Sunday, January 26, 2014

Ressurection



The last entry on our blog was in January 2012 – two years, almost to the date. Much has happened in those two years, and most of it isn’t related to Jo Beth or sailing. In fact, for the vast majority of that time, Jo Beth sat afloat in her slip; forlorn but not forgotten.  Patience pays, and now things are on the move once again, both for Jo Beth and for us.

Lisa was in Atlanta for those two years, dealing with her mother’s changes in health. I was in Savannah, working, and experiencing a boom in business. Now, Lisa’s mother has moved to St. Simons Island, GA and lives in a lovely senior community on the northeast end of the island, very close to Ft. Frederica National Monument. My business is still doing well, Lisa is now home and working with me handling administrative tasks, and Jo Beth is at Hinckley Yacht Services in Savannah, undergoing the beginnings of a much needed refit. 


 Jo Beth being prepared for hauling at Hinckley Yacht Services, Savannah, GA
 

Refits on yachts are complicated. If you’ve ever remodeled or rebuilt a house, you have some inkling of how it works; decisions on what goes where; choosing colors, patterns, and styles of fabrics and furnishings; and managing the budget and the project. Add to that, the complexities of a small sailing yacht: small, cramped spaces, exposure to salt water; dual power systems, (12vDC and 120vAC); mechanical systems; and you have the makings for endless hours spent in the boat and the boatyard offices with trades persons, poring over catalogs and equipment websites and sailing forums. But, I gotta confess that I’m having a good time.

Jo Beth is more than a weekender sailboat, or a vacation home. She’ll be our permanent (or at least, long term) home, our cocoon that will shelter and protect us from an environment in which, without her, we’d most certainly perish. We’ve rebuilt homes after hurricanes, and remodeled homes bought, lived in, and sold. However, none of those projects were done with the thought in mind that we’re dependent on the house for our very lives, that without it, our lives would be in very real danger. Refitting a yacht requires a different perspective.

So, perhaps you want to ask what exactly is involved in the refit of a yacht. It depends. Just as with a house, a refit can be minor or major, both in scale and cost. I’ll cut to the chase and say: Jo Beth is undergoing a major refit.

We’re updating her electrical and mechanical system controls, and installing an air conditioning and heating system, as well as replacing our ancient water cooled refrigeration/freezer system with a modern, air-cooled one. The auxiliary diesel engine fuel system is being updated with new lines and filtering systems. New fresh water lines will be installed and the water system pump replaced. We’ll be getting sails repaired and perhaps replaced, more efficient sail handling systems fitted, new rigging, and the mast, boom, and hull painted. Pumps will be replaced and rebuilt, the toilet will be replaced with a new one along with new plumbing, and the water storage and waste tanks are getting a thorough cleaning and will be capped with new lids and inspection ports. 


Jo Beth in the slings

New mooring cleats will be fitted on deck, and the sheet and halyard winches which control the sail handling lines will be rebuilt or otherwise serviced. The anchor windlass will be served and new railings and lifelines are to be fitted.  The exterior canvas coverings are all being replaced with a new color, and will be modified to better fit my and Lisa’s sailing style. New navigation lamps, low power consuming LED’s, will be fitted on the mast and the remaining exterior and interior lights will be updated with LED bulbs. The cabin overhead material is to be replaced.

And these are the major tasks.

The work is underway, but progressing slowly. The recent holidays followed by persistent and unusually cold weather have slowed our progress. We remain optimistic and hopeful, to begin moving aboard in early summer. 

Why are we doing this? Because it’s what we want and it’s who we are. Lisa and I met at a marina where I kept my first small sailboat. We started sailing together on that little boat, making short weekend trips along the Georgia and northern Florida coasts and were married 51 weeks later. To live aboard and sail on our own boat, capable of taking us wherever in the world we want to go, has been our one persistent dream. I’ve never thought of myself as a patient person, but I must be more than I’m aware. Jo Beth is not just any boat however; she’s the boat. We knew, from our early days together on boats, that a Pacific Seacraft was the boat we wanted. We’ve owned her for nearly 11 years now. Her time – and ours – has come.

I’ll be much better about keeping current with our news here. I suppose I’d be hard pressed to do worse! 

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I mentioned in the last blog entry I was moving this blog to WordPress. That may happen still; however, the Blogger interface seems somewhat better since Blogger became a part of Google. For now, we’ll stay put.