Time has just been flying by! Here we are in December and it feels like summer was just yesterday. It could be since it’s been almost 80° this week or that we have been busy hanging out with friends, visiting family and, of course, boat projects.
This past summer, we were finally able to get our boat repowered with a shiny, new Beta Marine 25hp. Hindsight tells us that we should have gotten the new engine sooner because having a reliable engine and one that we can easily get parts for is a game changer. We also upgraded our changing system to allow for our engine to charge our battery bank since it wasn’t set up that way before. Though the process was quoted to be a 2 week install process, it ended up taking almost 2 months and loads more in labor costs. Justin still has text conversations with Judson at Mockingbird Marine as we are still working out the kinks.
Once we finally got clearance from Mockingbird Marine that everything was good-to-go, we registered for the Harvest Moon Regatta 2022. We enlisted our friends Marlee and Darby as crew and set off to Port Aransas once again. We had wonderful weather with just enough wind to keep the sails full and the right temperature when outside for watch and in the cabin when trying to rest. Though we didn’t place this year, we sure had lots of laughs and beautiful sunsets to make it all worthwhile.
As per usual, we had a more eventful trip back from Port Aransas with just Justin and I on board. We took the Intercoastal Waterway back to anchor the first night in Matagorda Bay then went offshore for the rest of the way to Galveston. We had wind coming from the wrong direction (on our bow/front of the boat) and choppy seas. With the uncomfortable sea state, we had a slower passage back which ended up putting us at the Galveston Jetties around sunrise. This was good timing since we clogged a couple fuel filters with dirty diesel and needed a tow back into the marina. The whole situation was a bummer but didn’t tarnish our spirits as we knew that was an easy fix and still deemed the overall trip a success.
The Harvest Moon Regatta was an excellent “shake down cruise” for us to find what works or needs fixing during passages. We always come back from Port Aransas with a new list of tasks for the to-do list. After being out in the big salty waves, we were following the little trails of salt crystals find the source of small leaks around the boat. We had some water spots on our bed in the V-Berth/front of the boat. I followed the salt trail and found that the seal around the forward hatch, just over our bed, had a small separation and that the sealant around the chainplate for our Cutter Stay was no longer working and put water on the foot of the bed. We also had to reseal our 8 leaky port lights/windows as the sealant around the screws has given up after all these years in the sun and salt water.
Then, while I only wanted to do some organizing under the galley sink, I found that one of our thru-hulls, at the water line, was leaking. We quickly scheduled to be hauled out of the water to remove and reseal everything.
Hoping that we found all of the leaks, for now, we were able to move on to other projects on the list. Justin got to go up the mast to replace our spreader boots to protect our Jib, the sail at the front of the boat, from rubbing. We also gave Lady, our dinghy, a new coat of antifouling bottom paint to try and keep barnacles and other stuff from growing on it while it’s in the water.
Currently, we’re still working on small projects in addition to getting rid of all the stuff we don’t use to make way for all the stuff that we’ll need to start our passage to Florida. It often feels like we’re playing tetris as we work to make everything fit into our tiny floating home. We’re also watching the weather to find a good window of opportunity to head out into the Gulf. With hurricane season finally over and with Nymeria as ready as she has ever been, Justin and I are gearing ourselves up for the multiple day trip around Louisiana into Florida. It will be hard leaving the safe haven of our familiar mechanics, marinas, restaurants and friendly faces but we’re excited and looking forward to the adventures ahead. Skål!
To move, to breathe, To fly, to float,
To gain all while you give,
To roam the roads of lands remote,
To travel is to live.
Hans Christian Andersen, The Fairy Tale of My Life: An Autobiography
