oh $h!t

Harbormaster's pump out boat suffered mechanical difficulties and is out of commission for the season. How lovely. So nice for government to forbid overboard discharge (despite the sewage from land-based residences being the far more voluminous source of water pollution), and then make pumping out significantly more difficult long before any winter weather has set in. Love being in Eastport and walking distance to stuff; not liking being at a marina without a pump out cart. Bleh.

charging the batteries

Still need to re-charge my batteries, but at least now the boat's batteries are charging. Turns out the battery charger had been hooked up incorrectly, so while I felt it humming and getting warm the batteries continued to drain. Now the charger is correctly wired and the batteries are fully charged--an important development so I can run my 12V fridge!

Still many projects, some of which must be completed quickly for insurance purposes. Replacing various seacocks, and the expense of a haul out to do it, is the most financially daunting fix I currently face. Hoping to get the propane re-routed soon so I can actually use the stove and oven.  Finally found the coaxial cable for TV in the salon, but it is not at a location where I can fit my TV. Most of the projects are not too big in themselves, but when facing them all at once and trying to determine where to begin, the looming tasks become daunting. Was going to tackle washing the decks yesterday but my neighbor implored me to put it off so the spray wouldn't ruin the final stages of his varnish job, so inside I headed to battle mold and smells. Hoping by month-end I can have her cleaned up enough for a little boatwarming and renaming party.

mutiny!

Yesterday the pets seem to have attempted a mutiny. I took five minutes to go to the facilities ashore only to get a call from the local pub that pup dog had shown up there. She jumped right off the boat, strolled down the dock, and headed for a beer and fries at Davis' Pub. Trouble-puppy got a talking to! Not long after, Maximus twice hopped off the boat and ran down the dock toward the water (thankfully not ashore). He just wants to explore everything, but does not understand the dangers afoot in a marina or the outside world.

A pleasant surprise was setting up the makeshift sailbag moon bounce to get pup dog into the boat last night and having her run right down it on her own!

poco a poco

Little by little, I think we will get settled in.

The stairs into the cabin remain a serious challenge for the pup dog. Friends got her below last night. I managed to lift her and give her a push up the stairs this morning. When steak chunks were not enough to tempt her down the stairs tonight I created a makeshift moon bounce down the stairs with my sail bags and then lifted her onto the first step to get her going.

A week at the marina and already a few days ago I began planning to find a new location. I love being walking distance to so much, so I hope to find something else nearby. Although I want to be in a marina with some other liveaboards for help and a sense of community, I dislike being docked right next to the other liveaboards. Coming from a house with a yard and no abutting neighbors, I would prefer not to feel so much that I have to be quiet and tiptoe aboard coming home late. Fences make good neighbors, and a couple of non-liveaboard boats between the liveaboards likely would serve a similar purpose. My major qualm is not being allowed to let the dog piddle on the grass. In the cold, rain, and snow, (or just any time really), it is very inconvenient to have to walk an extra block to get the dog someplace to relieve herself. And when she's got to go, she's got to go. It's not easy to keep her from using the first patch of grass she finds. For me that really is a deal-breaker in a marina; if it weren't there's a spot full of rules and regulations where my dockage would be half what I'm paying.

The list of projects is long and I am trying not to get overwhelmed. Feeling a small sense of accomplishment that I pulled the icky carpet out this evening, bagged it up, and put it out with the trash. The wood interior will be incredibly beautiful with a bit of cleaning and care. Tomorrow I will tackle removing cushion covers and evaluating whether cushions can be saved (one had to go today). The initial cleaning battles are mold and smells. Definitely must flush the water tank several times as the water has a color reminiscent of Mountain Dew; yikes!

Still, she is mine and I know that with some love and elbow grease she will be a fine boat and a fine home.

under way

At the helm on our maiden voyage from Kent Island to Annapolis. Thomas Point Lighthouse in the background.

trying to settle in

The move was a nightmarish fire drill trying to evacuate the house before the new tenant's arrival. After a brutal all-nighter, when the painters arrived I had to relocate my remaining belongings to the back deck, trying to cover them from the rain with plastic. Now I can hardly find anything, and my belongings are scattered in boxes (some) and garbage bags (mostly) among the boat, my car, and my office. 

October 2 marked our first night aboard. Feels like camping right now... very limited power until my shore power outlets are fixed, no where in the boat to even sit down until I remove all the junk and trash and do some serious scrubbing. I think I need to get some Vicks to put under my nose like a medical examiner, don my industrial-strength rubber gloves, and just scour every surface without mercy.

The cats seem to like the boat. Hunter is pleased to just hang out and snooze in the V-berth all day, and has not attempted to wander top-sides. Maximus is an explorer and always wants to know about every nook and cranny in any new place. Once he had mapped out the interior he made a dash out the hatch and took a stroll to the bow and back down the starboard side deck. Not long after, he summarily leaped from the stern across several feet of water and docklines and strolled down to the end of the dock. Since they are lifelong inside-only cats, his antics made me extremely nervous. I am less worried about a cat overboard incident than Max taking off on shore and getting lost or hit by a car.

Buttercup had a lot of trepidation about the narrow finger dock and getting on and off the boat.  Now that she has befriended the other dock dogs, she seems to have mastered hopping on and off and when a hind leg slipped overboard last night just kept going unfazed. Entering the cabin is another story. Buttercup dislikes stairs generally, and the steep open steps into the cabin are clearly no exception. The first night aboard friends helped me and we basically forced her down them. I had to drape the steps with a towel to get her back up them the next morning. She has refused to go back down the stairs since and has spent the past two nights sleeping in the cockpit. Last night I left her dinner sitting in a bowl at the bottom of the stairs but her fear trumped her hunger.

maiden voyage

Completed the maiden voyage yesterday and the boat is now in her slip at our new marina. A friend generously gave up a long 12 hour day to help me bring her across the bay.

The journey began with a rather nerve-wracking bridge clearance; the drawbridge was raised and waiting for us, but as we came within a few feet of the fixed bridge it seemed we would not clear it and abruptly turned about. These are the times you want to know the height of your mast off the top of your head! In the end we cleared it with a few feet to spare.

The weather was beautiful for a day on the water and some John Brown's Body jamming in the background provided the perfect soundtrack. 

Should have finished moving out of the house yesterday but all the loose stuff and kitchen remain to be moved out. It will be a long, busy day but tonight will be our first night aboard.