Merry Christmas

I know we have been silent for a few weeks.  It has been one of the rainiest Decembers on record here.  So, a lot of time spent reading during the off work hours. 

We have been to the reef  twice and sailing twice.  Hope to do more cruising when we get back from our Christmas trip to see the grandkids. 

 Yasmine Ann lite up for the Christmas

 One of the boats in this year's boat parade.

Gulf view from our walk on the 7-mile bridge.

 

 

Weight Loss`

It is official.  We had two goals with our remodel.

1.  Comfortable and functional salon and galley.

2.  Shed weight, as all multihulls are faster the lighter they are.

You have seen the pictures and # 1 was definitely hit. 

Now after a few weeks of getting things put back to their proper locations, we have seen exactly what we hoped for.  The whole boat has lifted 1.5"-2" out of the water.  Good news is that it is down the whole length.  So, we shed weight without becoming bow or stern heavy.  When you consider everything we added, including a washer/dryer combo, we are very happy.

Based on the lift, and experience of hull lift with the battery replacement, we estimate somewhere between 800 - 1000 lbs. of weight taken out.  The immediate effects are .3 knots faster motoring speed.  I am sure this translates to sailing speed as well, but that is harder to track. 

 Notice the thru-hull.  This is the galley drain, located aft of mid-ships.  It used to be completely submerged.  You can see the old waterline down the whole hull and even where the bottom cleaners used to scrap of barnacles is now above the water.  Charles, a multihull enthusiast here, noticed we were sitting higher the moment we pulled in the harbor.     

  

Back to our amazing sunsets here in Boot Key!

Home

Winter home that is.  For those who don't know, we have made it down to Marathon.  Finally had some sailing with 3 great days of sailing from anchor up to anchor down.

Some oddities of this trip:

The gulf stream seemed to be within a 1/2 mile of shore going from West Palm Beach to Miami.  Thermal imaging confirmed it, although NOAA had it out 11 miles.  The water temps were in the ,mid 80's, so that is another indicator.  Marathon locals said the stream is moving slower than usual and spreading out this year. 

We are just 3 hours shy of the our winter season engine hours.  With the ocean rolling everyday, we  motored most of the way.  Since we got the last end mooring ball, in our favorite spot, it was worth getting here early.  We are just too picky!

 Found a stowaway yesterday.  He dropped down when I opened the rear lazarette and immediately went into this defensive position.  It kept lunging at me like a rattlesnake.  From what I could find out, it is a grey rat snake.  They have the same defensive characteristics as a rattle snake.  Either way, it was only about 20" long and swam away.  Not sure if it is from around here.  It may have been aboard since the flood in Myrtle beach.   

 

From our anchorage in Cocoa Beach.

New Video Link

Had to upload the video again. 


https://youtu.be/1ZvvKhlHNw4

We made it to West Palm Beach Today.  Wind still looks good for a sail to Miami tomorrow.

Code O reaching on the flat waters of Indian River. 

Long Awaited Remodel Photos

We are on the hook at Ft. Pierce today.  We spent 2 days in Vero Beach waiting for the wind to turn easterly.  It is still blowing on the nose today, but it is supposed to switch and we'll sail from here to Lake Worth tomorrow and then down to Miami the next day.  We had a our usual great sailing on the Indian River. 

While in St. Augustine, we hade our broker friend, from Catamaran Company, come out to the boat.  He was in awe and did an impromptu video to show around at the office.  Everyone liked it so much they want to do an article for Multi-Hull magazine.  We'll let you know if that happens.

The photos will show a before and after of each section. 

We also made our own YouTube video, with proper staging.  The link is:  https://youtu.be/1ZvvKhlHNw4


As of this posting, YouTube was still processing, but it should be up soon.

 OLD

 NEW - Eliminated a never used nav station and added storage with green acrylic doors.  There are also two large storage areas behind the couch.  We actually store our beach chairs there.

 OLD

 NEW - Custom couch designed to be lightweight for boats.  There is storage below the entire thing and we have tables that snap into the drink holders for working on computers and eating.  The tables store in the arms. 

 OLD

 NEW - Fully functional galley with the home sized 33' x22" sink.  Motion sense faucet for water savings. All storage in drawers on full length spring loaded slides.  No locks needed and no more kneeling down to find something in your cabinets.  Under the stove is a discrete 45 qt Engel freezer on the same type of drawer.

 OLD

 NEW - Countertops is a lightweight 1/4" thick granite and coarse composite made by Granite Transformations.  That was epoxied to our lightweight Coosa substrate.  All cabinets are gel-coated Nida Core.  Notice the separate oven and it vents outside.

 OLD

 NEW - Large, 6.3 cu. ft., two drawer refrigerator by Isotherm.

 Wanted to show you a lift feature we added.  This gave us access to space way behind the sink.  Lift is down.

     Lift is up.  We have power added for the coffee maker.  You can also stop it anywhere you want.  There is backlighting inside for when you want to display your party glasses.

Last, but not least, is the new floor.  Solid cherry 3/8" thick, tongue and groove planks.  epoxied down and varnished with 6 coats of Bristol Marine Urethane. 

First Sail of Winter Season

We went outside today from Cumberland Island to St. Augustine.  Reports were that the seas had calmed down.  Not too bad at the start, but they grew to 6' by the time we shot through the St. Augustine Inlet.  If the wind had stayed strong, we would of been fine under sail.  Wasn't the best first sail, but we feel the boat is definitely stiffer and more sound with the upgrades to the salon.  Everything held together perfectly with sailing speeds up to 8.5 knots.

We plan to spend a few days waiting for a front to go through and then it is off to Stuart to visit a friend before we continue down to Marathon. 

 This is where the term "stick in the mud" came from.  Jekyll Creek on the ICW in GA.  I wonder about his thru-hulls.

We had 5 picture perfect days for our trip on the ICW from Myrtle Beach, SC to Cumberland Island GA.

Doing the Ditch

Yup, it has been since Yumsuch that we have headed south on the ICW, but we are doing it this year.  There is a stubborn low sitting off the northern coast of FL and it is causing a large swell all the way up to Charleston.  One of those things where the marine forecast looks perfect, but the buoy data shows a different story.  Seas over 5' from Charleston down and up to 8' near Jacksonville.

We are currently right near the Savannah River.  Still in SC in the New River.  It is just 2 miles from the Georgia border. Weather has been perfect, so we can't complain about motoring the ditch.

 First night on the hook, in Awendaw Creek, deserves a celebratory Walking Dead beer.  We got caught up on season 6 later that night.

 

First sunset of the winter cruising season.

On the Move

Water has come down, at Osprey, about three feet since last week.  That makes us comfortable going under the bridges again.  We left this morning and are hoping to be in Charleston tomorrow.  There, we will wait for the right window to go outside and sail to FL.

Besides a few details, the remodel is done.  We spent last weekend finishing teak, waxing and provisioning.  So, we'll finish things up as we move along.  Everyday, the new look still surprises me.  Makes the months of work worth it. 

Pictures will follow soon.

    

Living on the ARK

We are just about done with our renovation and have moved back aboard for the winter season.  Our new couches have shipped this week, so once we receive, we can take final pictures.  we are both working on a final cabinet, teak and waxing for our trip south.

It has been a long haul getting the boat the way we want it.  Looking forward to cruising and spending time together again. 

You all have heard about about the historic rainfall and flooding in NC and SC.  To be honest, Myrtle Beach was spared the worst. But, we still had road closures, water half way up the tires at our resort and docks approaching the limit at Osprey.  No damage to any of our properties, so good news there. 

The water still hasn't peaked here at Osprey. Osprey is a designated hurricane hole, but the water is now higher than any hurricane has ever brought.  Full flood isn't expected until for up to a week.  No one is sure. 

This may delay our couch arrival, as parts of I95 are still closed in SC.  In terms of departure, we are shooting for the 17th.  But, debris and lowered bridge clearances may delay that a few more weeks.  Only time will tell.  One thing for sure, we don't plan on any overnight sails when there will be so much debris floating out there.  One Active Captain comment was about witnessing water exiting the inlet during a flood tide. 

 You can see the weld seam right above the black collar.  that was where they added height after the last hurricane that hit here.  That seam is usually above my head, so we are 5-6 ft above normal water levels.

 This is the cart path that leads to the transient dock along the canal.  It is now completely under water.  Even though it stopped raining 3 days ago, the water is still rising about 2 inches per day.

           This is the transient dock.  We spent all last summer in the same spot as this cat.  The ramp, that is going up right now, is usually going down at a pretty good angle.   

Update

Countertops are going in today.  My first day off since June.  Nice to watch someone else do the fabricating for once. 

We are hoping to still finish by the end of the month.  Mid-October is our fall back time, but things seem to be falling place right now. 

The hardwood flooring material gets delivered today, so I hope to be cutting floor tomorrow and get it dry fit by the end of the weekend.  Then it's my favorite part.  Nothing better than the smell of varnish in the morning.   

Pictures to follow soon.

Buried in Details

Hello all.  Wanted to let you know the project is still moving forward.  All of the cabinets are built.  We had to change suppliers of the drawers we wanted and for the countertops.  Looks like we have finally made decisions, so that helps us move forward at a faster pace now. 

Don't really want to spoil the surprise by posting progress pictures.  But, I will tell you the granite is from Granite Transformations and we will have some copper flakes in the finish.  Some may remember our copper countertops in Yumsuch.  The granite is only 1/4" thick and will be epoxied to the Coosa composite that we are using for the substrate.  Total weight will be about 130 lbs for the 40 sq. ft. of countertop. 

Making the boat comfortable, while saving weight, so we can sail fast. 

  Thinking of the good times at Burdine's listening to Cory and Ty.

Still Working

Don't want everyone to have to wait for the months it will take us to complete the renovation.  I also wanted to clear up some confusion.  The previous pictures were of before and after demo.  We are still creating the new interior.  The old interior, while beautiful, was uncomfortable for living aboard.  Too many curves in the seating.  A refrigerator door that would not fully open.  Reach in freezer that eliminated any usable countertop.  And, as usual, a sink that was too small.  Part of the new design will include a full size sink like you have at home. 

I have been working with 1/2" Nida Core with a fiberglass skin.  I chose that method because the skin is made with a polyester resin.  This allows for easy gel coating to match the interior white.  Gel coating is a lot more work than painting, but I like it's durability, lack of fading with age and easy repairs.  The Nida Core is also 1/3 the weight of plywood.   

Nida-Core material

 This is a front that came through right before our overnight from Cumberland Island to Charleston.  We were well past it, but when the wind started to build, we started to furl in the Code 0.  Then a 90 degree shift and winds to 30 knots make you happy that skin grows back.  The next one had a warning from the coast guard and that brought winds to 46 knots.  We were more prepared and were sailing with a reefed mainsail only.    Luckily, they blew through and we had a clear night with steady following winds. 

Open Concept

Pictures, of before and after demo, will show you what I mean.  I say bring a lawn chair and cooler.  Sure would save us a lot of time. 

Material is coming in next week, so rebuild will begin.

Back in Myrtle Beach

We arrived back in Myrtle Beach a week ago.  This after continuing to have some of the best sailing of our lives.  Even an overnight sail from Cumberland, GA  to Charleston, SC. 

Past posts have talked about the performance changes with the new props and sails.  Another advantage, of the new sails, has been the motion.  Our first year, I equated sailing a catamaran to riding an F-350 truck on a rough road. That is no longer the case.  I know speed has a lot to do with it.  The boat tends to push through the water better and does not wallow on top.  We noticed a substantial change the minute we raised the sails last fall.  I think it is the pressure created in stiff and properly shaped sails.  Either way, we can now do overnight sails without the exhaustion we used to get. 

Now that we have the boat performing at a level we are happy with.  It is time to create the perfect catamaran interior.  This summer, we are completely gutting  whole salon area between the two hulls.  That means, all new nav area, seating, cabinets, refrigeration, A/C, cooking appliances, countertops and flooring.  We'll post pictures of before and after. 

 Hungry Nurse shark at the charter boat dock.  We saw several large sharks on the way up past Georgia.  They were hanging out following the shrimp boats and eating any injured fish.

 Hungry Pelican's do not look as intimidating as the shark.

Dolphins swimming in our bow wave.

Had to move out of the channel to make room for a submarine and its escort vessels near Cumberland Island.

  Sunset on the Indian River near Cocoa Beach.

   

Great Sailing!

We are sitting in St. Augustine today.  Arrived on Tuesday and waiting for the next weather window.  Right now, that looks like Saturday or Sunday.  Need the sea to calm down after the low came up the coast.

We thought we were going to have to ride out another hurricane in Fernandina Beach again.  We felt secure there, during Sandy, and figured we would head there if Tropical Storm Anna continued to develop.  Right now, looks like if it does develop, it will be way offshore.  We'll keep an eye on it.

For 10 days, we moved nearly every day.  Successfully staying ahead of a low that finally caught and passed us.  It dumped a lot of rain in southern Florida, but we kept moving north and have been in brilliant sun everyday except yesterday.  Each day, we would get up and look at the forecast where we were, and further north, and decide that if the wind was right, push on.  Westerly winds, when sailing outside, gave us flat seas. We did have to tack from Lake Worth to St. Lucie.  Yes, we sailed into St. Lucie inlet.  Seventeen feet was the shallowest water we saw and we were only an hour past low tide.  I am sure it can get rough, but no worse than Fort Pierce or St. Augustine Inlets.  Well marked and easy to enter.  After that, we had two days of beam reach sailing with an East wind and flat water of the Indian River.  Some of the best sailing I can remember. 

 Dolphins abound in Boot Key Harbor.  They all show up as the boats start to leave.

 One of the many mega yachts in Fort Lauderdale.  I like the anchor door that closes to hide the ugly hook.

 This is the third time we almost ran over f'ing turtles.  You can tell by the look in her eye, she is not too happy we interrupted.

     Miami skyline from Marine Stadium anchorage.