Morning Glow

Lately I have been up early for training at a new bar.  Not much of an early morning person, it is worth it to see the glow the sunrise light causes over the marina.  Sometimes it is nice to just look at the oranges and pinks that this light brings out for a short time.  Another chance to stop and say "Ahh..."

The Pull to Relax

I can't quite get my eyes open, they are still heavy with sleep.  I can feel the warmth of the sun hitting my face as it comes through the hatch.  Most mornings I detest this invasion of light and warmth, but today it is softly pulling me awake, teasing me with the promise of a new day.  I hear a few seagulls, but mostly the clanking sound of halyards hitting the masts on all the boats around us. These merry sounds seem to be the percussive music of a sailor.  They consider it a natural sound of the environment, part of marina life.

I pull myself to a seated position, being careful not to bump my head on the low bulkhead(ceiling).  Rubbing my eyes and testing how far they will open, before rubbing them again. It's a little warm in the quarter berth, Andrew and I's small bed tucked into one side of the back of the boat.  Swinging my legs around, I pull myself out of the berth.  I turn back to look at the mess of sheets, I will do the game of twister to get the bed made later. I stumble forward to the head (bathroom).  Things are coming more naturally now, like the conservation of water.  Turn on a small amount of water, get your hands wet, turn off the water, pump out the soap, lather and scrub, turn the water on and rinse quickly then turn the water off.  There is a lot of turning the water on and off, not that we can't just refill the water tanks, but it is something we are learning.  I wash the sleep from my eyes and brush my teeth.  Pulling my hair into a loose ponytail, I look for something to wear.  We are currently keeping our clothes in plastic bins in the v-berth that we have dubbed the "garage".  I pull on some yoga pants, a tee and find my flip-flops.  After a quick breakfast, coffee and a shower (at the clubhouse), I start working for the day, checking emails, cleaning up the boat, preparing paperwork for the show I am doing.

 There is a slight motion in the boat, although these days I am starting to not notice it.  But if I look out one of the windows I can see the masts of other boats seem to float around.  I keeping plugging away, but the sun is rising higher in the sky and the delicious brightness is calling me outside.  I can't concentrate, how can anyone possibly want to work when you are in a vacation-type setting.  So I grab a book, a summer ale and sit in the cockpit and read.  I could stay right here all day.  There is very little movement on the water, the breeze is keeping me for getting too hot and I have a nice cold drink. As I glance up from my book, I have a fleeting thought about what to make for dinner.  But really that is hours away, plenty of time for planning...back to the story and the beer and the sunshine.

Why the Silence?

Why the lack of posts, the silence, the details.  One would hope that it would be from the fact that we were having so much fun sailing around on the Long Island Sound that we didn't have time to write.  If wishing made it so...

The truth is the month of June was so depressing in boat land that I could not bring myself to write about the mountains of things that were going wrong.  Yes that was mountainS - plural- because the amount of things was insane.  I will write a little more soon about the adventure (when I can handle not crying every time I think about it) but here is the short version:

The day before we were to bring the boat north, the engine sang its farewell song.  This coming after a load of other problems.  After the yard looked at the engine it was decided that we needed a new one.  And then began the long haul of waiting, working and worrying.  The boat finally arrived in Glen Island, NY on July 8th (one month and a week after we were scheduled).

So now we are here.  And I really enjoy it.  There are things I love (being close to the water) and things I hate (our bed is so uncomfortable).  I sit here in our dinette with coffee in hand and look out into the marina - and think that this is my life. Amazing.  I mean how could you not love if this was your porch and the Long Island Sound was your backyard.  You can see our Hafwen, four boats up from the bottom.  Allmand 31 on the hull.

So I promise more to come...before the winter springs on us.

Counting down the days...

We are less then one month away from living on Hafwen.  It is all a bit unreal, and terribly hectic.  Since we decided to live on the boat for the summer things seem to be happening on fast-forward.  With less then 30 days to MOVING, and most of that with Andrew and I working (sometimes on ships and in different countries), I am in full "panic pack mode."  Those of you that have moved with limited time will understand.  You start out organized, trying to keep like items together, and end of throwing things together because they fill out the box better.  Then you try and remember where you packed that one item because you actually still need it.  Our house is a disheveled mess, with crates and bins everywhere. 

It is really the sorting that is causing the problem.  We have stuff that is going to into "long-term" storage (really just summer storage since we won't need it this summer).  Then there is stuff that is going to the storage unit close to the boat.  Things that "who knows if we will need this" but it should be close.  Finally there is "to the boat" stuff.  This box is currently very small, since I haven't started on the clothes and kitchen things, and there isn't a lot of space for anything.  Which means that I have to talk Andrew out of things that he thinks that he wants on the boat but take up too much room for the time being.  The latest thing being a giant vice in our basement.  As we were sorting through tools and boxes, I pointed it out and asked if it was going to near storage.  "It would be a great thing to have on the boat..."  I stopped him immediately.  "That is not going on the boat, too big and clunky and no space."  If I let him loose, there would barely be room for us to sleep on the boat.  Men and their tools!   


It is truly remarkable what you can accumulate in just a few short years.  I have downsized so many times, you would think that I would learn my lesson about buying "things".  I haven't.  That is obvious, when you look at the pile of Goodwill items.  And this is like the fourth load we have taken.  Somehow, Andrew is being spared most of the anguish of packing.  He is working gigs and in his spare time fixing up the boat for launch day.  Not that I want to be looking for leaks, dealing with epoxy, framing windows and varnishing, etc. But really all the packing falls on my shoulders. I am going to need some serious R & R after this is all over (I am not going to get it - but I can dream).  

On that note I should get back to packing.  

This was really just an excuse to procrastinate...It worked for a short time. 

Ah well.

What's in a name?

Our Allmand 31 is nearing it's first summer on the water with a new captain.  But before any sailings, hauling, skimming, breezed blow - there has to be a name.  With Sonador, we just adopted the name.  We were first time boat owners, already taking on a huge responsibility.  A name was on the bottom of the list of "things to accomplish."  This time we feel it's different, especially since we don't like its current name(we won't even mention it here).  This boat will be our home for the summer (did I mention that - we are living on the boat for the summer) and it will be a new adventure for the both of us.  A new name for a new beginning.  Andrew had been throwing out several ideas.  I didn't like any of them, so I kept encouraging us both to keep looking.  Then over some "painkillers" at a local bar I pulled out "the google" and started doing searches for ship names.  I looked at famous mythological ships, at old god and goddess names.  Nothing was fitting.  I googled "Celtic Names" and found a website that listed all kinds of Celtic names, Irish, Gaelic, Scottish, Welsh, etc.  And after scrolling through several pages we found it:  Hafwen (HAV wen).  It is Welsh and means "blessed summer."  It stuck, we both stopped looking.  What could be more appropriate for our hopes for this summer and hopefully, all the ones after.  So we are christening the boat - Hafwen.  Let's just see what's in a name.

One + One = TWO! Two Boats

That's right two boats.   We own two boats.  We have to keep repeating it so that we can help it to sink in.  Two Boats!

Andrew had been eyeing this Allmand 31 at the marina for awhile, before he found out it was for sale.  He pounced with the fervor that only he can muster for something boat related when we found out it was for sale. We finally both had a chance to go to the marina and poke around inside.  And that was it!  He was sold.  I will admit, the boat is much bigger (or seems much bigger) then Sonador.  I mean 6 feet is a lot right?  [insert ironical chuckle here]  A couple of great things about this boat.  The cockpit is HUGE.  There is plenty of room to invite friends and family to come sailing without having to crawl all over them when jibing or tacking.  Second, the boom is fixed to the top of the cabin, not the back of the cockpit.  Which means (for all you who are scratching your heads and saying "huh?") that I don't have to be worried about the boom or sheets (ropes to pull the sails) taking off anyone's head while we are sailing.  We really don't need a new scary story titled "The Legend of Barnegat Bay and the Headless Helmsman"  Third, Andrew can stand up inside the boat!  He is 6'3, so that is a lot of head room in the salon(no, not a hair dressers, I know I hate it too).  Below deck also has a full bathroom/shower combo and a separate cabin for sleeping (with a bed just big enough for Andrew and I).  The boat is also equipped with a refrigeration system and hot water tank.  Now before you start truly salivating over this amazing find - let me tell you the ascetics are not the best.  They have ripped the padding on the ceiling off and haven't replaced it.  Although there is a giant roll of it in the cabin.  And the cushions are all white - uh oh.  It needs a major cleanup and reorganization. But the boat (currently named Kinship) passed inspection with flying colors, so Andrew made an offer.  I mean how could he not.  When it was accepted, I think the initial excitement wore off and then the shock of "Two Boats" started in.  

So Sonador is up for sale.  She was a good boat for the season but now we are moving on.  Hopefully someone else with a love of sailing will buy her.  In the meantime, we are preparing for all the costs that new boats, that are bigger bring.  Pictures soon I hope.  

 

Why true nautical accessories will never make the cover of Glamour!

Yes folks its time again for a Reality vs. Fantasy.

Ralph Lauren, Nautica, J Crew, Tony Burch, Michael Kors.

Everywhere you look these days, designers are showcasing nautical themed clothing and accessories.  Ads showing young men and women dressed in great summer clothing, sandals, stripes, bracelets, hats and every other thing that will go flying off the department store rack.  For those of you out there that haven't been sailing or lived close to a harbor where people are out using these personal sailboats, you might think or even dream that this is what sailing or coastal living is all about.  Such a grand, well dressed affair.  I get it - when I first moved to NYC all my friends in Denver and Phoenix were convinced that my life was just like Sex in the City.  Can we picture me as one of the fabulous four women - where would I get the money, the clothes, the shoes, the apartment.  Ok you get the idea.

So let me just burst that little bubble for you right now - that is not a true representation of sailors.  At least not any that I have meet and definitely not how I look when I head out to sail.  While I am only on my third or fourth time out, let me tell you, that all that fancy stuff would just get in the way.  Sailing is hard work - more to come on that - it isn't just a sit back and steer as you drift over the waves.  I am working and moving around A LOT while on board.  So here is my list right now of top accessories for your sailing wardrobe:

• A Hat - And I am not talking one of those straw fedora types that looks so great with your blue and white striped boat shirt.  Or the flimsy wide brimmed one  that you wear on the beach in Mexico to look like the latest model.  I want a hat with a brim to keep off the glare and that fits snugly so it won't blow a way when it gusts.  Andrew has a fabulous clip that attaches to his ball cap to keep it from flying away.  Another advantage of the Hat - it keeps my hair from flying all over and getting in my face.  No amount of barrettes or hair bands could do it better.
• Sunscreen -- always a girl's best friend (or a guys for that matter).  It is a must and I don't think that I really need to go into why.  Although I have learned that I am allergic to something in certain sunblocks so I am looking for one that doesn't irritate my skin.
• Sunglasses -  I don't want to be caught without them and since I am notorious for losing them, there are several pairs on the boat.  Everyone has the pair and type that they prefer but right now any old pair will do.  While sometimes I have a hard time using the binoculars with them on, for the most part they are saving my eyes.
• GLOVES - for me it is a sailing fashion must have.  I know you are thinking so fashionable right? - HA.  I am hauling a lot of lines and that is tough work.  Blisters formed on the first day and I didn't do that much.  So I wear gloves the entire time we are on the boat, helps me to be ready at any time.
  
  The pair I have now were on the boat when we bought it and are nothing special(in fact they are falling apart) but for right now they are working.  I will be looking for new ones for next season.  We will see if I can find some that will go with all my summer outfits. Perhaps some coordinating colors (the sarcasm is really rolling now).  Let's not even talk about the glove tan lines I will be getting.
• Clothing - while I am sure some people could go sailing in anything and be fine, I find it works for me to be wearing older, loose fitting clothing. I get dirty and occasionally things rip.  Like last week when Andrew caught my belt loop with the tiller and ripped a hole in my capris.  So I am not setting any fashion trends on Sonador.  Not that I think you should look like a total hobo, but come on - who is working the lines and hauling sails in their $300 Ralph Lauren outfit?

But thanks to Andrew and some fancy camera app I can look like I am in fashion while sailing.  The black and white probably helps.

Maybe next year's summer line?