Sailboat

Is A Cockpit Enclosure Worth The Investment?

~ Kristina Stanley ~ 7 Comments

If you are planning on spending long periods of time on your sailboat, I recommend the investment in a cockpit enclosure.

Maybe it’s fun to sail in spray on an afternoon adventure, but when you have no home to go to after the sail, you might want to consider staying dry.

Matt is sailing Allura, our Niagara 42, the first year we owned her. Doesn’t he look like he’s having fun? Rain is pouring on him, around him and dripping down is back. I’m in the main salon taking the photo (and I’m dry of course).

Sailing in the rain 2009-01-12

We lasted one season and as soon as we hit Florida, we had an enclosure made.

Mattina, our Lagoon 380,  came without an enclosure. Sometimes we are smart and learn from our experiences – not always – but when we, are I like to point it out.

Before we left the coast of the US heading for the Bahamas, we had a full enclosure made.

Now we always sail dry.

Thanks for reading . . .

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Farley’s Friday: Where Are My Puppy Friends

~ Kristina Stanley ~ 2 Comments

Farley here.

I have lots of friends, but sometimes they disappear. Where do they go? Do they live on sailboats too?

Take Piper for example. I met her the same day I met my owners. She has different owners and she has an attitude.

Farley and Piper

Piper is a border terrier, and she’s cute, but really, look at her whispering in my ear. She told me her owners were nicer than mine. Ha! I don’t think so. We’d only been with them for five hours, so how could she know?

I’ve travelled across Canada, the United States and the Bahamas. I don’t think she’s done that.

I’m with my owners most of the time. I get walked at least twice a day and sometime more. I get real meat added to my dog food.

I may have to live on the sailboat, but she has to live in a backyard. So I ask you, aren’t my owners nicer?

I spent 5 weeks with Piper this summer, and we went camping together, with both our owners, so I have to admit hers are pretty nice too.  Piper still has an attitude, but she quickly learned Kristina spoils all dogs and settled right in with us.

Woof Woof.

 

Afraid of Heights: Try Repairs on a Sailboat Mast

~ Kristina Stanley ~ 2 Comments

Every sailboat needs repairs or maintenance sometime. A small event like sail tape coming loose on a spreader means a trip up the mast.

Mast

When sailing the in Bahamas, there are enough calm days to ascend the mast in safety. This weather came right before a cold front.

Safety being the key. The work has to be done, but it doesn’t have to be dangerous. A good harness and bosuns chair, two halyards, two people manning the halyards, tools tied to the belt, and up you go.

Thanks for reading . . .

 

 

Alarms Needed: Writing Takes Over Life

~ Kristina Stanley ~ 8 Comments

I don’t know if this happens to others, but when I’m writing my entire brain focuses on what I’m doing, and it tunes out ‘real life.’

This can be a problem while writing and living on a sailboat.

It’s shocking, I know, but sometimes I have responsibilities on the sailboat. My husband, Matt, could be off windsurfing, playing volleyball, or spear fishing, and I’m on the boat writing.

I might need to turn off the water maker when the tanks are full, turn of the generator when the batteries are charged, or re-angle the solar panels when the sun moves – which it has a tendency to do during the day.

Matt learned that when I’m writing, there is a slight chance I could forget my duties. And yes, he learned from experience. His solution: he sets an alarm.

Now you’d thing that would be enough, but it’s not. He leaves me a note for what the alarm means.

I’ve learned to read the note as soon as the alarm goes off and attend to the task right away. If I sit back and start writing without doing what I was supposed to do, there’s a good chance I forget.

Sometimes the boat needs take precedence over writing, but I still love to write while I’m on my catamaran.

Thanks for reading . . .