The Shallow End

The Day In Pictures

Pullout Along 5-Mile Drive (Point Defiance Park)

Labels: Sailing, The Animals

posted by Gwynne @ 8:01 PM 6 comments

Sunburned in Seattle

I could get used to this lifestyle very easily. The weather has been most un-Seattlesque...sunny and dry all week! That is because I bought an umbrella on Day 1, I'm sure ("just in case"). Sadly, I know this is setting me up for false expectations when we do move to the area. Not that I really mind the rain. I don't. I like a good rainy day if I don't have to work outdoors. But I love a bit of sunshine also. Today, I lathered up in spf 50 sunscreen for babies and worked on the deck all day while a parade of weekend boat traffic cruised up and down the Thea Foss Waterway where we are docked. And I still got sunburned. Who gets sunburned in Seattle? Two long days of sanding and chiseling and back ache and here is all I have to show for it. You'd think, for all the time I've spent, that I was sanding an entire deck or something. And I'm not finished yet. There is still more sanding to do and then my husband can put new varnish or teak oil on what little wood is on the deck.

BTW, the free ATT-WiFi thing in Starbucks is working great! I've been to several stores in the area and all have worked beautifully. Go get your free Starbucks card soon and take advantage if you're so inclined. You'll also get lots of freebies like drinks and syrups if you're into that sort of thing.

Labels: Sailing

posted by Gwynne @ 9:35 PM 4 comments

Days 5 and 6

The view, from where I sat eating my salami and cheese on crackers dinner last night, with a glass of red wine...


The slumped metal cone is the Tacoma Museum of Glass

Wednesday, Day 5 - From sun up (actually, at sun-up I was still sleeping and dreaming...when the dreams turned to nightmares featuring attacking rattlesnakes, I jumped straight out of bed and got to work...well, first, I sucked down a few cups of coffee and got dressed), until sun down (which is very late in these northern parts...it was almost 10pm when I finally broke for dinner), I worked on the deck of the boat. First scrubbing the deck with a mixture of vinegar and baking soda, then hosing it all down, then sanding and scraping old varnish off of the handrails that run the length of the boat. I didn't leave the boat all day. I only talked to 2 people all day, one was my "neighbor" and the other works in the yacht brokerage office in the marina. It was bright and sunny all day and I thoroughly enjoyed being outside. So Day 5, I worked. All day!

Thursday, Day 6 - I woke up with some very sore hands and an aching back. But it felt good. After getting another good report on Julian, I turned on the water heater and took a long hot shower (without sinking the boat...I always fear that opening a drain to the sea will inadvertently admit sea water into the boat instead), dressed and headed up to Seattle for another day of shopping (back to Bed Bath and Beyond for my new list of provisions...this time, kitchen supplies) and relaxing. And now? I'm sitting in Starbucks, at the corner of 4th and Pine, in the heart of Seattle, watching people, clearing out my email at work and checking your blogs. Day 6, I shopped. And watched. And ate good food at the Pike Market.

Life is good.

Labels: Baby Spartacus, Sailing, Travel

posted by Gwynne @ 9:42 PM 4 comments

The Money Pit

Whatever did we do before Al Gore invented the internets? In what I think is a little humorous, my husband just called to inquire about the tides. As in, the tides at the exact location of his person, 2,000 miles away from where I am sitting right now (in Kansas City). He was calling me from the boat which sits on the water that is rising and falling with the tides as we speak. I mean, can't he see the tide for himself? Why call on me for this information? Because ahead looms The Bridge under which he must go in order to get to our slip in Tacoma (did I not mention any of this already? I'll clarify what he has been up to in a moment). So, to find out how much clearance exists between him (or more specifically, the boat) and the bridge (so that the mast might not snap off like a toothpick), he is calling me. And yes, he did check the tide tables before he left Seattle, but he arrived in Tacoma earlier than expected and now needs to know how long he needs to wait until it's safe to proceed. He knows it will be safe in two hours, but what about now? Just how accurate are the tide tables anyway? Are they just predictions like a weather forecast? Or are they cast in stone, known for years in advance and unwavering in their accuracy? We did purchase navigational software that resides on my hard drive...which is also here in Kansas City, not exactly helpful to He Who is Currently Navigating. It does contain tide information, but it's static. It isn't updated via an online service or anything. So I pulled that up and told him to wait an hour to be safe. Then I looked on the internet to confirm and found this which confirmed it. As I was talking to him on the phone, a Harbor Patrol boat came along that had just passed under the bridge. My husband waved to him and asked about the clearance. The Harbor Patrolman said it was 68 ft right now but it might be risky to go under it yet...wait about an hour. Heh. "Told you," I said. :-) I should add that we are not certain how tall is the mast. You would think that this would be a vital statistic published somewhere on the specs or in the survey that we have, but we have not been able to find it. The salesman told us it is 67' and another person told us 65'. So we want to err on the side of caution until we are more familiar with the boat.

And now, some illumination on the goings on of the past week, in what is sure to be the first of many tales in the Boat As Money Pit saga. I've added a new category just for stories such as these. It's not like nobody told us this would happen. It's not like we didn't budget for it, seeing as we really did negotiate a pretty "good price" on the boat based on its need for additional work ("good price" is a bit oxymoronic in the context of boats, of course, because even if someone were to hand you a boat for free, it is an immediate liability as opposed to an asset). This is hardly the kind of story that warrants an ounce of sympathy or prayers. We knew this was coming but we plunged forth anyway. But we have vowed to share (or at least I have...my husband might rather I keep such stories to myself...this was his big idea afterall ;-) the good, the bad and the ugly of this boating adventure (for anyone just tuning in, you may refer to the category previously known as "Sailing" for a little history...just tap on the link to "Sailing" at the bottom of this post).

Anyway, my beloved husband flew to Seattle last weekend to move the boat at last into its temporary slip in Tacoma (temporary until our name surfaces on the list in Seattle). The mechanic has had the boat on his dock ever since we purchased it back in October, including the week of Christmas when he conveniently decided to pull out the engine and all that comes with it, forcing us into a hotel for our vacation. That alone cost us an extra $600 for a hotel. We told him to take his time as we would not need the boat right away, but we didn't think that would triple the cost of repairs! The original estimate was roughtly $5,000 which we had negotiated into the purchase price of the boat, so we were prepared for that. But triple that amount and well, you can do the math. *choke* Essentially, this was to replace engine mounts and compressor brackets, and a timing cover plate on the engine. $2,500 for parts and 110 hours of labor. The engine was not replaced or rebuilt. To replace the engine would have only cost about $10,000. We were shocked. Flummoxed. Mad. And sad...sad because we trusted the shop manager who seemed so nice...honest and fair. To be fair to him, he did advise us that things "were worse than he originally thought" once he opened up the engine compartment and pulled out the engine. But he never once told us what this meant in terms of extra dollars. He didn't call to say, "hey, it's going to be an extra $10,000. Is that okay?" And we didn't ask either...lesson learned. Honestly, when he said "a lot worse" we expected the bill might be double and we were braced for that, but hoped maybe somehow, it wouldn't materialize.

Not having a clue whether we were being taken for the ignorant boat owners that we are or if the work really cost that much, we asked for the complete work order and itemization of work performed. We sent this off to the engine surveyor for a 2nd opinion. His response? "This is not only excessive, it is OUTRAGEOUS!! They didn't even perform all of the repairs that I had indicated in the survey. Let me know when you come out to Seattle and I'll meet you at the boat to look it over." And so my husband flew to Seattle, called the surveyor, met him at the boat, surveyed the repairs and then the surveyor exclaimed that even some of the repairs they did do needed to be redone. And thus began a downward spiral in the relationship with "our" mechanic. He didn't like that we called in our surveyor for an inspection of the work, but I'm not sure what else we could have done. We certainly weren't capable of inspecting it ourselves. He turned all shades of red when the surveyor asked if they had done this and that ("no" and "no").

In the end, they agreed to do a bunch more work to meet the standards of the surveyor, and we agreed not to take him to court to contest the bill. We did ask him again to consider making an adjustment to the hours spent which seemed excessive, but he would not budge. The surveyor said that for the work performed by a capable mechanic, the 110 hours should have taken about 40 hours. I expected him to be willing to make some concession on the hours, but no. I work in a business where we bill by the hour and having these discussions is pretty common. My approach with the client is always to ask them what they think is fair and preserve the relationship at almost any cost. In the end, a good relationship has to be a two way street. In business, I expect to be fair to my clients and I expect them to be fair to me. If they want me to provide services for less than fair value, I'm not going to provide good service. If I want to charge them more than the work is worth, they're not going to be clients for long. I'm not interested in litigating something intangible like how much money an hour is worth. I usually find that when a client calls to complain about the bill and I ask them to tell me what they think is fair, we can arrive at an agreeable solution pretty quickly. The fact that the mechanic was willing to do more work for the money was some concession, but the complete refusal to negotiate the "labor" portion of the bill spoke volumes about his integrity. I might add that we learned in all of this that the labor was performed by a 21-year old inexperienced apprentice and apparently, without a lot of supervision. Looking at the time sheets, it appears there was a lot of "soft" time spent on our boat. I really do think we got ripped off. And I'm disappointed about that.

The good news now is, at least the boat is running beautifully, according to my husband's call. So things could be worse. And now, he just called to say they made it under the bridge with a foot and a half to spare. She is safe now, at rest in her slip.

Now, if we can just get money to grow on trees, we'll be all set.

Labels: Boat As Money Pit, Sailing

posted by Gwynne @ 6:15 PM 6 comments

The 11th and 12th Days of Christmas

For lunch, we went to a deli and loaded up with prosciutto, salami, cheeses and lox. And crackers and cherries and 10 pounds of clementines. Then we went to the park by the marina and set up our own deli, gorging on all of the above. Unfortunately, it was a late lunch and we had dinner reservations at the hotel's restaurant at 6:30pm. So we did some extra walking and tried to work off lunch in time to be hungry again for dinner. Appetite or not, the dinner was wonderful (we all had seafood...mussels for an appetizer, swordfish, salmon and halibut...all delicately prepared and served with savory sauces and sides...and dessert...and not shared either, one for each of us...mmm).

This shot was taken in the hotel room before going down for dinner. I like this photo because it captures perfectly the attitude that only a teenager can properly carry off. And yes, I'm sure some of it is our fault. Afterall, we didn't see fit to buy the designer purse for Christmas. But Tata (Croatian for "father") refused to let that bother him.

After dinner, we lounged around the room and waited for midnight. We had planned to attend Midnight Mass at St. James Cathedral, a beautiful cathedral up on the hill in downtown Seattle. And eventually, we did do that, but when we arrived at the church at 11:30, it was already packed and they weren't letting anyone else in the doors because of fire safety rules. So instead, a large crowd gathered in the foyer, probably much larger than the Fire Marshall would have preferred. Rather than leave, we hung out and hoped that when the earlier Carol Service was over, the less-than-serious church goers would leave, and we would get in. As everyone crowded at the doors, I wondered if ever there had been any crushing incidents at Midnight Mass before, you know, like at the soccer events in Ghana, for example. Then, finally, after the Mass service had begun, people filed out in small groups at first and finally, enough left that they opened the doors and let us all in (actually, I think what happened is that the people responsible for guarding the doors had other duties to perform and they abandoned their posts). There was standing room only inside the cathedral, and it was hot and stuffy. At the 1 hour mark, I thought I might faint. I started bending my knees like they taught us to do at the 2nd grade Christmas program after the one girl fainted. Finally, it was time for communion and the service was over. Regardless of the physical inconvenience of standing all the way through Midnight Mass, or maybe because of it, this was a very memorable service and a wonderful night.

Christmas morning was less memorable. We had to wake up early to take the little one to the airport, to fly home. Being sleep deprived caused her to be more grumpy than usual. At the airport, she huffed off to check herself in. Refusing to listen to us (I cannot count the number of times we heard the words "I'm 17. I can do anything I want. Don't tell me what to do!"), she marched off to the wrong airline. And then, angry at us for letting her "look stupid," she marched to the Southwest kiosk, butting in front of everyone else in line, and printed her boarding pass. She practically ran off to the security line so as to lose the parental units as quickly as possible. And it was there that we said our goodbyes. I can't say it was the most sentimental of send-offs, but we did enjoy our time together, however brief.

While her plane left early, our didn't leave until early afternoon, so we drove a car full of items over to the boat, things we could leave on board, like extra shoes, raincoats, umbrellas, pillows and other odds and ends. We had leftovers (prosciutto, lox, etc) from the day before, so in the end, we did enjoy Christmas dinner on our boat. It just wasn't quite how we expected it might be...

Christmas in Seattle (All Aboard!)

Christmas Dinner

Next year will be different. At least, I won't have to fly home on Christmas Day because of work commitments the next day. And if we are on the boat, hopefully, it won't be laid up for repairs.

We arrived home in time to spend Christmas evening with our oldest daughter, although we ended up dining on pizza purchased at the gas station because everything was closed and we had no food at home that wasn't in the deep freeze.

While Christmas Day itself was not exactly the version of Christmas that many of us grew up with, it was blessed in its own way. We were especially blessed to be able to spend time with both of our girls who are growing up and moving away much too quickly. Too quickly for their own good, but that's a topic for another post. :-)

Happy New Year!

Labels: Family, Sailing, Travel

posted by Gwynne @ 2:42 PM 3 comments

Vacation Days #2 - 10, A Recap

Old Santa Rosa Chapel

Day 3 - Sunday

We started the morning with coffee and cinnamon rolls downtown. Then my husband drove up the coast to visit a good friend and I strolled through downtown Cambria before heading up the 160 stairs, through the woods, and back to Mom's house. Along the way, I finished my Christmas shopping with a giant lizard for Mom. But I didn't carry her home. I arranged for delivery. This thing must weigh at least 100 pounds:

"Jasmine Akhenaten"

I hung out at home with Mom enjoying tea and fruitcake. And a little mud cake. And Christmas cookies. When low tide arrived, we went beachcombing and drug home a handful of rocks and moonstones.

Day 4 - Monday

Coffee and cinnamon rolls downtown again. I will have gained approximately 10 pounds by the end of this journey. 10 pounds that I don't have room for, I might add. After breakfast, we drove to Morro Bay for a fishing license, fishing bait and salt water taffy (life's essentials). We played tourist at the Shell Shop (it's been in business longer than I've been alive and still looks exactly like it must have looked in 1955, more like a state fair shell collection than a gift shop) and then into San Luis Obispo for more fishing stuff, Trader Joe's (jalapeno tortilla chips, cinnamon almonds, fig basalmic vinegar and wasabi mayonaise...more essentials). We had hoped to enjoy lunch at Pete's Southside Cafe (only Pete's was closed which is a sad, sad thing because they make the best ceviche, fish tacos and enchiladas in all the land). Instead, we walked across the street to the Del Monte Cafe and had soup and grilled tuna melts which weren't so bad, but it was not Pete's. After lunch, we went back home to Cambria and back to the beach for more beachcombing...this is therapy for me. There is nothing so relaxing as walking along the beach, listening to the waves crash, smelling the ocean, and looking for those special little gems called moonstones. We also picked up plenty of other detritus which we will later have to find room for in our suitcases.

Day 5 - Tuesday

It rained all day today, which was much needed in this region of the country (the hills are brown) and we enjoyed sitting inside (at least I enjoyed sitting inside while my husband donned his rain gear and headed out for a solitary fishing adventure...he was nearly the only one on the beach, but he caught three fish and then, according to him, the seagulls stole the biggest one and fought over it in mid-air...there was nobody there to corroborate this story). Mom and I drank tea, ate cookies and chatted about all sorts of things. It was a nice day.

Day 6 - Wednesday

Back to beautiful and sunny weather, more beachcombing (this could become a serious addiction), then we drove up the coast and enjoyed lunch at Ragged Point:

We returned home in time for dinner out with the folks, then exchanged Christmas presents (we received a beautiful watercolor painting from Mom, of the San Simeon cove, where my husband spent his time fishing). After dinner and presents and a strong cup of coffee, we hit the road, picking up our youngest daughter in Salinas and driving to San Jose for our early morning flight out. We stayed at the lovely Motel 6 in technology land, just a few blocks from the airport and got through security in plenty of time for a Venti Gingerbread Latte and a few chapters of my book.

Day 7 - Thursday

After a smooth, easy flight from San Jose to Seattle, we enjoyed lunch and a little shopping at Pike Place Market, then drove out to see S/V Sophia. Her guts were laid out all over the salon as she endures what looks like brain surgery. We were supposed to sleep on the boat but due to these unforseeable circumstances, we decided to rent a hotel room. We were successful in winning a nice 4-star room on the waterfront for only $89/night via Priceline. No complaints. Except for the fact that the primary reason we came to Seattle was to spend Christmas on our boat with our daughter. Oh well.

Sophia's (aka Dancing Queen) innards

We decided to enjoy Seattle anyways, but I do miss spending the time with our family.

Day 8 - Friday

We drove around parts of Seattle and explored the banks of Lake Washington and then to Tacoma where we visited our temporary home away from home and the Glass Museum, home of the Chihuly Glass Bridge. This pedestrian bridge spans the freeway and lights up at night to showcase hundreds of works of glass produced by Chihuly's "factories." This bridge was awesome:

One of many ceiling panels

Our future home (the empty slip is ours; the Glass Museum is the silver cone across the water from the docks and next to that is Union Station)

After exploring more areas south and west of Seattle (Gig Harbor, Bremerton, Port Orchard), we boarded the ferry from Bremerton to Seattle and enjoyed the city lights from the boat. The rest of the evening was spent Christmas shopping in downtown Seattle. Boy, are teenagers ever expensive. My advice? Don't walk through Nordstrom's with a 17-year old girl. It is unpleasant for all involved. After pawing over a designer purse that she wanted for Christmas, the conversation went something like this:

me: "um, Did you happen to notice the price on that nice little carpet bag?" (seriously, it was larger than my carry on suitcase and uglier than anything I've seen in the purse department, but then, what do I know about expensive purses?)

her (loudly and only 2 feet from the nearest sales clerk): "How much is this? I WANT this purse! (think Violet, in the Chocolate Factory) Why don't they put price tags on these stupid purses?!"

sales clerk: "It's inside the zippered pocket" (pause)

her: "$3,700?! What the?! But I WANT this purse!"

Then, not being one who is easily embarrassed, she announced that "Nordstrom's SUCKS! I can't afford anything is this stupid store!" And then, we left. And Christmas shopping was pretty much over at that point.

Day 9 - Saturday

Rock climbing and shopping for sailing gear at REI. Here, she shows her other side, the side that doesn't need no stinkin' designer purses because she can climb three story buildings. So there.

The youngest daughter shows off

Dinner at a cheap hole-in-the-wall Thai restaurant, and THEN:

Jesus Christ Superstar! At the Paramount Theatre. It was fantastic!! I've not enough energy to do it justice, but this was an unplanned event in our journey and a very enjoyable experience. Having grown up listening to the music, that was the best part, but the lighting and stage show were brilliantly done, both literally and figuratively.

Day 10 - Sunday

Today was a relaxing, room service and watch movies/football in the room kind of day. And we toured Pike Place Market again. And the aquarium...just a few doors down from our hotel:

Seattle Aquarium

More Chihuly

"Giant" Pacific Octopus (approx. 1 foot in diameter)

Tonight, we sat on the floor in the bay window alcove of another Thai restaurant. Even though we rested on pillows, we had a terribly difficult time getting up when it was time to leave. The old knees do not like sitting on the floor with legs at awkward angles for long periods of time.

After dinner, we drove down to Ballard Locks to watch the "world's largest lighted flotilla of Christmas Ships" only to see a single boat, which was not decorated in Christmas lights. What the?! Ah well, this just confirmed what the youngest daughter already knew, which is that she does indeed have the most boring parents in the entire world. We're also the "biggest squares." There are other adjectives as well, but really, who can bear much more than being called a "square?"

I think that's enough. Tomorrow is Christmas Eve. Merry Christmas to all!

Labels: Sailing, Travel

posted by Gwynne @ 9:39 PM 6 comments

Now I've Done It

Today, I gave notice to my company that I would probably, most likely, be leaving sometime soon, like in the near future, but not right away, like if they need me to stick around and help transition clients and stuff, I can stay for awhile, but really, eventually, my husband and I are planning to relocate to the Pacific Northwest. Sometime. Soon.

That's about how my side of the conversation went anyway.

My boss, who was sitting on the other side of the lunch table from me, asked the waiter for a sharper knife.

And then he told me that if I had not read my employment agreement lately, he would be happy to get me a copy and he remembers distinctly a 3-year notification clause in it (which ties in nicely with the 3 remaining years that he is in charge of our "5-year Growth Plan.")

Well, it's a start anyway. Baby steps. You have no idea how difficult this has been (and will be) for me. Some people are addicted to alcohol or drugs. I am only just beginning to admit that I may in fact be addicted to work. But I also know that I am ready for a change. A big change. And a job at Starbucks sounds real good about now.

Update: Let the record show that it was my intention to give notice on October 16th, in a slightly more formal letter form. It has taken me 42 days to get to this point. 42. The answer to life and everything.

Labels: An Accountant's Life, Sailing

posted by Gwynne @ 5:53 PM 9 comments

Aye, Aye Captain!

I think we've found our man. The insurance company gave us a short list of training skippers they have already approved, and since we don't really know anyone in Seattle, this seemed like a good starting point. My husband called two of the four men yesterday and received his first call back this morning at 7:00 am (5:00 am in Seattle...that alone earned Bob bonus points). Bob and my husband immediately hit it off on the phone this morning, and here's a blurb about him that I found on the interwebs this evening, using my super-dooper detective skilz (emphasis mine...these key words seal the deal for me):

"As a former airline captain and US Power Squadron instructor, Bob is well versed in systems training and emergency management. He combines his wealth of knowledge and rich experience with a friendly, calm and patient approach - adding a touch of humor - to provide the most effective and enjoyable training experience available anywhere."

My husband confirmed that Bob has a sense of humor. He offered to pick us up in Kansas City on his private jet! I think we'll stick with Southwest Airlines though. I wouldn't know how to act if I weren't squeezed into a tight middle seat with my ration of peanuts.

MBH flies out on Tuesday morning to meet Bob and start sailing. The first trip is through Ballard Locks and into the repair yard on Lake Union, for a few necessary engine repairs. Yes, "few," she says optimistically. The next trip will hopefully be to her new permanent (at least temporarily) home in a marina somewhere and I will join in for that adventure.

Labels: Sailing

posted by Gwynne @ 11:40 PM 4 comments

Help Wanted - Licensed Captain

Hooray! We finally found a company to insure our boat. They only ask that we hand over our first born child (if they only knew) and hire a USCG certified Captain to sail onboard with us whenever we go, like, actually sailing. At least until the Captain thinks that we know enough not to be a danger to ourselves or others. We can sit on our boat in the marina all we want without having a licensed captain on board (but the marina won't rent to us unless the boat is insured...I am sure we can still do plenty of damage if left to our own devices...I wonder what happens when you leave the propane stove burners turned on overnight and then light a match).

So.

Now the race is on to find someone who is properly certified AND (bigger problem) compatible with the two of us. This means that every single time we go out for at least the first 24 hours of sailing (I'm only guessing...it may take as long as a year for us to finally "get it," the insurance agent said that for the really expensive boats, they usually require a year), we must take along Captain "Jack." So much for our solitary escape from the real world. At least for awhile. I do hope we are able to find a good match because I'm sure we will be spending a lot of quality time together, breaking bread, toasting with a glass of wine at sunset, Thanksgiving, Christmas and so forth. This could be interesting.

Anyone out there USCG licensed?? If so, We Want You!

Labels: Sailing

posted by Gwynne @ 7:26 PM 7 comments

The Month in Review, So Far

Wareham Theatre

Another notable sign...my husband and I re-painted this sign in downtown Kansas City (he painted the left; I painted the right...nice, huh? I'll refrain from posting the "before" picture which illustrated much more botanically correct greenery surrounding the lettering):

And to add a little levity to my month, I'm sure, my Dad surprised me with these photos in my email box this week, from an era that is not very well documented in photographs, for good reason. After I finished laughing, I was reminded that a) I have gained an awful lot of weight since I quit swimming 2+ hours a day; b) I have never had a clue what to do with my hair; c) it's no wonder I never went to Prom; d) much as I hate to admit it, I have aged a bit since then; and e) I really do miss those overalls.

Farrah Hair

Sweet 16 (seriously, I know)

That's all for now. Peace to you all and thanks to those of you who have continued stopping by even when there is nothing to share and thanks also to those of you who have expressed concern for my well being. I am here and generally, life is good, but there's a funk in the air. This too shall pass.

Labels: Family, Sailing

posted by Gwynne @ 12:22 AM 7 comments

One Step Closer to Water

The surveys have been completed and we are much wiser now in the nuances of purchasing a boat and in the long list of maintenance items required. All in all, the surveys (there were three of them...hull, engine and rigging) cost nearly $1,500 (not counting travel expenses), but saved us $20,000. The rigging survey showed that the stainless steel rods (The strouds that hold up the mast on either side of the boat) need to be replaced. It looks fine to the naked untrained eye, but to the trained eye that knows where to look for corrosion (in the places where the stainless steel is deprived of oxygen but exposed to heat and salt water), it is corroded and cracked, ready to snap without warning. Unlike steel cable rigging that wears down like rope and gives you plenty of warning, the snazzier and stiffer rod rigging looks fine until suddenly, it's not. And then your mast ends up in the water and your boat takes it in the shorts.

The engine survey also turned up some problems, most notably a bent prop shaft that is causing vibration in the engine...left untreated, the vibration causes metal fatigue in the brackets that keep the engine and the alternator from ending up in the boat's bilge (not a good place to be). But the engine itself is in good shape.

So we got an estimate of the cost of repairs and renegotiated the price down by $20,000. We really didn't expect the seller to budge off of the original pre-survey price. They had reduced their asking price significantly right before we came along and offered much less than that. We had already factored in some repairs to the original pre-survey price, so we feel good about the final price.

And now we have a signed contract! They say that the happiest days in a boat owner's life are the day they buy the boat and the day they sell it. My husband's birthday is this Wednesday. He plans to write the check that day so as to indelibly mark this as his happiest birthday so far.

Labels: Sailing

posted by Gwynne @ 4:10 PM 3 comments

Water On The Brain

From the inbox...

What I read:

What it really said:
"Rising mortgage rate solutions for AICPA Members"

Labels: Sailing

posted by Gwynne @ 3:27 PM 1 comments

What's In A Name?

Labels: Sailing

posted by Gwynne @ 12:28 AM 22 comments

The Weekend in Pictures

It floats! And sails!!

Our Future But Only Temporary Home (Tyee Marina in Tacoma)

The Neighbors (Exhibit A)

The Neighbors (Exhibit B)

Picnic on the Dock (prosciutto, smoked salmon, goat cheese, crackers, strawberries, grapes, figs, capers, and powdered donuts...a sensible dinner by all accounts)

Bokay To Go

Only in Seattle (One must wonder who is giving advice on what to whom)

We had a blast and all went well (after clearing security that is...twice...it is important to read the departure board and note the gate number before waiting in the wrong security line for half an hour...and do take note that the 1 Qt Ziploc bag is still in popular favor...in fact, even if you have nothing to put in it, it is wise to take with you a 1 Qt Ziploc bag just in case...I was told that my approximately 1 Qt clear pouch...the one that came with my carry-on suitcase post 9/11, designed to carry the usual liquid substances, was "confusing" and that in the future I should adhere to the Ziploc standard so as to avoid such confusion). On our return trip, the security line at Sea-Tac was easily a mile long (3 cruise ships had just come in, dumping all of their passengers at Sea-Tac), but it only took 25 minutes to get through...amazing!

This time, because we planned on visiting many places that are off the beaten path, and because we have had difficulties navigating Seattle in the past (I swear it's the bad signage, starting at the airport, but that's another post for another day), we decided to rent a GPS with our rental car. We arrived late at night and were told that we needed to exit the airport parking lot before turning it (the GPS, not the car) on. So we followed the signs to the freeway and had difficulty finding a safe place to pull over. Several miles later. I managed to pick the one exit that was not really an exit but an onramp to another freeway and before we knew it, we were nestled in a quiet little residential area somewhere northeast of Seattle. We plugged in the GPS and thus began our adventures with Mrs. Google, as MBH called her (he is not a computer user but he knows that Google knows all). Apparently, Mrs. Google is not set up to get you to the nearest freeways, avenues or thoroughfares, but is more inclined to the scenic, residential, and cul-de-sacs. And so we traveled. Clear across town by way of the narrow residential streets lined with parked cars on either side and miniature traffic circles. But we never got lost which is a credit to Mrs. Google, who spent most of her time "recalculating." I did, however, miss having a paper map to follow along. I love maps. I have volunteered for the position of navigator when the time comes to sail away...and I will have paper charts in addition to the GPS and other electronic gizmos. That time may be coming very soon...

We are now just 2 or 3 steps away from being real live boat owners...next step, engine inspection; then price re-negotiation if any big repairs are looming; and then, finally, we will...choke...sign a very large check. But the scariest part is what lies beyond that. I mean, I have no idea how to do even the very basic things like turn on the lights, or, um, use "the head." Let alone, how to empty it. After the sea trial, I am much more comfortable with the notion of sailing the vessel, but also much more concerned about getting it in and out of the slip without impaling the other boats with our anchor. That would be bad. Very bad.

Labels: Sailing, Travel

posted by Gwynne @ 10:29 PM 9 comments

I Am My Father's Daughter

Like father, like daughter...when faced with needing/wanting to learn a new skill or hobby, the first order of business is to get some books...these arrived today in the oh-so-familiar brown box from Amazon:



A familiar story is beginning to take shape. ;-)

Labels: Sailing

posted by Gwynne @ 10:38 PM 5 comments

It's Almost Reality

The Boat... ...is almost a reality! We have signed the counter-offer we received and are moving on to the next step, the downpayment! Somebody, please, stop us if you think (know?) we are NUTS! There can be no "I told you so's" unless you speak now. Let it be known that I do not have much (any) sailing experience (well, none that I would brag about anyway), but as I told my husband on the day we first met, "Yes, I like boats." Who among you asked your prospective mate this particular question on your first date? It was not for lack of conversational skilz that my husband asked if I liked boats. It's just that this was a very important question. In fact, this may have been his first question, but I think he first wanted to know my name. It's a little fuzzy now. Anyway, this has been his lifelong dream and he has worked very hard for this, squirreling away every nickel he could to make his dream come true so it is well-deserved. And if I can go along for the ride, well, all the better. :-)

Next steps...

Plan another trip to Seattle to have the boat surveyed (by someone that actually knows something about boats) and go for a sea trial (to make sure it actually works...floats, sails, etc.).

Then, find a place to temporarily moor it until we can find a permanent slip.

Then, use it (and take sailing lessons...aha, and you thought I was really nuts)!

And decorate it (heh, Hi, Honey!)...this is the woman's job. My first order of business will be to decide which one piece of art I will hang in the salon to make this boat "ours." And then decide which 10 personal items we will take along. I know the first two things on my list besides bedding (fluffy down comforters and pillows...mmm) are my computer and the Bose iPod docking station (between our two iPods, we will be blasting Dalmatian music across the marina...no, not that Dalmatian music). I'm not counting any of these things as "personal" items yet. ;-)

And if all goes well and we decide we really do like sailing, and can stand living in tight quarters together (I may find myself living on a small inflatable dinghy, but it comes with its own set of oars, so I'll be fine, really), then we begin the various stages of "living" on the boat. First, long weekends, then months, then years.

We won't sell our house and everything in it until we decide that this is really what we want to do.

That's the "plan" anyway, such as it is.

Labels: Sailing

posted by Gwynne @ 1:55 PM 18 comments

Seattle Post-Trip Report

First, let me just say that the seats on the 757s of United are much more cramped than the 737s of Southwest. I could not even open my computer on my lap once the person in front of me laid his head in my lap. I much prefer Southwest even if finding a seat is like a cattle call.

Our arrival in Seattle was greeted by the greatest traffic jam of all time. Apparently there had been a major fatality accident south of us that shut down all lanes of southbound traffic (along the route from the airport to Gig Harbor, our first destination). Traffic delays were roughly 3 hours and there was no realistic alternate route to Gig Harbor (short of turning around and heading north and waiting in line for a ferry...another 3-4 hour alternative). We did eventually get to the boat sales office before it closed and saw the boat that we flew all this way to see (the owner had just dropped the price significantly...we were interested in the boat at the higher price, so the drop necessitated quick action on our part, before others became more interested). We took the traffic jam to be our first sign that this boat was not meant to be ours. The boat itself was marginal...it had many nice attributes but the layout was cramped and it needed a lot of work.

Ultimately, we rescinded our offer on that boat and made an offer on another that was very different from the first. I think we finally tired of looking at what I like to call "classic" boats...boats that are beautiful on the outside but not always so nice on the inside, requiring lots of maintenance and upkeep. I like to call them the '57 Chevys of the boat world. While dropping off an application for the waiting list at a marina in Seattle where we hope to moor any boat we end up with, I stopped in a broker's office to inquire about a boat he had posted in his window. While that boat wasn't at his dock, he did offer to show me another that was that he "thought I might like." My husband was down at the market while I ran this little errand, but I went ahead and took a peek at the boat. While on the boat, my husband called to ask where I was..."um, I'm standing on a beautiful boat, wishing you were here." To which he responded, "come get me, I want to see it too!" So off I went to pick him up, telling the broker to keep the boat open for us to look at together. Although the boat was more modern than others we had been looking at, it had all the features we desire...a large cockpit (for enjoying picnics on the water with friends and family), an open layout, nice galley, lots of storage, simple rigging for easier sailing (preferably something that either one of us could handle on our own if we had to), and an overall comfortable feeling. I know we would enjoy living on and sailing this boat. We had never been on a Catalina boat before, so we went to our hotel that evening and did some research and found nothing but good owner reviews and other good reports on this American built boat (most of the boats we've looked at were built in Taiwan). We went back the next day and made an offer. The owner has already made a counter offer that is very generous. I pray that we make the right decision on this.

Boats aside, we had a great trip to Seattle. I absolutely love this area. In addition to the water and beautiful sailing opportunities, my favorite part of Seattle is this (I must have drooled over the beautiful and very cheap(!) flower "bokays" for hours, while nibbling on several pounds of cherries, blueberries, raspberries and figs):

Labels: Sailing, Travel

posted by Gwynne @ 9:05 PM 7 comments

Sleepless in Seattle

No, not this Sleepless in Seattle. We are just sleepless in Seattle, having arrived yesterday to view a boat that we were convinced was "our" boat (same layout as the boat we liked in San Diego but almost 1/2 the price after the owner recently decided to slash the price, and it's already located in Gig Harbor, a small quaint village on the southern end of the Puget Sound which is where we would like to anchor our eventual boat). Now, we're not so sure it's our boat.

I was all prepared to write up my list of travel essentials for a weekend trip since that seems to be my lot lately and I was beginning to fancy myself an expert of sorts (and also point out some differences between the packing techniques of men and women which are not what you might expect) when I realized that 1) I did not pack a comb or a brush (nor did my husband), and 2) I did not pack an umbrella or a raincoat for a trip to Seattle (hey, the forecast said sunny and/or partly cloudy all weekend).

So we're going out looking like shaggy sheepdogs and likely to get soakin' wet but determined to enjoy the rest of our trip today and tomorrow in the Seattle area, scouting out the regions' farmers markets and maybe looking at another boat or two. I'll keep you posted.

Labels: Sailing, Travel

posted by Gwynne @ 10:10 AM 5 comments

Near Death Experiences, Part 3 (By Lake)

This will be quick. This story is distinctly lacking in heroism and knights in shining armour and is not nearly as perilous as By Ocean, but what it lacks in heroism, it makes up for in stupidity. There is no need to set the stage here except to explain why there are suddenly flesh-eating carp in this story where there once were none. The fish come at the suggestion of my readers who are crying for more excitement, more blood and guts. Okay, fine.

This had all the makings of a disaster, except for flesh-eating fish:

Sailboat? Check. Inexperienced sailors? Check. Excess poundage? Check. Excess wind? Check. Sailboat manual? Check. Dirty lake? Check. Containers of food? Check.

And off we went. My dad was the captain. My dad is notorious for teaching himself new skills by buying "the" book. On this day, he decided to break in his new 17 foot catamaran by taking me and my brother, and his best friend, a good sized man, along with him. None of us had a lick o' sense, or sailing knowledge for that matter. More than once, we all found ourselves on the same side of the boat, causing it to list severely. Dad suggested I put on the harness so I could hang off the (opposite) side of the boat and do my part to help stabilize it. "Yes, Father," I said. A smart person would have jumped ship right then and there. Fun while it lasted, it didn't last long.

A swift gust of wind came along and poof! Swish, boom, bam! We were history. The bow, port side, took a sharp left and then a nose dive in the general direction of the bottom of the lake. But going under takes time. So Dad grabbed his sailing manual, because now is a good time to search the index for that critical piece of information he must have missed in all the preparations. What exactly did he look up, I wonder? S - sunk? C - capsized? D - doomed? I was still in the harness and got dumped in the water, wiring and all, still attached to the boat. A quick panic set in. The boat was going down and I was under it, experiencing the basic principles of entanglement. But just like Houdini, I wriggled free from all the lines and canvas just in time to pop out from under the boat, catch my breath, and help the others right the boat before the mast could fill with water, causing the whole kit and caboodle to disappear into the filthy lake forever.

We eventually righted the boat and paddled our way back to the dock, sails at half-mast, tails tucked between our legs.

The sailing manual sank to the bottom of the lake. Good riddance. Stupid manuals.

And the flesh-eating, bottom-dwelling, carnivorous, cantankerous carp devoured our lunch, and maybe Dad's wallet.

Next up, Part 4 (By Firing Squad)

Labels: Near-Death Experiences, Sailing

posted by Gwynne @ 1:10 AM 8 comments