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.
