Life Sux

It has been a week since our daughter left. We are getting back into our routine, boat jobs, daily living chores, and work.  

Steve fixed a few nicks in our Portland Pudgy dinghy, Putz Sea. Don't get the wrong idea, the PP is very difficult to damage, but it does live a rugged life with us. From time to time it gets dinged up.  

Repairs are manageable, he simply bought a few plastic hangers, heated one with a heat gun, heated the damaged surface and melted the two together.  He then heats a flat tool to smooth the surface. It is as easy as that!

Steve has also been varnishing the cockpit.  After varnishing the caprails he has caught the varnish bug and is slowly tackling the other wood surfaces.  I have to say I prefer it varnish, but it is a lot of work to maintain and I'm certainly not volunteering to assist.  Hahah

I have been spending time at local establishments during the day working online.  I enjoy my alone time off the boat and allowing Steve to do the things he enjoys.. like boat work..

Every morning Steve makes coffee and we sit around reading the daily events on our devices. We have a little breakfast and listen to the morning net on the VHF.  Then he turns the Honda 2000 generator on, that he runs for an hour each day, and watermaker, which he runs for seven hours a day since it makes a little over a gallon an hour. I wipe down seat cushions and surfaces. Then sweep the cabin and bathroom. I then spray the cushions with lysol.. I'm afraid I have become a lysol addict.Then he takes me ashore so I can work and he returns to the boat to do his work.  Doesn't that sound like we are living an exciting life. Hahah

Well I did skip how I wash a load of clothes in two buckets in the kitchen sink twice a week.  And of course there is shopping for groceries. We do that a few times a week.

 Had to sneak in some pics of my lil GMan

We also visit the veterinary.  We have him processing Schooner's Rabies Titer test to complete the paperwork needed for her to receive her EU Passport.  Once it is completed we will head to the Honduran Bay Islands. We expect this to happen around the first of June.

That is all for now folks.. until next time be good to yourself and Others..

We are off the grid

We now make our own water! Yeah! We make our own power and water so basically self sufficient. How awesome is that?

Steve and Schooner Sailing

Friends boat SV Syrinx

My Herbs

Steve has frankensteined a RO watermaker from using one of these survivor 35 desalinator and a motor. It draws very little power and makes about 1.5 gallons an hour. So not a lot but enough. Tastes so good. There seems to be many cruisers using this same system.

At The Reserve Marina

We have enjoyed our time here in Belize.  We don't enjoy the cost but enjoyed seeing old friends and meeting new ones.  We have stuck around Placencia and Sapodilla Lagoon. There is a new marina, well one that has been in developed for years in Sapodilla Lagoon. They have finally opened the bar and store so it makes it a great protected area for cruisers. Oh they also have self serve machines to wash laundry. They have been very welcoming to all of us cruisers.

At Anchor in Placencia

We are heading to Isla Mujeres. Which is one of our favorite locations. Our daughter, Samantha, and her boyfriend are flying in for a visit mid April. We are looking forward to the visit and to finally share our world to one of our kids. Neither of them have ever experienced what our current lifestyle is like. So this will be exciting.  

St Paddy's day parade

They have visited us when living on the boat in a marina before leaving the states. But never have they experienced what life on the hook is like. I have to admit, I am also nervous.  Not sure why I am nervous they already think I am crazy.. hahah

Well I guess that is enough for now. Of course, once again I will have to push my grandson's pictures on you.  Oh and remind everyone that I am freelancing as a remote bookkeeper and virtual assistant, in case anyone is in need of some assistance. You can contact me directly or here.

Remember to be good to yourself and to OTHERS

Powering a Sailboat While Cruising

Easter is rapidly approaching. Are you a grandparent out during prime time cruising season? Are you going to miss your grandchildren giggling and laughing while scrambling to find those precious colorful eggs? How do you find the balance of family and passion?

The internet has change many things for the better.  It is helping travelers stay connected to family and friends during sentimental times by connecting them through videos and chat.  Now you can even go “Live” to share instant moments on platforms such as Facebook and Snapchat.  Traveling Grandparents can watch special moments that parents caught on their phones.

To share in those precious moments you must stay up with technology. You must power the many devices, which can be a challenge while traveling in your home on the water.  This challenge can be  sore spot in many traveling couple's relationship. The constant management of power can be exhausting.  The constant drain on stored energy these devices take can add up fast. Oh and the components needed to transfer that energy.  What the heck is an inverter and why do we need it?

Since all vessels work on DC power like a car the DC power must be converted to AC power to operate most devices.  Inverters are used to convert the power.  Generators are also used to create AC power.  You may also use solar or wind to fill battery banks up then invert the DC power to AC.  You can also simply run the engine to generate the power. Each Captain has their own preference and pocket book to which process they will use on their vessel.  All this work to operate that laptop or phone to watch those precious videos of your grandchildren's first Easter egg hunt.

I know I am one of these grandparents. I too will be missing a very special boy's first Easter egg hunt. I will make sure my devices are charged and my Wi-Fi connection is strong. So you are not alone.

I asked a few groups of travelers.  Many of them expressed their sadness of missing those special moments but felt traveling was worth it. Others felt their fellow travelers were now their family.  Yet others said they were very content with the videos because it shielded them from the drama that sometimes comes with visits with family.  I admit, I am with those people. I dont mind the videos and pictures.

Maybe I can kidnap my GMan one day. Hehe

How we live on the hook

Years before leaving, Steve read everything he could find on living and cruising on a sailboat, especially if it was the “old” way. He likes to be as self sufficient as possible. Meaning as long as I agree. 

He would ramble his findings to me and what he felt was the best strategy for us. I took it all in and looked around myself and we came up with our lists of priorities for living on the hook before leaving. 

On the top of our list was ground tackle. My thoughts were go big or go home. Steve is the frugal partner where I am all about the moment. So we hunted for somewhere in the middle. He agreed with me about the importance so he had to give in on spending the money because it made sense for the future. He went between two of the newer models in anchors, the mantus and rocna. 

Mantus got scratched off the list because the mantus’ dealer couldn't figure out how to fit it on our boat. So the Rocna was our choice and we went up on the suggest weight, go big or go home. He also explained to me about the two choices we had in chain or rope and how some people use a combination of the two.  We went with all chain but our second anchor has rope. 

When living on the hook ground tackle is your foundation of your home. I want to sleep when winds are high and that can be an issue when you are depending on it so greatly. I appreciate our AIS’ anchor watch feature. It helps me sleep because I know if we move from the perimeter we set it will alert us in time give us to start the engine and reset or find somewhere safe before dragging into a fellow cruiser or worse reefs or land. 

The second thing on our list is power source. You need power, well I need power. I like having my electronics and refrigerator. So solar panels are how we regenerate power.   

Steve installed six T105 Trojan batteries because they are reliable, cheaper and easy to find around the world. He uses the charger that is matched with our Honda 2000 generator that we use to operate power tools, shop vacuum and to top the batteries off when the solar panels. Our panels are two 140 wts each. He has them where he can rotate them down in rough seas or to catch the sun better. He has a Victron monitor to view the state of charge and a Morning Star 45 amp solar regulator smart charge 10 amp. I have links to these items under our treasure chest tab. 

Next on our must have when living on the hook is a reliable dinghy. We chose the Portland Pudgy. Simple reason, she can't pop or leak air, she is stable, she rows easily, you can sail her and she is a certified life raft. She is slow but we both agree that we rather have all of the above for the price of speed. 

Another important necessity is water.  Saga Sea holds 150 gallons. We use the Seagul water filter system for our drinking water. We haven't had any problems finding free or almost free local water. Yes, Steve has to gerry can it to the boat but he says he is young and needs the exercise. So far this is working well for us. 

We enjoy living on the hook over marinas. Marinas have their place in our life, we use them when leaving our boat for any length of time. We will use them if I am left with the boat alone, simply because I don't want to handle the boat. Remember I'm not the sailor, Steve is and this is his choice, I would have a narrow boat or RV, Lol.  But, I prefer the breeze at anchor and the gentle motion. As well as the privacy and less bugs. 

In regards to sewage when living aboard we follow what the rules state in the area. We have an operating holding tank that can be emptied at a pump out station or we can manually empty it with a hand pump out at sea. 

We have a LVAC toilet with a huge hand pump. Steve loves those bilge hand pumps. We have them everywhere and many back ups. I dont mind the LAVAC system but I dont care for cleaning it because of all the caskets. 

Our laundry is usually taken to a local or business that washes and folds for a resemble price. If a place is not available I do it in the bucket. I have started using the amonia technique with my towels and sheets. 

1/4 cup of amonia with a bucket of water

I soak the items over night then in the morning I wringer them out and hange on the life lines. No need to rinse. So far so good. Luckily there is usually someone who does it so it hasn't been too much of an issue. 

Sun shades are a priority for me but it would be the same at a marina. Steve and I go around and around in regards to the shades. He knows they are needed but he also knows they are vulnerable. All I know is I want shade and protection from the elements.  One day I will have a decent place to sit outside but it might not be on Saga Sea, or with Steve. Hahah 

I can't think of anything else that might be questioned when living on the hook. If you have any please feel free to ask. I want to help you get out here as well