ThgW4m1vRW_x/s320/IMG20220910114940.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is $800 bucks worth of wood? At least the marina is providing us a nice space to build.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV0e3rmhihG1zGPfnmE3ooCrW-gMoiV64ufbgFqqpp838BsBf9AgK5J7uckLqIcj1gnQZPoU3O9VC1tNK1SY8YItKhoBzmwaC6DAxoTIHMo9d99iDIng4i0JcjMwGwu_PUU0yON9W70YOz7cHvmAoawJDXKBpee40LPRSRb1e4bXlijsiA2Rf3Mmaw/s4160/IMG20220910123536.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4160" data-original-width="3120" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV0e3rmhihG1zGPfnmE3ooCrW-gMoiV64ufbgFqqpp838BsBf9AgK5J7uckLqIcj1gnQZPoU3O9VC1tNK1SY8YItKhoBzmwaC6DAxoTIHMo9d99iDIng4i0JcjMwGwu_PUU0yON9W70YOz7cHvmAoawJDXKBpee40LPRSRb1e4bXlijsiA2Rf3Mmaw/s320/IMG20220910123536.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Marking the chines for notching. Hull is, of course, being built upside down.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYtUhrN0z0nFPu2lTiThhtHjPsiR_Li7nx5hsO8KJhB14n0wgwqmLfPD_T09D2uIYt9AZ-N_3DXFik49Eiz2wXRZNyfT4Ps2Td3MawRrSbjnWWGV4cKP5ceWAyegrQ8UQe_RubSp0nvtAFQJLckobg70aYMfc-HofknrtPWeTnOtdcjPVZ5DyZ_gm1/s4160/IMG20220910142511.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4160" data-original-width="3120" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYtUhrN0z0nFPu2lTiThhtHjPsiR_Li7nx5hsO8KJhB14n0wgwqmLfPD_T09D2uIYt9AZ-N_3DXFik49Eiz2wXRZNyfT4Ps2Td3MawRrSbjnWWGV4cKP5ceWAyegrQ8UQe_RubSp0nvtAFQJLckobg70aYMfc-HofknrtPWeTnOtdcjPVZ5DyZ_gm1/s320/IMG20220910142511.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">and then my 10 year old jigaw died.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>Now, of course, it's pouring down rain. Seems to me we had he same weather problems building 'Floating Empire' ten years ago. . . </p><p>. . . .has it been that long? Jeez.</p><p>So as soon as the weather clears, we're back at it. Progress is always so slow at first, but I'm hoping this will come together pretty quickly.</p><p>Stay Tuned.</p><p>M</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7702427911824410568.post-37919224972240754592022-08-13T12:42:00.002-04:002022-08-13T12:45:19.680-04:00The Process<p> It's odd how things repeat themselves. In 2013 when we started gearing up to build the original Floating Empire, we began acquiring the things we thought we'd need for the boat, slowly filling up a little unused office space in our apartment with sinks, batteries, solar panels. . .all manner of things to go on the new vessel.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE2od1JpD8BSQEKzNygvsHqVT0s-of53_bCFkNLL3cN5HjzSRQn8ce8yDtb99UYs0yZQVXfiD22LpelpLh33V7CRuMbg7ARCOgKbjQ_8gKsTveMxSBnSB6f7mRFsY5aV_KrHQuYjYrp3_GRo1aHfZSREnHjjo2k3JPLusAata5Wa-iKR9Pjn7kO2G0/s1280/mess1.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE2od1JpD8BSQEKzNygvsHqVT0s-of53_bCFkNLL3cN5HjzSRQn8ce8yDtb99UYs0yZQVXfiD22LpelpLh33V7CRuMbg7ARCOgKbjQ_8gKsTveMxSBnSB6f7mRFsY5aV_KrHQuYjYrp3_GRo1aHfZSREnHjjo2k3JPLusAata5Wa-iKR9Pjn7kO2G0/s320/mess1.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A room full of stuff destined for Floating Empire in '13</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>Now history is repeating itself. We're gradually acquiring all the things we think we'll need for this new build, so into the storage locker are going tarps and solar panels, solar generators and fiberglass cloth, and a half ton of epoxy resin, house paint, bottom paint, windows. . . </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLp5CfsqFACn_Vbt5dgYaiSxURirxwdkbzPwelIYfP6aiMww11hDxab44W1ndL0TcNhFtVzKGVUo6Ow_Eluq91vu6DOvmXFj3wVEweZPBer1aTm6Lrkxgy4in0lbNTA__DocTW2q_cjEzo1q2ZQ54wXiYTW-uaGuFSQGl_egKOeC8BrKwS6_zzOw50/s4160/IMG20220810141723.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4160" data-original-width="3120" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLp5CfsqFACn_Vbt5dgYaiSxURirxwdkbzPwelIYfP6aiMww11hDxab44W1ndL0TcNhFtVzKGVUo6Ow_Eluq91vu6DOvmXFj3wVEweZPBer1aTm6Lrkxgy4in0lbNTA__DocTW2q_cjEzo1q2ZQ54wXiYTW-uaGuFSQGl_egKOeC8BrKwS6_zzOw50/s320/IMG20220810141723.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ecoflow Lithium Battery system that will be the heart of our new electrical system.</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Of course, living aboard, there's no spare room to put stuff. . .there is, of course, our storage locker. . .and the car. . .and the bilge.</p><p>All that being said, we can't wait to get this thing under construction.</p><p>Seriously, stay tuned.</p><p>M</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7702427911824410568.post-639649297775536782022-08-01T13:58:00.000-04:002022-08-01T13:58:01.918-04:00Building Floating Empire II<p> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijYNBPG9MUGziY_UF_oi-vtWawU9ignm7kQYeUoPs-tcIGXQONk-BDQX7uAXXobuG4RKPpnkXTLk52Xc2ra7pQFCJ-_2vhaJuRqKfEOo4DMVvnmGhvaEvklHf-U0n3HFNyNoHIb6gWRDxy2PSu1-zxHyDSRFrC5TK2C7OlWZfvk5QFl8Ud5WscdPb_/s4160/IMG20220801130014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4160" data-original-width="3120" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijYNBPG9MUGziY_UF_oi-vtWawU9ignm7kQYeUoPs-tcIGXQONk-BDQX7uAXXobuG4RKPpnkXTLk52Xc2ra7pQFCJ-_2vhaJuRqKfEOo4DMVvnmGhvaEvklHf-U0n3HFNyNoHIb6gWRDxy2PSu1-zxHyDSRFrC5TK2C7OlWZfvk5QFl8Ud5WscdPb_/s320/IMG20220801130014.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alright, so it's time</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></p><p>So we've decided to actually bite the bullet and build a new vessel. We've spent the last month going over and over photos, plans, sketches, and a host of construction videos and we've finally distilled down what we think we want to build.</p><p>Floating Empire II--which will tell us her real name eventually-- will be a 24 foot shantyboat, a riverboat designed for thinwater exploring and comfortable living.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe7oym3IWRPpwTavLhWLOI5j2uDRUR7KZYy-xRZD36SEDRlpP6CIveMHTZlGgV1LZooOsbxG9BpVKyvzhcAR5ZZee3cLnlC9P8NlwPh7WfSqPr4gSVojWTt5KAYgExiSco2BqcxaDMzpksadFfIZlZjMoBbN5-bFw9WBuYxOK7qCI7mTjaI0kqld8i/s720/My-Floating-Home-Steve-and-Ricks-Catamaran-Shanty-S1-E6-FYI-YouTube.clipular.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="720" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe7oym3IWRPpwTavLhWLOI5j2uDRUR7KZYy-xRZD36SEDRlpP6CIveMHTZlGgV1LZooOsbxG9BpVKyvzhcAR5ZZee3cLnlC9P8NlwPh7WfSqPr4gSVojWTt5KAYgExiSco2BqcxaDMzpksadFfIZlZjMoBbN5-bFw9WBuYxOK7qCI7mTjaI0kqld8i/s320/My-Floating-Home-Steve-and-Ricks-Catamaran-Shanty-S1-E6-FYI-YouTube.clipular.webp" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Simple designs like this EcoCat shantyboat most appeal to us.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>The result will be a barge-hull box on a raft, drawing only about six inches of water and requiring almost nothing to move her. We hope to begin construction in September and be in the water some six weeks later, weather permitting.</p><p>Wish us luck.</p><p><br /></p><p>M</p><p><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7702427911824410568.post-23572967726404261102022-05-11T14:58:00.002-04:002022-05-11T14:58:44.769-04:00The Things they Don't tell you<p> Ah the things that no one told us about becoming livaboards. I was musing on this while driving back from our storage locker the other day. Don't get me wrong, we love our life aboard. It's just that there are a few things it might've been nice if someone had mentioned, like, for example:</p><p>1) No, you're never getting rid of all the stuff you put in storage. A lot of that is going to wind up being memorabilia, family stuff with no one to give it to, and things that are "too nice to get rid of" even though you have absolutely no way to use them right now. That's why you got the storage locker, right?</p><p>2) Your car is a closet. It's an accessory wing on your boat, home to stuff you use <i>occasionally </i>but not often enough to be willing to trip over on a daily basis. For this reason, the cars of most liveaboards look like homeless people are living in them, or that you just got kicked out of your apartment.</p><p>3) If you can't find something, it's generally because of one of two reasons. A. It's such a large space that it could be anywhere or, B. Its under/over/behind something else. Virtually <i>everything </i>on your boat falls into the "B" category. All of the storage lockers on any boat are weirdly shaped. Absolutely nothing is square. The thing you're looking for is the thing that's behind those other two things that are currently wedged into that trapezoidal storage space. </p><p>4) Yes, it's going to get damp. Wrap it in plastic. Then you will have a damp thing wrapped in damp plastic. It's just the way of things.</p><p>5) Anything with "marine" in the name will cost 200% more than the same thing with<i>out</i> "marine" in the name. Hence: brass bolt $.50, brass <i>marine </i>bolt $1.50. This becomes more pronounced the more expensive items become.</p><p>6) Yeah, that's damp too.</p><p>7) You have plenty of room in the freezer/fridge/cooler for all the foods that you just don't feel like eating tonight, guaranteeing that they'll go bad by the time you do feel like eating them.</p><p>8) There is, however, no room for the roast that you got on a bargain that you wanted to cook this weekend.</p><p>9) Yes, it's damp in the cooler too. Sensing a trend here?</p><p>10) The night you desperately needed to sleep, the wind will kick up and slam you into the dock every six seconds for the next five hours.</p><p>11) The boat will leak. Not from the bottom. Boats almost <i>never </i>leak from the bottom. No, it will leak from the top. Every rainstorm, the hatches, the deadlights, the place where the grabrail is bolted in. . .all of them will suddenly decide to leak. You will never find where the water is actually coming from. Slathering it with caulk is ugly and will work until it decides not to, usually on the hatch that's directly over where you're trying to sleep.</p><p>12). . . .which is now damp.</p><p>13) The outside of boats get dirty, especially if near highways or cities. They get dirty for no damn reason at all. They get dirty just sitting there. They get dirty and then they get algae growing on them. That's because they're . . .well. . .damp.</p><p>14) There is no way to avoid having to get up an move every time anyone else needs to get up and move. It's a kind of weird ballet everytime anyone needs to get up in the galley to use the head. The only one who <i>won't </i>get up on a bet to get out of the way is the cat. We like to refer to him as "ballast".</p><p>15) Look under the mattress. For some reason, it's damp down there too.</p><p>All that being said, there is no place else we'd rather be living. At least I don't have to cut the grass.</p><p><br /></p><p>M</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7702427911824410568.post-56448184455909934972022-04-08T14:22:00.002-04:002022-04-08T14:22:34.139-04:00Ride 'Em Cowboy<p> </p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Ride Em Cowboy</b></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">We've all spent those evenings at the
dock or at anchor, when the weather, the wind and water, conspire to
slam the boat in a whole host of interesting directions. The lines
creak and then slam tight. The boat rebounds and bounces off the
fenders. Wind howls through the rigging. It does NOT, you may
remember, make for a peaceful, sleep filled night.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">These happen occasionally to all of us,
but of late, they've almost been more the rule than the exception
here on the Chesapeake. I've looked over our logs for the last eight
months or so and I'm hard pressed to find a single freaking week
where there wasn't at the very least a small craft warning, and the
number of Gale warnings has been truly epic.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Why is this? We've been at the same
dockage for eight years now, and have seen the weather become
steadily warmer, more erratic, and occasionally more violent. And,
yes, it's climate change and yes, for all our denials, it's global
warming. There's just too damn much heat energy in the weather
systems and it's not going away any time soon. In <i>fact</i>, it's
likely to get more pronounced and more in your face. Bearing all
that in mind, I thought I'd do a bit of a review of how we deal with
weather here at dock.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Here's the thing, every boater spends
quite a bit of time tweaking the dock lines until they're just right,
until the boat will ride true under most if not all conditions of
tide, wind, and weather. Once we get them adjusted, most of us are
loath to mess with them again. The trouble is, of course, that no
tying of dock lines, however well conceived and executed, will ever
do for every conceivable condition.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">There are, of course, a few things you
can do to make the lines more forgiving. Snubbers of various sorts
can really help soften the blow when the boat suddenly hits the end
of her tether, and banked fenders can help allow for wide tidal
variations. Criss-crossing the lines at stern and bow will help keep
the boat centered in the slip (though it can make exiting off the
swim platform a bit of an adventure) regardless of tide conditions.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Ultimately, though, we have to get over
the idea that there is a one-tie-fits-all solution for you and your
boat. This will, of course, inevitably mean that there will be those
inventive, leisurely, 3AM its-pouring-rain-and-we're-hitting-the-dock
lurches on deck in your skivvies out of a sound sleep evenings.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">So how to make that less than awful?</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">First things first. Find
out—now--which lines are the most likely to need emergency
alteration when the tides and the wind cease to play nice. It's
likely that it'll be the same damn cleat you're addressing every
time, so plan on that. Tape marks or loops tied in that line can
help you let the line out or pull it in a predictable amount,
regardless of the foul conditions, which can save you another trip.
Putting in an additional spring line that can be easily manipulated
from the cockpit is also helpful and can keep you from having to do a
full-scale remake of how your vessel is moored.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Also, just for safety's sake, remember
that these scenarios and a bunch of others may entail you charging
onto a dark deck in the middle of the night in foul weather. The
wise expedient of having decent deck shoes, rain gear, a working
light, and a marlinspike easily available in a place that you'll
remember without having to search for them can save you a lot of
cursing, and, possibly, danger.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">So, yes, the weather is getting worse,
it's not your imagination, and, yes, we're all going to have to deal
with it. Take some decent precautions and you'll find you'll sleep a
lot better.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Don and Gail Elwell</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">And first Cat Magellan</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">aboard the MV TARDIS</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">www.thefloatingempire.com</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7702427911824410568.post-34986237648211111402022-03-08T20:25:00.010-05:002022-03-08T20:25:59.110-05:00Winter into Spring. . . at last<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Winter in to Spring. . . At last.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">I'll be honest, these last two winters
as a live-aboard have been, well, difficult. Winters are always
somewhat of a challenge: Going anywhere can be a problem, and the
weather isn't condusive to the usual sitting out on the docks and
watching the world go by. These last two winters, though, have been
a challenge. First of all, there was the virus. Usually in winter
we can count on going out to our favorite pub to have a libation or a
meal, do a bit of conversation and people watching, and then stagger
home to the marina. It was almost a weekly ritual in the dark
months. These last two years, though. . .</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg-9Bvxf_sN2-PfqH9m9wVZ-mZQ1_57xqsmkM2a-40CGjF2UDy6nlxo6XmSKakKw4yWoDntgYnGv6eb7sQw9HKMSSh7ktBJfq6SVErCzTLqGD0qpQDOmlK9iXhX1n3qMsUfzVQMmpoQhCJrd_DFn-Sf795S3CvoiDInz-ncDFk9JXBnhyGx9w8Tyt-5=s2048" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg-9Bvxf_sN2-PfqH9m9wVZ-mZQ1_57xqsmkM2a-40CGjF2UDy6nlxo6XmSKakKw4yWoDntgYnGv6eb7sQw9HKMSSh7ktBJfq6SVErCzTLqGD0qpQDOmlK9iXhX1n3qMsUfzVQMmpoQhCJrd_DFn-Sf795S3CvoiDInz-ncDFk9JXBnhyGx9w8Tyt-5=s320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Drinking Trees await</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">The virus closed most of the public
spaces, places we took for granted, places we went to meet neighbors,
to get a bit of exercise, to just get the hell off the boat for a
bit. Those places.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Then there was politics. Places we
loved before, places we always considered a home away from home, were
suddenly hostile territory. We felt unwelcome. We felt unable to
speak, to share, to even be there for fear of conflict, and who goes
to a neighborhood dive looking for conflict?</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">I think these last wnters for most of
us—regardless of our stripes—were a rather lonely and isolating
time.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">But this year, for all the
international turmoil, feels different somehow. This year, the trees
are budding out early. Our usual hikes through Marshy Point are
already quietly met with the murmuring of frog song, the weather is
warming fast ( a little TOO fast, but that's another issue ) and
friends and fellow live-aboards are already talking BBQ, talking game
night, talking road trips.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">This year feels different.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">We live for that first couple of days
of spring, when we can sit in the cockpit, or up on the hard beneath
what has been dubbed the “drinking trees”, with a glass of decent
wine, watching the birds come and go and feeling the warm sun on our
faces. It's coming, and I've already made my reservation.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">There's always so much to do in spring,
boat travel notwithstanding. Tarps come off and maintenance you've
been putting off suddenly wanders to the front of the cue. The boat
can finally get a good airing, paintwork gets done, and the cat
discovers the dock again.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">And we discover one another again as
well. Our dock is a particularly convivial one, with live-aboards
and boaters all of which have become good friends. Only now, we will
begin to see each other on a daily basis, rather than just noting
someone in a coat going by. Now there will be music and movies and
games and . . .well. . .alcohol, and the warmth of community and
friends as close as family.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Now there will be spring.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">And we can't wait.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">M</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7702427911824410568.post-91512504359706575022021-12-11T14:24:00.000-05:002021-12-11T14:24:28.532-05:00The Perfect Live-Aboard<p> As we head into our first decade on the water, we've been talking about the limitations and advantages of some of the vessels we've inhabited. More to the point, if we build another boat like we built the original <b>Floating Empire</b>, what would it be? What elements would we include or carefully dis-include? This is of course a highly individual list, but here are a few of the things we agreed that we definately want to address on any new boat.</p><p>First of all, Choke Points. One of the reasons for moving aboard our current Carver dock queen was the major series of choke points that made living aboard <b><i>Constellation</i></b>, our beloved Pearson 30, a pain in the tuckas through the winter and pandemic. Specifically, the boat had a great drop down table, perfect for us to sit across from one another and write or work on projects, but unfortunately, in order to go to the head, one of us had to get up, completely, clear off whatever they were doing, and fold away half of the table. During a winter of few choices of just places to BE, it got to be a bit much. When we moved aboard the Carver we went "Wow, there's a lot of room in here. No more dancing around each other."</p><p>ahem....</p><p>Anyone standing at the sink in the galley completely blocks going in and out of the boat in the Carver, and the dining table, though wonderfully huge, is in the way of anyone getting in or out of the V-berth. Did we spot these things immediately? Nope. </p><p>So when designing a new vessel, bear in mind that with anyone using any counter space or when tables are deployed, you're going to need an additional eighteen inches or so just to get buy without knocking someone over.</p><p>Second, Storage. Surprisingly, sailboats tend to have a LOT of storage. Really. Some of them have a stunning amount of storage. The problem is, it's all behind something else, in the bilge, under cabinets, behind hatches. None of the spaces are in any way rectangular, tending to be disused space matching the curve of the boat. As a result, yeah, you can store a lot of stuff, but it's going to be buried, often in damp bilge spaces, fraught with condensation and mildew, and plan on moving five things to get to the one thing you want, which is now wringing wet for reasons that supasseth understanding. In a new live-aboard, we would be shooting for orderly, rectangular spaces, with more shallow surface area so that you can actually SEE what's inside them.</p><p>Third, Light. Man you would think the sailboat companies were being charged by the lumen. Intially, our older boats featured dim, rather lame interior 12V light, which we replaced immediately with uber-bright LED fixtures. Therein we discovered a problem: just because the light is bright it doesn't mean it's in the right place to. . .well. . .actually <i>illuminate </i>anything. In Constellation I installed an over galley counter light that you could tan by, and it was wonderful for cooking, but left the rest of the boat in shadow. The problem is rarely encountered in houses, mostly because movable lighting fixtures--I think they call them "lamps"--are apparently pretty common. Of course those would just fall over in most vessels, and where would you plug them in? The solution in planning is to assign a lighting fixture for each and every seat and work space, and then add a dome light for general lighting.</p><p>And, next up, the DREADED SNAKE FARM. This has been a constant issue on every vessel on which we've lived. On our current boat, we have five small appliances, two computer power supplies, two cell phone power supplies, two usb power supplies for headsets, a power supply for a kindle reader. . . .you get the idea. Add to all that the rather limited set of outlets with which boats tend to be provided and everything looks like the floor of Medusa's hairdresser. I did help the matter somewhat by replacing outlets with 110V plus USB outlets, which cut down on the bulky power supplies all over the damn place, but it wasn't a solution.</p><p>The solution is, of course, to figure out where things are likely to live and then over-outlet those positions so you can have the fewest and shortest lines possible. Plan on it still not being enough. Install a few more 12V and USB outlets just in case.</p><p>And, finally, the cat. Understand that your beloved ship's cat will want to be in the ABSOLUTE FREAKING MIDDLE of everything so they can keep tabs on stuff. It sounds adorable, but Magellan is twenty five freaking pounds of fur covered ballast bag who will not hesitate to touch you inappropriately if preturbed. </p><p>The solution is, of course, to create wonderful spaces for you furry crew member. Alcoves, padded shelves, and spaces by the portholes are a wonderful idea. You can use them for storage as no self respecting cat will want anything to do with them.</p><p>Sigh...at least we enjoy planning.</p><p>Don and Gail Elwell</p><p>and first Cat Magellan</p><p>www.thefloatingempire.com</p><p>www.wildshorepress.com.</p><p><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7702427911824410568.post-90025869580689498932021-09-05T11:31:00.005-04:002021-09-05T11:54:14.486-04:00Why are we here?<p> The Wife and I were sitting on the back deck the other afternoon, talking about or adventures living aboard, talking about why we do it. It was rather a revelatory conversation.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz6n8Y7aB6qsi18EsEr1QGtEzW8hcpXaECpdaLVs_iOX35C5W6w_-Qa-gjhqsfykIUB8WjMW5cGImfXq63rDdkkM-Sypi6r5JxoQ85KZtjIOfOIqWS7fjEl0TbLzdpQrUs1RsoyrWU-uw/s4160/IMG_20210904_143749.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4160" data-original-width="3120" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz6n8Y7aB6qsi18EsEr1QGtEzW8hcpXaECpdaLVs_iOX35C5W6w_-Qa-gjhqsfykIUB8WjMW5cGImfXq63rDdkkM-Sypi6r5JxoQ85KZtjIOfOIqWS7fjEl0TbLzdpQrUs1RsoyrWU-uw/s320/IMG_20210904_143749.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So why do we do it? Why do we stay on the water?</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Living on the river, of course, has some distinct drawbacks. Wet is as much a state of mind as it is a lifstyle, and the weather can be a bother. In cold weather the docks can get slippery and in hot weather, they can burn your feet. Morons in go-fasts persist in ignoring the no wake rules around marinas and can create a "ride-em cowboy" moment at the worst times, ususally when you're doing something precarious with something droppable, fragile, or edible. Every action involves multiple trips up the docks to the parking lot for tools, garbage, groceries or to deal with sanitation. Boats can be stifling in summer. They can be freezing and damp in winter. With the internal humidity in cold weather, it can sometimes literally rain inside a fiberglass boat. </p><p>So Why do we do it?</p><p>We started ennumerating the reasons. It's cheaper of course, at least the way we do it. Our lives are simpler, and that's a plus. We both love the water--we grew up on it, though in different regions--and it feels like home. We love watching wildlife and the parade of the seasons along the river banks. We both love the ego boost and uniqueness of telling people: "no, we live on our boat year round" and watching the often envious responses. All that is true, all those are plusses.</p><p>But none of those are enough. So why do we do it?</p><p><br /></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt-Qr9ZY682xX6uBfsnjhBtYYwbFAwuoe8qM2oQ_5PRNA65QhC1u6ye7VvDAQPOIfBJLzED5eCM-UTTRnN94X9tBKSX1o82c4nQdgjqSEBr5m-x7uXhYPJ0-_Ga_06pcM5s0IBUrDQ55E/s4160/IMG_20210904_143756.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4160" data-original-width="3120" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt-Qr9ZY682xX6uBfsnjhBtYYwbFAwuoe8qM2oQ_5PRNA65QhC1u6ye7VvDAQPOIfBJLzED5eCM-UTTRnN94X9tBKSX1o82c4nQdgjqSEBr5m-x7uXhYPJ0-_Ga_06pcM5s0IBUrDQ55E/s320/IMG_20210904_143756.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's rather like sitting on your front porch in a small town.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><p></p><p>A number of years ago a friend of ours--a sociologist and former colleague--was down visiting with his wife at the marina. Everyone was laughing and eating and drinking and talking, but I noticed he was completely absorbed in watching the docks, looking at people coming and going.</p><p>"What are you watching?" I asked. He smiled. "I didn't expect this." he said, "It's like a small town. Each of the docks is a street, and each one has its own character, its own residents. It's like a little town."</p><p>It was then that I got it: It's the community that keeps us here.</p><p>Those of us who live on or have boats in the marina are constantly engaged with one another. You're always helping someone come into dock or pull an engine, or someone is helping you mess with the rigging. We've gifted people with dinghies and pumps and dock cables. We've been gifted air conditioners and once even a sail boat that we lived aboard for several years. In the evenings, we often gather on the dock, share drinks and stories and food. It's a community.</p><p>Like any community, its not immune to conflict and controversy. The 2020 election was hard on us here, friendships were lost, families were split, and we considered leaving. We've got a pretty good group here on "S" dock right now, though. We all get along, we help one another. If I fell in the water there would be eight people trying to pull me out, and that's a comfort. It's also a part of boating culture: the piching in, the familial feelings of friendship and responsibility and charity.</p><p>So it's the people that keep us here. While other forces in society seem bent on driving folks apart, the livaboard life is an intentional community that the water draws together. It's why we stay.</p><p>If you'll excuse me, now, I promised to check in on a slipmate's cat.</p><p>M</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7702427911824410568.post-84947650607956308072021-06-06T11:46:00.001-04:002021-06-06T11:46:38.653-04:00IF you're wondering where we've been. . . .<p>(aside from surviving the pandemic)</p><p>We've just acquired an older Carver Santego and have been making her ready for the water. Don't get me wrong, we love our Pearson 30, but spending a winter in lockdown in 55 square feet had us longing for a bit more living space.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-JcTRY5fIASlEoj-LMRC1KxPcSAMJI4ouQNAjmXY7bCTM4q6-kDaQZGvXv85OjREEej9Svd5zVsbrKs90qZ7B7rAX_d8CCaFHMFz0a44y_lnlUOAudryhYQ_0fQ6Luw9GbvTWgBq6AxE/s4160/IMG_20210506_124734783_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4160" data-original-width="3120" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-JcTRY5fIASlEoj-LMRC1KxPcSAMJI4ouQNAjmXY7bCTM4q6-kDaQZGvXv85OjREEej9Svd5zVsbrKs90qZ7B7rAX_d8CCaFHMFz0a44y_lnlUOAudryhYQ_0fQ6Luw9GbvTWgBq6AxE/s320/IMG_20210506_124734783_HDR.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gail gets her first dedicated studio since we build <i>Floating Empire</i>.</td></tr></tbody></table><p><br />Over the next months or so we'll be refitting what will be our new floating residence with an extensive solar system, setting up a studio for Gail, and, in general, making her into a home. <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDmKw7_M5fsUXTX9pFy3g8ZVLlgfuEP645rKk6kOE8xGJHfgpHT023C4V0yP8ju4vfYoZChZ1FznL7jqEX7vZqduUk4K63xyQyDHwwtnakZyW66nBWQ3GesDMbj6NBOdB9gNFd2d1pLDQ/s4160/IMG_20210416_143723342.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4160" data-original-width="3120" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDmKw7_M5fsUXTX9pFy3g8ZVLlgfuEP645rKk6kOE8xGJHfgpHT023C4V0yP8ju4vfYoZChZ1FznL7jqEX7vZqduUk4K63xyQyDHwwtnakZyW66nBWQ3GesDMbj6NBOdB9gNFd2d1pLDQ/s320/IMG_20210416_143723342.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After living aboard a 30 foot sailboat for two plus years, it's like being in a ballroom.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /> Much more soon. BYW, the Pearson, complete with workind A4 motor and large solar system and inverter, is for sale. Drop me a note (mungo@thefloatingempire.com) if you're interested or leave a comment below.</p><p>M</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7702427911824410568.post-33390790144294506472021-03-31T11:56:00.001-04:002021-03-31T11:56:54.976-04:00The Eternal Spring Question<p> So yesterday was the first really nice day we'd had this year. We sat in the sun in the cockpit with a glass of wine and contemplated the coming year. It's always the question, isn't it?</p><p>Where do you want to go?</p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRwmTrQrj9na8s2vqiCi0WImpad3Grj8OCaNC8vsHtwR5k3S34FOIV21ahg9X7OGTT20U0dhLhE5GD4IbAhLikxOxB8T0SbajT1RKYaPQrHSVM5xL8GXUEK6hDN2rKrZHCeAZZ87uzv1w/s4160/IMG_20201216_131255842.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4160" data-original-width="3120" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRwmTrQrj9na8s2vqiCi0WImpad3Grj8OCaNC8vsHtwR5k3S34FOIV21ahg9X7OGTT20U0dhLhE5GD4IbAhLikxOxB8T0SbajT1RKYaPQrHSVM5xL8GXUEK6hDN2rKrZHCeAZZ87uzv1w/s320/IMG_20201216_131255842.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'm so done with this bit</td></tr></tbody></table>This led me to ponder on all the options available to us h<br />ere in the north end of the Chesapeake, and, boy, are there a lot. I started thinking about the kind of decision tree we always go through before making plans.<p></p><p>In our case its more like a decision-shrubbery, but I digress.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDvuLPlCntb8qdWDapgRa4QZPPMrGtjLySzufSedCY9pDgpdPggRNnZEsC2fvgdgBWYL5IjkXF2JNyTP_vw5mllNh9IJ9kn_OAtJGet83OcKN9v2jQ7dlPbfmXBiUHQA4YSzuegSHNh-0/s4160/IMG_20201018_121438760_HDR.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3120" data-original-width="4160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDvuLPlCntb8qdWDapgRa4QZPPMrGtjLySzufSedCY9pDgpdPggRNnZEsC2fvgdgBWYL5IjkXF2JNyTP_vw5mllNh9IJ9kn_OAtJGet83OcKN9v2jQ7dlPbfmXBiUHQA4YSzuegSHNh-0/s320/IMG_20201018_121438760_HDR.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here in the upper Bay, we have a glut of wonderful places to explore. This is Gunpowder Creek.</td></tr></tbody></table><p><br />So I thought I'd lay out the kinds of things that go through our minds as we contemplate setting out for the spring.</p><p>First and foremost: How much do I trust the boat right now? It's not an idle question. Your faith in your boat tells you how far you're willing to go away from civilization, how far off shore, and in what kinds of weather. For us, we've gotten our venerable Atomic 4 cranking along beautifully, but our sails are iffy, and the Genoa is trash. That, for us, means light air and more an eye to gunk holing than to any grand cruising. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU3EgjGNhz708wk5_WgDWFKIYKxqIlPKCGRSLhcWYeGEykLvAaWaO-a8D7Joz_1QqXPQX86a8im4HTKF6xQNLl0DzqXNdvS41y7G3GJUtZF4mpUhuudEnqlpufx_8BG3lUdM2kNrMn0EQ/s4160/IMG_20200823_175518919.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3120" data-original-width="4160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU3EgjGNhz708wk5_WgDWFKIYKxqIlPKCGRSLhcWYeGEykLvAaWaO-a8D7Joz_1QqXPQX86a8im4HTKF6xQNLl0DzqXNdvS41y7G3GJUtZF4mpUhuudEnqlpufx_8BG3lUdM2kNrMn0EQ/s320/IMG_20200823_175518919.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Be realistic. How far do you really want to go?</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><br /></p><p>Second, how long can we be away? In my case, I write, and my wife is an artist, so we work from where ever we happen to be, so schedules aren't an issue. Things can get in the way, though, even without work commitments. Family events, doctor's appointments, any number of must-do social events (rather done in this year by the plague), all have to be figured in.</p><p>Third, what does the wallet look like? How much fuel costs can we bear right now, how much provisioning. Not so much an issue on a liveaboard sailboat, but if you're cranking twin 450's on a Sea Ray, you could discover yourself washing dishes on the Eastern Shore in order to get home.</p><p>Then there's the raw question of how long we feel light being away from dock? How long without a proper shower, easy internet access, and the occasional pizza. Living aboard, there's frankly not much difference for us, but there may be for you.</p><p>And finally: What haven't we seen? What sounds like fun? What would we like to revisit? What sings to us this year?</p><p>The answer to that last one is: A lot of things.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilba3_psuwQuN_G28zp7QF2RPFCivujJNwHiaIL2IQsDN_FGwxWZ7ysFAizMsYTUvqaBo7QWUyIJcGIEDuKreWyqyOfelzWpHZnflPfm_2hW1m71ObBlZJ15Grp7WGb738iXinbgvctx0/s4160/IMG_20201023_182045449.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3120" data-original-width="4160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilba3_psuwQuN_G28zp7QF2RPFCivujJNwHiaIL2IQsDN_FGwxWZ7ysFAizMsYTUvqaBo7QWUyIJcGIEDuKreWyqyOfelzWpHZnflPfm_2hW1m71ObBlZJ15Grp7WGb738iXinbgvctx0/s320/IMG_20201023_182045449.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We can't wait!</td></tr></tbody></table><div><p><br /></p><p>This spring is shaping up to be lovely, weather-wise. We're getting our inoculations this month, so we're feeling a bit better about calling at strange ports (and we're smart enough to be careful and take precautions, and you should as well). After a long winter and the lockdown, a few weeks on the water sounds like just the ticket.</p><p>M</p></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7702427911824410568.post-5523827906188084632021-02-26T13:04:00.002-05:002021-02-26T13:04:43.956-05:00A small Live-Aboard compendium<p> Sorry we've not been much in evidence of late. The truth is between winter and the Covid-19 lockdown, there frankly hasn't been a great deal on this end of things of which to report.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWhzDsSWUhKjskRTlKZEfxao2Ad6b3p_8YUC2JyJKOCRkufM504o-HHcN40mPyg7xunUowSYTcWqlZJ9vcHe9lKK1Mxcl5T_kyOhJoRUx-uo39zG8wrejClCFWMWXo-B18z-SLo7fSsOo/s4160/IMG_20201216_131255842.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4160" data-original-width="3120" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWhzDsSWUhKjskRTlKZEfxao2Ad6b3p_8YUC2JyJKOCRkufM504o-HHcN40mPyg7xunUowSYTcWqlZJ9vcHe9lKK1Mxcl5T_kyOhJoRUx-uo39zG8wrejClCFWMWXo-B18z-SLo7fSsOo/s320/IMG_20201216_131255842.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ah, winter.....<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table>We finally got a break in the weather the last few days and got to take a couple of nice walks, which improves one's mood quite a bit. All in all, this winter here in Md hasn't been anywhere near terrible but still, you wind up spending a lot of time inside, and days you'd normally get bored and go up to the local pub our out to' a film, now with the virus, one rather thinks twice about doing so. We're making plans for travel in a few weeks when the weather becomes a bit more stable. We've even talked about changing to another vessel.<div><br /></div><div>With that in mind, I started thinking about the things we'd want to shift over, which led me to thinking about the differences between being at dock and being on cruise and being on the hook. </div><div><br /></div><div>Here's a couple of little things you might wish to include in your DOCKside living. </div><div><br /></div><div>First and foremost, the single plug-in appliance we use the most is a hot water kettle. Literally, three or four times a day for Tea and Coffee in the morning, hot water bottles (which I highly recommend, because they can also warm your hands and toes at anchor), and hot chocolate in the evenings. Wonderful things, and well worth the space.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixpY-Xu_p0GSb66JlgQqb62r1XDfKnmPzs_4KMPSiZphu3YNAQFYGTAZyiEJN40ZMW_xWN7Qxc_ITIbnFue9174B724inCw9Nr7oGt6p6CmrdFcMVL1AN9Rb_-U_P8U_QLBEye2bNyLG4/s2048/oldtoolsnewhome.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1297" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixpY-Xu_p0GSb66JlgQqb62r1XDfKnmPzs_4KMPSiZphu3YNAQFYGTAZyiEJN40ZMW_xWN7Qxc_ITIbnFue9174B724inCw9Nr7oGt6p6CmrdFcMVL1AN9Rb_-U_P8U_QLBEye2bNyLG4/s320/oldtoolsnewhome.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Winters make the galley all the more important.</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /><br /></div><div>This year, on a whim, we got a slow cooker. I know, I know, the things are heavy, but they do well at dock to make soups and stews without burning up propane that I then have to haul in. Lately, rather randomly, we discovered you can actually BAKE in the things. I mean, as in breads, rolls, lasagnas. We've been surprised at how well things turn out in them, all on only about 150watts. They even brown, which was kind amazing. Thus far we've turned out scratch made rolls and soda breads and herb and onion bread which was superb. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Electric blankets! Can I sing enough of the praises of the humble electric blanket? After an evening watching movies on the laptop, or sitting and reading, to be able to curl up in a V berth that is dry and toasty warm is a true treat. </div><div><br /></div><div>Yesterday was the first day since November that felt warm enough to sit in the sun in the cockpit and just enjoy being aboard. With the current plague--finally--beginning to wind down and boating season coming on, we're looking forward to getting out, to seeing friends once again, to lifting a glass at a dockside tavern, and, in general, to an easier life.</div><div><br /></div><div>You know, what we started boating to do in the first place.</div><div><br /></div><div>More shortly, I promise</div><div>M</div><div><br /><p><br /></p></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7702427911824410568.post-58058875752177670692021-01-07T12:56:00.000-05:002021-01-07T12:56:09.539-05:00Selecting a Live Aboard Boat<p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqzbIV4Drg1qZVLz2E9LgehZLHWSuoeNMNvIQ3PD4YxMvM2VcmxAVcv22tCxYbcYpNOTx7D6MMQwekZz56gzmkdDObU-B521lAT1VWYw7zaynM6JRiKbuv3SO5sGe6-ISi2ykkV0kCcQU/s4160/IMG_20201216_131251982.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4160" data-original-width="3120" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqzbIV4Drg1qZVLz2E9LgehZLHWSuoeNMNvIQ3PD4YxMvM2VcmxAVcv22tCxYbcYpNOTx7D6MMQwekZz56gzmkdDObU-B521lAT1VWYw7zaynM6JRiKbuv3SO5sGe6-ISi2ykkV0kCcQU/s320/IMG_20201216_131251982.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Even in winter, a boat can be a snug little home</td></tr></tbody></table><br /> </p><p class="Standard">We get asked—after living now for some seven years
aboard--”how do I pick a live aboard boat?”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="Standard"><o:p> </o:p>Sure, like we'd know.</p>
<p class="Standard">Okay, here's our advice:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>before you take that jump, there are a couple of practical questions you
need to ask yourself .<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The first and
most important one is:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What do you want
to do on the boat?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yeah, yeah, I know
“live on it,” but that's not the issue.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Here's the thing:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>a live-aboard
boat is something that floats in which you live, but what you're doing while
you're floating is a key issue.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So after
a bit of discussion, here's our take on how you should go about deciding.</p>
<p class="Standard">First and foremost:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>do
you want to travel?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If the answer is:
“not really,” and you're just looking for a cheap spot to live on the water,
then you're in luck.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just about every
marina I've ever seen accumulates a number of “dock queens,” boats with
generally one or two dysfunctional engines or transmissions that are otherwise
in decent shape that can be had for a song. . .no, I mean that literally, as
long as it isn't “Baby Shark,” the marinas are often that happy to rid
themselves of them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The boats have long
since ceased paying storage or slip fees, are old enough that nobody
particularly wants them without running engines, and having them crushed up and
hauled away costs money.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you turn
that liability into a paying asset, most marinas will be happy to
accommodate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you can't live aboard
where you find the vessel, it's easy enough to get it towed to where you can.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="Standard"><o:p> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLK99xZ9_xniLLur2KYlk19_vp3UgoCPl08YVvnrA9qmMPbSRaHGulL5mPsKtoRioBNhzqoGy5JOJIGYlH4Ch2k_GVCxCj4oG66AMeoSTfq2SSD-EwiKrHHKuiwejRnzI8Oc-aUFiLuH0/s4160/IMG_20200822_202124903.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4160" data-original-width="3120" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLK99xZ9_xniLLur2KYlk19_vp3UgoCPl08YVvnrA9qmMPbSRaHGulL5mPsKtoRioBNhzqoGy5JOJIGYlH4Ch2k_GVCxCj4oG66AMeoSTfq2SSD-EwiKrHHKuiwejRnzI8Oc-aUFiLuH0/s320/IMG_20200822_202124903.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">For some, the dock is home. For others, travel is where you belong</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></o:p></p>
<p class="Standard">If the answer about travel is a “yes,” then you need to ask
yourself what kind of travel we're talking about.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Are you happy to be a casual boater who also
lives aboard, content to go out for a few hours or a weekend before returning
to your home dock?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A boat that can do
that may have few amenities that will function away from shore (think electric
ranges and refrigerators), but will suit you just fine for a day or so, and can
be pretty affordable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do you want to do
extended cruising or cruise full time?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Then you'll need a vessel that can supply most of it's own power,
refrigeration, and water.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This entails
(functional) things like solar panels, alternators, generators, desalinization
units, large water tanks, water filters, batteries, and enough fuel capacity to
make sure all that can run for more than a few hours.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="Standard"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="Standard">Speaking of that:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
second part of that is:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>how fast do<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>you need to go?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Power boats are a dime a dozen, but require a
lot more maintenance than a lot of folks are willing to put into them (hence
the proliferation of dock queens), and they absolutely suck fuel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Seriously, if you're not a boater, finding a
power boat in a live aboard size with a fuel consumption of more than two miles
to a gallon is a gift.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Usually an
expensive one.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The more motors, the more
speed, the more money it takes to run.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="Standard"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="Standard">Now there are power vessels that sip fuel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Trawler yachts, often with small diesel
engines, sip fuel, but they are among the absolutely most expensive vessels to
buy, new or used (a new small trawler in the 25' range can run you
$175-200K)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That said, the trawlers are
often spectacularly well built, will take some rough water, and are built for
comfort.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They also are quite a bit
slower than your average twin engine gas gofast, with top speeds around 14 knots
instead of 40, but they'll take you just about anywhere, and their large fuel
tanks can take you hundreds of miles at a stretch.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="Standard"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="Standard">Sail boats, of course can go anywhere with little or no fuel,
can take (generally) much heavier seas than most power vessels, and don't eat
fuel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They do, however, require their
own special set of skills (as in, sailing) and their deep draft and tall masts
may limit where you can travel (think bridges and shallows).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="Standard"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="Standard">I should probably mention houseboats here as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Houseboats are, of course, the flat out most
comfortable of the movable live-aboards.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Some are more like an apartment or a hotel room than a boat, and that
makes for some easy living.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They are,
however, also often pricey, and are not designed for heavy seas (some are
suitable only for highly protected waters like lakes, and many are more “boat
house” than “house boat” and are never intended to move), and, being a big box
on floats, they are also a major wind magnet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Of all vessels, though, they are the most comfortable.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="Standard"><o:p> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip60ozsydcoGIvs0eJaWHQa8WfbsUzIz5x_l-HBlcw3EkKfimCql5AU6QvnJuYJP1aoSiEe8ieJm_hqpjS3mQ1VNzXMvMhMUFNx5h7bsAX3L4JhdxIRBe6XvdDMy3ZZKH_6KL0eoy77P8/s4160/IMG_20191016_114323978_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3120" data-original-width="4160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip60ozsydcoGIvs0eJaWHQa8WfbsUzIz5x_l-HBlcw3EkKfimCql5AU6QvnJuYJP1aoSiEe8ieJm_hqpjS3mQ1VNzXMvMhMUFNx5h7bsAX3L4JhdxIRBe6XvdDMy3ZZKH_6KL0eoy77P8/s320/IMG_20191016_114323978_HDR.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Most marinas have a number of virtually abandoned boats you can have for a song.</td></tr></tbody></table></o:p></p>
<p class="Standard">So while we're on that subject, let's talk about
amenities.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I've often said: I don't take
up any more room in a phone booth than I take up in a baseball stadium, and
that's true.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We've become convinced in
this country that we need massive amounts of room we never use, which we
quickly fill with things we don't need, but after a few years of living aboard,
we've learned a few things about ourselves and space usage and the boats in
which we use the space.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>First of all,
sailboats:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sailboats, of all vessels,
are dedicated to the <i>process</i> of sailing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Hull shape, hatch placement, porthole placement, all are subservient (by
necessity) to the fact that the sailboat is a machine to extract energy from
the wind to move it across the water.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Some are fairly comfortable, but be aware that that necessity can lead
to some bizarrely shaped storage spaces, weird bunks, iffy headroom, and an
internal space utterly, totally, completely lacking in straight lines, right
angles, or level spaces.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We live on a sailboat
at the moment, and we love the thing, but caveat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="Standard"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="Standard">Power boats tend to have more open room in them, but the boat
manufacturers seem to have some odd idea that your 28 foot power cruiser will
often be sleeping a party of 26 who will never need to bathe or cook anything,
but will need a great deal of cup holders.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>While I think I was AT that party, it doesn't make for comfortable
living spaces.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="Standard"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="Standard">Going into this, ask yourself what you really need, and by
that I mean the minimums.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do you need a head-shower
combination to be comfortable or are you fine with the head and using the
marina's shower facilities?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How much do
you cook and how much of the interior of the boat do you need devoted to that
activity?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Can you be comfortable in a
V-berth?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do you need 120 v AC power
onboard away from the dock?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How you live
or are willing to live will determine the answers to these questions (and,
trust me, you need less than you think to be comfortable.), and the fewer your
requirements, the more latitude you have in selecting a vessel (and the more
likely you are to find one easily). When looking for a vessel, make those
requirements the baseline.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes, the boat
you saw this afternoon is in great shape and a bargain for the money, but can
you really live with a 3' galley with no fridge and a toilet under the
bunk?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Be honest with yourself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A lack of things like usable stowage, lights
in the cabin, and decent headroom can make for a sour experience down the road
that probably isn't the fault of living aboard but of your choices of boat</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEUBbF-KYCH6r6OjYStEB2fnQ7ZKXMpFjPeXovgR5EFpr-0cUOc1W8TX3gMg2PJOTOhxhrK23KSiMbE6z23X3QLGa5SKDcC6_p8h4luz4Ik9r9EzuprqSnuAGl8K4nb5iCJ4FRGpAt3AM/s4160/IMG_20201023_182045449.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3120" data-original-width="4160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEUBbF-KYCH6r6OjYStEB2fnQ7ZKXMpFjPeXovgR5EFpr-0cUOc1W8TX3gMg2PJOTOhxhrK23KSiMbE6z23X3QLGa5SKDcC6_p8h4luz4Ik9r9EzuprqSnuAGl8K4nb5iCJ4FRGpAt3AM/s320/IMG_20201023_182045449.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All in all, it's a beautiful way to live.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p class="Standard"><br /></p>
<p class="Standard">Living aboard has been a wonderful experience for us, so much
so that neither of us can really imagine having done anything else.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Finding a boat takes a bit, but you will be
able to find one that suits you. We built our first boat—a barrel shanty--,
bought our second as a $500 stripped out sailboat hull and refit the thing, and
lucked into our current sailboat for—literally--a buck before the thing was
crushed to make room for condos.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Be
patient, pay attention, and be prepared to jump when just the right boat
wanders into your life.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="Standard"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="Standard">You won't be sorry.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="Standard"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="Standard">Don and Gail Elwell<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="Standard">And First Cat Magellan<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="Standard">Aboard the SV Constellation<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="Standard">www.thefloatingempire.com<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="Standard"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="Standard"><o:p> </o:p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0