Monday, February 25, 2013

Work Hard! Play Hard!

Our life these days consists of doing a ton of boat projects in preparation for the puddle jump!

We're inspecting everything on the boat, from sails and rigging to life jackets and radios. We want Starship in tip top shape!

The jib has gone in for some repairs 
Auto-inflating life jackets passed the test

I started estimating the provisions we'll need and realized that we really need more space. We're trying to cram 3 months worth of food into Starship (1 month for the crossing, 1 month for the Marquesas islands and 1 month for the Tuamotus islands). Provisions in these islands are supposedly scarce and expensive. Chris has turned into a storage finding machine and a shelving pro. He's constantly going around the boat knocking on fiberglass to see if there's empty space that can be utilized. Look at what he's found and created!



What I'm most excited about is the shelves he made for canned goods.


Can you believe that all this stuff...
...fit into this space? Time to go shopping for more cans!


Chris' "handyman" skills and willingness to tackle any project continually impress me!


I've been working on weather forecasting via our SSB radio, provisioning, bilge clean-up and some other random projects like...

...splicing lines and drilling backing plates for our new preventer system


...rebuilding our salt water hand pump (now it doesn't leak....YAY!)


Because we are in "project mode", the boat is often a total diaster zone!


There comes a point when you just need to leave the chaos and do something different or you might go crazy! Recognize the "about to go crazy" look? It must have something to do with jobs that require wearing the face mask.


Our escape has been surfing! We're both totally hooked and loving it. There are a few excellent beginner surf breaks within swimming/dinghying distance from our anchorage. Lately, it seems like every time I go out, I think "Wow! That was the most fun I've ever had surfing." I keep catching more waves and feeling steadier on the board once I'm up. I'm happy to be in this part of the learning curve. The very beginning was definitely more exhausting and nerve-racking.

His and Hers

With all our satisfying boat project work and surfing breaks, life is very good :)


Location:
Punta de Mita
Latitude:
20.7665333
Longitude:
-105.5172

3 comments:

  1. What is a preventer system? The tin storage space behind the sitting area is incredible. Where did Chris find the mold for this? I am in awe of what you all have accomplished. So thankful that you take all the safety aspects so seriously. I was always wondering about these water activated life vests. Must be a time consuming test and want to hear more about it. This is a fantastic post. THANKS mom

    ReplyDelete
  2. Love this post! When I think of your life on Starship, that's exactly what I think of. A lot of fun but a lot of work :) And I love the picture of you and the drill. Reminds me of robotics at HC!

    Love Kath

    ReplyDelete
  3. You guys are good!! We have been stuck just doing pre-passag boat jobs, ugh, (with a whirlwind trip to San Diego for me in the middle) - we need to have fun too, thanks for the reminder! Luckily our friend Dana is arriving today - she's good at work and play - we'll get it right this week. I'm sure of it. :)

    ReplyDelete

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.