Winter Projects Completed!

Well we narrowly escaped a late season Nor'Easter yesterday and though it was QUITE a bumpy, rolly night aboard we were so thankful for NO SNOW! Winds topped out with 55+mph gusts in the middle of the night but our crew was safe and feeling quite secure. So much has changed in a year, we've all become a lot braver and more comfortable with the sounds and feelings of big winds. Not too complacent because aboard a boat, complacency leads to disasters but we were aware and alert, and secure. 

All that being said this NEVER ENDING winter is carrying on - we've come up with a new vocabulary to describe our exhaustion, frustration and outright hatred for winter. We are hoping the temps will finally get above 45 (they haven't since October) this weekend so we can start to prep for our move south. We're hoping to burst forth from the bubble next weekend and get to work on prepping the engine, rigging the sails, scrubbing the decks and on and on. We're hosting our own 'Fare the Well' party under the bubble this Saturday so we can say goodbye to our fabulous Portsmouth friends. We're planning a make-your-own painkiller bar, chowder in the crockpit & many great friends packed under the bubble. 

Last year's Bubble Party - we topped out at 20 people under the bubble! 

We've also been checking some things off our to-do/improvement lists. Winter is a great time to accomplish those projects in the cabin, our living space because the decks and rigging are inaccessible due to the bubble. We had a few major things we wanted done this year mostly involving bathrooms and plumbing. Tim admitted that he never realized just how much plumbing he'd be doing living on a boat. 

First up...Aft Bathroom Improvements.

The aft head is right off of our bedroom and it's the main spot we use. I'd wanted to improve it since we moved aboard, make it a bit more personal and 'spa-like'. This was the first "improvement" project that we've done that was simply aesthetic. Up till now we'd done a lot of maintenance, upgrades, updates and necessities, this bathroom project was our first beautification project. I was the project lead and I had a very specific inspiration in mind. So here's the before...

Blah - all white and BORING! 

YAY for improvements! 

First we installed a bead board headliner on the ceiling

This was a big change for Tim who's typically the project lead on things, this was my job, start to finish and my vision. In order to paint we had to do a lot of wall prep. The walls were originally plastic and used to wick off water since there was a handheld shower attached to the sink. We have built a full shower in the front head(see next story) so we disconnected the shower operation in the aft bathroom. There was sanding, two coats of primer and then finally the paint. I'm not the most thorough or patient painter, lucky for me Tim is. He was just short of a pushy superintendent making sure I did everything perfectly, blue taped impeccably, didn't have any 'holidays'. Needless to say, there were some tense words while I crammed into a bathroom with a wet paintbrush and there may have been a schmear or two on someone, including a furry someone's tail. 

My vision...Sun, sand & sea...

Found these great turquoise Ball jars & used plumbers' clamps to mount to the wall 

We removed the old sanitary treatment controls
and it left a big hole, so I got some color coordinated
shells & a perfectly sized basket to fill the hole

New towel ring & painted frame of my sunrise
from Byron Bay, Australia 

New faucet, so much better than 2 handles
less scalding of faces! 

Perfectly coordinated bath mat & the best addition
a TP holder! Hadn't had any TP holder before
so dry TP is quite awesome - it's the little things!

My turquoise accent wall with a sea fan and sea star as decoration, late afternoon sun streaming in

FRESH WATER PUMP UPGRADE 

Staying on the faucet/plumbing theme we were forced to replace and upgrade our fresh water pump. The system that takes the fresh water from the tanks and pressurizes it to come out of the faucets. It's quite clutch because without it we don't have any running water. The old pump was from 1983 - we were 3 years old when that thing was installed on Zephyr. The old pump was also incredibly loud, sounded like jack hammer and with Tim getting up every morning at 5:15AM a quieter pump was quite appreciated. 

This little pump holds a whole lot of power and necessity 

The tools & the plumber extraordinaire - another Saturday, another project!
Note the headlamp - key for any engine room projects! 

NEW KITCHEN FAUCET...

Another pet peeve since we moved aboard was our kitchen (galley) sink. It was another sink with 2 separate handles rather than one mixer. This led to water waste and often scalded hands from the hot water running before the pump turned on to pump cooler water. The mixer is key! One thing we learned...faucets AREN'T CHEAP! We couldn't believe how expensive these things are. Though the interactions with staff at Home Depot or Lowe's is always interesting when they ask where we live! We know new galley faucet isn't exactly important for sailing performance but it is something that makes living aboard so much better. 

Contorting  to screw nuts with multiple wrenches at the ready. 

The new sink faucet - the other pump to the right is a salt water flush system that we use when
cruising to save water while doing dishes and the other nozzle is our drinking water. OH -and HI TOBY!

And last plumping improvement...AN ONBOARD SHOWER! 

Since we've moved aboard we've packed up all our stuff into bags and trekked up the docks to the marina shower facilities. Though it hasn't been awful on those 2 degree mornings with slushy snow it's not the best. When we decided to build an on board shower we wanted to build something a bit more substantial than the typical boat shower which normally involves a hose with a small shower head coming out from the bathroom sink - so you shower over the toilet and soak the entire head. Though not terrible, for living aboard full-time we really thought we'd like to have something a bit more like a shower in a house. The more we can make living on the boat comfortable and soothing the less likely we'll grow frustrated and move onto terra firma and the shower was a serious part of that. 

The project started in October when we pulled out the forward bathroom's toilet, opening up more floor space for the shower stall and then the project doubled and then tripled in size. We ended up plumbing a full mixing valve with full shower controls. We had to buy a specially designed shower curtain tracking system and upgrade the sump pump (the drain that you push to function once you're done showering). We joke that this shower is approaching $1,000 in parts! But boy does it feel amazing to shower in your own home! To roll out of bed without having to put on boots, coats, hats, scarfs, to walk up to the shower is a thing of glory. Now, don't fool yourselves, it's not some luxurious spa like experience - it's still a "Navy Shower". Water on to wet yourself, water off, lather up, water on to rinse off, water off and you're done! Water conservation is still vital aboard the boat and only something that we have to get better at as we set off to go cruising. But you realize that you don't need a 45 minute shower to feel fresh and clean, 5 minutes is plenty. Just another awesome life lesson living aboard a boat teaches you - you CAN live with less - in this case, water. 

We still want to 'beautify' this space with some paint and teak accents 

The $75 shower curtain tracking system & "State of The Art" shower curtain

So now, the winter of cabin projects starts to come to an end the spring of sailing projects starts back up! There's NEVER an end to the work on a boat but we LOVE it that way! Constant challenge, continuous improvements and lots of satisfaction in our abilities. Next blog post - our Spring to-do list! Until then...it's time to celebrate! 

Tight Spaces and Things That Stink

  Can anyone guess what this post is about? A few weeks back, well before our move to the Wentworth Marina, the aft head (toilet) stopped working. This project never made any "to do list" mostly out of denial, I suppose. There was an odor that required the port hole being left open most of the winter and the door to the head remaining shut. I had read about everyone's head being a bit funky and honestly thought this was something to accept...and oh god...this is boat life. This is the part the "smiling ear to ear" cruisers do not tell you.

Note the wall mounted air freshener in an attempt to mitigate the "funk"

  

We have a Jabsco Electric head on board. Besides its large power consumption (leading to yet another project) it is quite nice. No hand pumping, push a button and waalaaa it is gone..in theory. Basically the way it works is sea water comes in and is pumped into the head, you do your business, hit the button, and everything disappears. Yay! Okay well, it leaves via a macerator (large grinder), is pumped again, and then travels through something called a "joker valve" (yup...a joker valve) then through a vented loop and into the holding tank. 

  

I spent a full weekend in this position and it's still not done

 When I started the project we could flush, but the toilet filled with too much water. A few message boards and boat friends later we deemed the joker valve the culprit. I picked up the Jabsco repair kit for my model from West Marine and replaced all kinds of parts: joker valve, impeller, wearing plates, and gaskets. After pulling the pump out of the bottom of the toilet I quickly realized like everything else these things need maintenance too. It was loaded with "stuff" and clearly was not running well. I got it all back together knowing I nailed this project. AHHHHH! Nope...toilet still fills with water and now it will not flush. 

  

  It is 4pm...John and Al are coming for boat drinks in 2 hours before Saturday night restaurant week dinner at Mambo! Jill made me some late lunch and with fuel in the tank, I went back to it.

 
  I rather hastily pulled the thing apart again, rebuilt it and installed it to the same result. At least I knew what I was doing this time around. I saw nothing wrong with what I did and put it back together expecting a different result with a sinking feeling in my stomach. I think "they" call that insanity! 

Oh my god, it's a vented loop!

  Day 2 - After an excellent dinner with friends, renewed energy and a clear head I set out to conquer this thing. After some basic troubleshooting I deemed I must have a clog in the discharge line. I split open the line and sure enough it was completely jammed with calcium deposits all the way through. I didn't waste anytime and began removing all kinds of panels, doors and hatches to gain access to the hoses. I ripped them all out and ran over to Jackson's Hardware (best, friendliest place ever) and picked up some new lengths.

This was the result of over tightening  a
plastic reducer  and home depot run
Sunday 8pm...it leaked (Jackson's was clearly
closed and had exactly the right part I
needed though on Monday)

This one of those pics I take to make sure I can
put it all back together again

After struggling a bit to get them hooked up working under the sink and behind walls, the toilet once again flushed way better than it had, albeit a few leaks...which are now fixed.  And it does not smell at all!!! However it still fills with way too much water...ahhhh. The problem still persists, but I know the fix. I need a loop on the water intake line from the ocean, as the toilet sits below the water line.
I wish it had been done right the first time. 

   

Sometimes you just have to love an old boat. It is projects like these that make it your own!

It's all worth it!!! First time out this year! Kristin, our neighbor took a few glory shots of us headed out! Check out Kristin's photography here!

Reason Why Wednesday: Why We Should Take The Shrink Wrap Off This Weekend

Surroundings like this can not be seen under the bubble

1. Cause it's April!

2. Cause Justin is coming up!

3. The leaky back hatch over our bed isn't going to get fixed until it's leaking again

4. We're hoping it will snow again...yeah right

5. You can see in; you just can't see out

6. The barbeque smokes out the bubble

7. Secure the halyards better...it's been a long clanky winter

8. Cockpit party!

9. Andrew called and said he wants to come help on the boat this weekend and the boat will need to be washed
9. The sails aren't on, but the engine works…and a day on the water beats most others
10. You may have read an earlier blog about our sail down from Portland when we first bought the boat.  The little problem with our mainsail track is not exactly remedied yet and the bubble is preventing work on this critical

    

    new this season!

    project
11. Cockpit speakers!!!



2 bridges down, 1 to go just upstream from the picture on top

12. And because gas tankers are taking out bridges around here

Spring Cleaning

For the past few weeks the crew of the Zephyr has been in super-duper Spring Cleaning mode. Unlike a house, where Spring Cleaning means shaking out the rugs and washing the curtains, Spring Cleaning on a boat means lots of bleach, bilge cleaner and engine maintenance. 

I know we've written about the lovely world of mold, mildew and condensation before and though we've learned A LOT about the intricacies of it and read a lot of ways to control it the bottom line is, it's a constant and continuous battle, especially aboard in the winter. It's life. So part of our spring cleaning has been scrubbing and cleaning every single hatch, locker and dark, dingy corner of the boat including the deep, dark world of the bilge. Wiping out the mildew and moisture that has accumulated over the winter before the warmer temps can cause it to fester and grow - I know, gross, this is life aboard. I even remarked to Tim, "I think this is the 'reality' of boat life that everyone talks about, it's not all rum drinks and Buffett songs." But, it also feels REALLY good to get elbow deep in the muck and grime, bleach it and know you're helping eradicate the "boat smell" that we've been living with for the past 6 months. 

"Jesus Juice" as it's referred to by Peggy -
the magical Boat & Bilge Cleaner. 

I call this 'boat yoga' - contorting myself so my arm can reach way under
the sink to scrub the inside of the hull

And we're learning a ton about what's where in the belly of the boat. Tracing wires and hoses and connections so we know which locker holds access to what and when it, be it the water system, the electric system or the waste system inevitably breaks, we know exactly where to go to fix it, this is priceless. We're even going to create a map of our lockers and systems for our "boat binder" documenting the entire running of the boat. I tell you this boat ownership is a constant lesson for us, we are ALWAYS learning something. 

Spring Cleaning doesn't have to be all work & no fun! 

Tim has been practicing in the art of diesel engine mechanics and impressing the heck out of the rest of the crew! He's methodically learned and executed how to change the oil, change both the primary and secondary fuel filters, bleed the fuel lines and change the transmission fluid. Mr. Perkins, our engine, started right up after a long winter's nap and is now purring like a kitten! Our 4 legged crew member doesn't exactly 'love' when the engine is grumbling but the human crew LOVES the sound of a well maintained and running engine. Our main sail is at the sail loft being patched from our harrowing maiden voyage when she sustained some damage. Next weekend we'll finally hatch from the bubble and start rigging our sails back on! We're moving back to the Wentworth Marina on April 20th for the summer so we're planning our first sail of the season now!  We both can't believe we actually made it through our first winter, it feels surreal that spring is actually here and we're prepping Zephyr for her first sailing season with us!

We've also made some nice additions with some great new throw pillows for our cockpit and main salon. THANKS MOM! We're envisioning some nice late afternoon naps up in the cockpit on these beauties  

Last month's awesome spring improvement project was the installation of a fantastic new stereo. We got a Fusion Marine Stereo MS-RA 200 with cockpit and main salon speakers. 

Life aboard with constant music surrounding us is AWESOME! We wake up & make coffee to the sweet sounds of Willie Nelson, we cook dinner to slick sounds of Old Crow Medicine Show, we hang out to the groovy sounds of the Lumineers and yes, we drink boat drinks to the island tunes of Jimmy Buffett. The cockpit speakers were a GREAT idea now that it's nicer weather we're definitely spending a lot more time out there - there's not a lot better than laying out in the cockpit in the warm weather sipping on a rum and coke listening to Jimmy Buffett's "Son of a Son of a Sailor". 

"Haul the sheet in as we ride on the wind

That our forefathers harnessed before us

Hear the bells ring as the tight rigging sings

Its a son of a gun of a chorus

Where it all ends I can't fathom my friends

If I knew I might toss out my anchor

So I cruise along always searchin for songs

Not a lawyer a thief or a banker"

We are feeling quite excited and very grateful that we followed our guts last September when we bought Zephyr and persevered through the challenge of purging all our worldly goods, rallied through Nor'Easters and blizzards, overcame sub-zero walks to the showers because now we are the ones who we were envious of our whole lives - we're the ones down on the docks in the springtime, we're the ones sitting on our deck for happy hour, we're boat owners and we can only imagine it's only going to get better from here! HELLO SUMMER! 

Something about Happy Hour after a hard day's work - it's just sweeter, Toby can concur. :)

So Spring is here and the crew of the Zephyr is feeling pretty darn great...this about sums it up for us these days. 

Who is Zephyr?

Tim and I have an affection for modes of transport that are older than us. 

OJ in the Cape Cod sunset 

OJ the orange VW bus was born on July 4th, 1975. We only know a small portion of her story that we learned when we bought her from the hippie in Maine. He bought her in California, drove her cross country, lived out of her in downtown Boston, drove her up to Rockland, Maine where he was a lobsterman.  The day he sold her  to us we bought him a Greyhound ticket south since he'd sold his home and was moving on to the next adventure. We love to think about all the adventures she's been on through her years. The families who camped in her in California in the 70's. The concerts she went to - did she get to see The Dead? The roads she traveled, the memories she made for people. We love building our memories upon the ones she already has. She shows her age sometimes, especially if we try and push her above 55 MPH. But we love her and we always 'pet' her dashboard when she gets us to our destination safely and without major incident. 

Zephyr's specs & history is contained in these binders

When we bought Zephyr we thought, "Well, she's younger than OJ!". Sure, it's only by 3 years and yes, it's still older than both of us but in the same way we love life moments in OJ, we felt we would love life moments in Zephyr. We know a lot more about Zephyr's past due to some very loving and meticulous past captains who kept copious notes and records. When we bought Zephyr we were gifted with 4 MASSIVE binders of maintenance notes, users manuals, ship's logs, past records, hand drawings of chain plates, detailed instructions of rigging - you name it, it's in there somewhere. 

A hand drawing of the refrigerator compressor

My favorite has been reading the past owners' cruising logs (green spiral book). Detailing where they sailed, who joined them, secret little general store where they ate breakfast, games they played aboard in the rain, swimming holes along the coast of Maine. It's both bittersweet and completely exciting knowing that we will get to do all that soon enough too! There's also great things to learn about Zephyr contained in those pages. What wind conditions she's her best at, what ground types her anchor holds the best in, anchorages she's the best suited for. We feel very grateful to have these records to learn from, it's like all her past captains knew that two young, new cruisers would one day have her and would desperately need these resources! Thanks to all who loved and owned Zephyr in the past! 

So here's what we know about Zephyr's life:

• Designed by V.S. Lazzara; Berthed August 1, 1978 in Tampa Bay, FL (for more details on the history of Lazzara and the Gulfstar Yacht Company check this out).
• First owner named her Testa Rosa and she sailed the waters of Florida Bay
• At some point she was sold and renamed Dulcinea and hailed from Cape Coral, FL somehow she made her up to New England to Warwick, Rhode Island
• April, 2000 - Capt. Jim & Judith Reed bought her 



This is the survey Capt. Reed had done on her in 2000 when he purchased her

• Capt. Reed & his wife renamed her to Summer Time she was moored in Hyannisport, Cape Cod and sailed her extensively all around the Cape, Islands, Narragansett Bay and even in the annual Figawai Race from Hyannis to Nantucket. 

The entry of our boat on the Gulfstar Owner's Website.

.

In July, 2008 Burleigh and Deb Loveitt bought her in Newburyport, sailed her north to South Portland, renamed her Zephyr and enjoyed many wonderful years cruising all along the Maine coast. 

A very Grateful crew!

And as you can read in past postings of this blog we found her in May of 2012 and purchased her in August of 2012. We are still deciding if we'll change her name or not, she's been very good to us as Zephyr and we know there are some serious things one must do in order to change a boat's name (think virgin & bow peeing). But the one name we keep coming back to is Grateful because that's the feeling we continuously find ourselves feeling. Grateful for the experience, grateful to the boat for being so stout and sound, grateful to past owners of our boat, grateful to the weather for not (YET) causing us any serious damage, grateful to Mother Ocean for her kindness thus far, grateful to our parents, family and friends for their support, grateful to our bodies and minds to be able to take on this huge life shift, grateful to be able to live in a society that allows us to follow our dreams...the thanks are endless. Oh, and we're also giant Grateful Dead fans! :)

So Zephyr's story continues with us and it's up to us to keep good records, logs and provide the fodder for many more stories. This is why buying something older is the best - your stories with that car, boat, house only serve to build upon the growing narrative of the story that was begun long ago by others. Boats especially have a soul to them and we're so grateful to share Zephyr's soul. 

Ol' Joe's got a Boston whaler
he bought in Key Biscayne
He swears since the day he's got her
she's been nothing but a pain
when the sun's at his back
and the winds in his face
it's just him and the wheel
he wouldn’t take a million for the
way it makes him feel

boats
vessels of freedom
harbors of heeling
boats

Newport is where John hung his hat
til he lost his wife Jo
now forty feet of sail and teak
is where Ol' John calls home
he watched his life pass before his eyes
in the middle of a hurricane
came out alive on the other side
that’s where "the other side" got its name

Boats
vessels of freedom
harbors of heeling
boats

twenty years of a landlocked job
was all that Tom could take
sitting at his desk
all alone and depressed
says this just cant be my fate
went home that night and told his wife
you can tell all of your friends
it's been real but it ain't been fun
gonna get us one of them

boats
vessels of freedom
harbors of heeling
boats

vessels of freedom
boats

-Kenny Chesney "Boats" off Lucky Old Sun

Deep Freeze and The Deal With The Heat

  By far one of the most common questions Jill and I get about life aboard is, "What's the deal with the heat?" This question comes from worried moms and dads, friends, boat neighbors, and even others who can not seem to mind their own business. It's okay though because we love telling just about anybody about our rag-tag-jury-rig of a heating system.

  Good news first because good news is better than bad news. We have air conditioning! This is very useful in this frozen wind swept river where waves crashed six feet high over the docks last week. I honestly wonder if we'll ever use it. It came with the boat and is part of a non-existent heat system that was supposedly part of the boat as well. The previous owner did mention he never used it. It is basically a heat pump manufactured by a now out of business, Eastern Marine Manufacturing. The heat is extracted out of the ocean water...I think. It's been a few months since I tried to fire that bad boy up and investigated any potential solutions. The bottom line is there no heat coil in the heat pump nor is it wired to the controls for heat. So bum deal there...but there is AC and we're able to run the fan on the system for air circulation. 

  

  With this great news...Jill and I started looking for alternate heat solutions throughout the fall. Apparently an Espar heater is like the Rolls Royce of heaters. Does anybody else have a Rolls Royce in their basement? Seriously? We got quotes starting at 8k and it just seemed liked a huge investment given our cruising plans (i.e. places where the bathing suits never come off and they put an umbrella in your drink)  They are nice and they are the best...but just not in our budget...not this year!

  

  We had an old Lasko electric heater from our old house. This got us through the fall pretty good on those cool nights, but knew it could not handle the deep freeze like we find ourselves here in January. Enter the world of balancing electric loads on the boat's 125v/30 amp shore power service. I could bore you all talking volts and amps...but here's the the quick version...volts is potential energy and amps is the energy being used. 

  

  I bought 3 West Marine electric furnaces  all 1500 watts. I still do not know what a watt is, but I was able to convert it to 12.5 amps. 

                 Okay folks...quick math...3 heaters x 12.5 amps = 37.5 amps

And we have 30 amps available to us...again good stuff here Jill and I are learning our first winter. After blowing a few breakers and talking to anyone who would talk to us, we got this all figured out. We can only run two heaters. We still needed to have power to run a the fridge, cell phone chargers, TV, computer, etc. Note, we actually have to unplug one heater to run the coffee pot in the morning...once cruising the coffee pot will most likely be deep sixed(sent overboard) in favor of something more efficient. 

  

  The heaters work well and surprisingly keep up with the demands of this harsh environment. We have one in the main salon/galley and one in the aft cabin. They switch between a heat and fan setting and have a heat selection dial for low-high settings. Do not let their size fool you, they crank some serious heat. 

  Finally, we picked up a propane "Mr. Heater Big Buddy". Besides the heat, the surly looking camper on the box is the best part. We use this to help the electric heaters catch up and for heat during my nightmare scenario of the power going out. This is pretty new, so I will keep you posted on how it works out. 

  

    We miss our fireplace at the old Dupe, but our boat is warm and cozy even as we head through our first deep freeze aboard.

  Does anybody know what the #1 most common question about living board is?

  

A Stormy end to 2012

I'm not sure what the old adage is for December, I know April showers bring May flowers and March comes in like a lion and out like a lamb but since we're in New England I'm going to venture to say no adage truly fits anyways. The adage for our first December aboard is December winds bring sleepless nights & nervous frights. The past 2 weeks brought lots of good cheer, holiday celebrations, family time and LOTS OF WIND, SNOW & COLD. Within a week we were slammed by two big storms. One wasn't even named and it was BAD! The other was a 'classic New England Nor'Easter'.

The first storm struck on Friday, Dec. 21st. The winds were directly out of the south/southeast which means the winds were funneling up the river and churning up the waters of the Piscataqua. The winds and waves caused our boat to "hobby horse":

Though when a boat does it it's not nearly as fun as a this 2-year old. It's more like the boat CRASHING back and forth and every time your heart ends up in your throat and you question the strength of those nylon dock lines. For whatever reason our boat got the brunt of the waves and wind. 

This video was taken earlier in the day on Friday and doesn't barely do it justice. For the first time since we've moved aboard both Tim and I felt a bit queasy and seasick. As you can tell from the video, Toby wasn't digging it either. We left the boat for a while (saying our prayers to the dockline gods), had lunch with old friends who were in town, did some food shopping and when we returned around 3pm things had progressed far worse than earlier. 

Our boat stern is marked by the smaller mast after the white wrapped boat

The waves were MUCH bigger and were crashing up over the docks, slamming on the stern of our boat. Tim and I were SOAKED from waves almost sweeping us off the dock as we ran down to check lines. It was too dangerous for Toby to go down on the docks and we had some laundry some do (and for full disclosure, we weren't too keen to go back aboard a hobby horsing, crashing boat) we took refuge at a friend's house who was away on vacation (Thanks Needles!). All ended up OK. The docklines held, the boat was ok and our neighbor Toralf clocked wind speed at 45 knots. It's still amazing to us how our 'neighborhood' can go from frightening, dark, unsafe one day to calm, beautiful and peaceful the next. 

Our boat is on the left with the 2 masts of lights

We enjoyed a wonderful night of wine & cheer with our boat neighbors the night after the storm. Amongst them they have over 35 years of liveaboard experience. They wanted to know how things were going for us on our first year living aboard and we all laughed at their first year experiences. Our neighbor Tim said, "you wouldn't believe the stupid stuff we did our first year - don't worry, you'll learn!" It was fantastic to share our stories with them, get roused for bailing in the storm, get advice, tips and laugh about it all. 

Christmas was spent with our families down in South Shore Massachusetts, it was lovely and very special as we don't know where the seas or life will find us next year. It was full of great, utilitarian, boat gifts, including a wrench set, head treatment and a grill for the stern pulpit (SWEET!). 

No sooner did we arrive back aboard then we were walloped by a Nor'Easter. Luckily the winds were coming from the Northeast (hence the name) and so the hobby horsing did not occur this time. But the winds were STRONG and the sound of the crashing halyards and the wooshing through the stays, the jerking of the boat off the docklines is just too unsettling to sleep. The three of us clocked a max of about 20 minutes of sleep that night. We were at the ready for any lines snapping or fixes that might need to be made. This we're told is pretty typical for boat life so we are anticipating many more sleepless nights. 

We were proud of ourselves for riding out our first Nor'Easter and allowing the fear to come in and deal with it. We awoke that next morning tired but victorious in our own resolve to continually gain more comfort with our boat, with our dock lines (till one snaps) and our own capability to handle whatever might come our way. 

This week is the first bitterly cold period we've faced. Last night it was down to 9 degrees. We were still warm and toasty aboard Zephyr thanks to our little heaters and a new electric blanket. 

As we welcome 2013 we are so grateful for this opportunity to live a less ordinary life, we're thankful for brains that are like sponges constantly open to new things and learning new ways of living, we are proud of what we've learned so far, we are excited about the future of this dream and...yes, we are dreaming of tiki drinks, beaches and warm summer breezes filling our sails! :)