40 Days of Rain & Our "Ark"

This is Herrington Harbour North in Tracy's Landing
at noon! Note the dock lights are on because it is so dark!

We just spent four days (it seemed like 40) in Annapolis preparing for our departure to Portsmouth, VA, for the start of the ARC Caribbean 1500 Rally to Tortola. Unfortunately, the weather was a disaster - four solid days of rain. This did not make loading the provisions and equipment pleasant! It also rained most of the 10-hour drive back home as well as a good portion of the drive to Maryland. We felt like drowned rats all week-end. All of the shipping boxes were a soggy mess and our clothes were wet.



Sherry, Paul from WCC and Dennis at Annapolis Boat Show

And it was a mess for the Annapolis Sail Boat Show. Usually it is a perfect fall weekend for the show. As a result of the sloppy weather, we only spent four hours there, but we accomplished everything on our list. Maybe it was a blessing in disguise as we were not tempted to purchase more "stuff!" Trillium is filled to the gunwales and there are still items that need stowing.

We had a chance to meet the World ARC coordinator, Paul, and talk with him and Jeremy about the two rallies. We also reconnected with Mia and Andy who run the ARC Caribbean 1500 Rally.

Stowing everything become a real challenge.
In many cases, it is putting a square peg in a round hole
 that doesn't have any depth!

I am sure I have too many clothes on board! Since I really don't know what I will need, I am taking what I want. Worse case scenario is that I give it away or throw it away en route. The choice is get rid of it later, or get rid of it now as I clear out the house. As crunch-time comes closer, it is easier to let things go.

The packers came to the house today and the movers come on Thursday. I didn't realize how much artwork we have! The furniture is padded and wrapped and ready for the truck. So reality is setting in: the house is sold and we are on our way to somewhere. I am sure I should have gotten ride of more "stuff" in the house instead of packing it up. It is just such an overwhelming process. And just how do we collect so much?

Someone recently asked me if I was going to collect some thing at each stop or bring gifts to the grandchildren from each country. The answer is NO! I am not gathering more stuff for anyone! My dear mother did the gifting thing for years and that is partially why I have so much stuff. Furthermore, a lot of it is meaningless to the receiver because he or she wasn't there to connect with the experience.

This is the path we will follow with the
addition of going to New Zealand.

I have lovely things from all the places she visited as well as from all of our travels, so unless it is really special, it is not coming back with me. (Dennis will be happy to hear that!) The other problem with it is that it is hard to part wish certain items because Mom gave it to me. So Kids, I am not going to do that to you!

 

In 10 days we will be homeless and unemployed! For us, it is a good thing. Although it is a little scary, but we all come to the point of retirement. Except most stay put in their comfortable homes and play golf and have dinner with friends. My clubs are staying here and dinners will be with new friends and enjoying sunsets somewhere in the world.

Two Months and Counting Down!

Now we have two poles on the stern

Departure date for the Caribbean 1500 is less than two months away! For some that may seem like a long time, but for us, it is crunch time. Trillium just left Jabin's Yacht Center in Annapolis after getting the hydro and wind generators installed.

Dennis has been back and forth to the boat to discuss the project and I have been home packing up stuff!

Oh, there is that word again: STUFF! I now have piles for the cottage, piles for the boat, piles to go into storage and what is left over! The plan is to have an estate sale company come in and deal with what we don't want to save, store or take with us.

There is an offering on the house in process as I write. I am skeptical of announcing it as a SOLD event until the papers are signed and the money is in hand. That should happen on September 30th. Actually, we both felt rather sad and a little testy after we had committed to selling it. And we don't even have that issue of "but our children were raised here!" I think it is more a matter of: WOW! We are actually committed to it now. Reality does have a way of playing with your mind and emotions. And if it doesn't go through, we will rent it out until we return! However, the buyers have sold their house and are anxious to move in.


Grandparents' Day at Camp!

The hardest part will be leaving our six year old granddaughter here. We don't see the grandchildren in London, UK and San Francisco as often so that is not as difficult. But this little one enjoys being with us and is having a difficult time understanding why we are selling our house and leaving her. She reminds me regularly that we will miss her birthday party! In fact, we just had a party to celebrate my birthday and an early birthday celebration for Addison.

What she doesn't realize is how much I will miss: her hugs, sleepovers, trips to the cottage together, swimming, silly jokes and stories, seeing her art work, her recitals, and ... And Grand D will miss her snuggles!

Birthday dinner with her two favorite people!

We are heading to the boat again next week to start stowing provisions. Just how much toilet paper do we need for 4-5 people for a year!?! I have been told it will not be available in Muslim countries! Is that true???

The other challenge is my gluten and dairy free diet. I have stashed a lot of gluten-free pasta and almond and coconut milk cartons. I am still struggling with how much food to stow. I have pre-cooked, vacuum-packed meats and chicken and have it in the freezer. The last trip to the boat via Southwest will have at least one duffel full of frozen food. It better get there!

Storage on a boat is always a problem. Many boats have a lot of bilge space under the sole (cabin floor), but ours has huge water and fuel tanks there. Those are very important so I have to find other space. Then there is the battle between storage space for provisions and storage space for spare parts and necessary equipment! I think I am on the losing end of this one, too. I thought I could store more under our bunk, but they just took that space for batteries and electrical controls. I lost again! Maybe everyone will have to hug a bag of groceries while they sleep!!!

Test Kitchen (Galley) Exercise

As time is getting shorter, I am fretting more and more about the provisioning and the efficiency of our galley. With such limited space, I need to make sure everything has a purpose or function and, hopefully, find multiple functions for most items.

The biggest problem is storage space. It is not like home where I have more cabinets in addition to the full kitchen in my basement! Now I am confined to a 4'X5' space with four skinny drawers and two cabinets below the counter. The oven, sink and refrigerator take up all of the other under counter space.


I didn't believe that it would be done in 8 minutes
so I cooked it for 15! It was done! Very moist
and tasty and falling off the bones. Next time I
will follow the directions - maybe!

I have stacking pots with removable handles so that saves space. Once again I have removed items from the galley with the intent of replacing them with some things more useful and versatile. For several years I have been looking at pressure cookers. I have steered away from them based on bad memories and some steam burns from childhood experiences. I finally purchased one. Ironically, I ordered it online right after the Boston Marathon bombing. I wonder if I am now being "tracked?"

It has sat in the boat storage area since then. I finally got the courage to give it a try last night. I bravely went to the market and bought a whole fresh chicken. I watched the "how to" video and went to work. Amazingly, I had the best tasting chicken ever in just 15 minutes! Now I am ready to practice on other meats and entrees!

I bought a very nice Fagor Chef's model for its high quality stainless steel and minimal handle design. I know I could have gotten a less expensive one, but I only plan to buy one so I got the best one! I can highly recommend this one. The best thing is how little time it takes which translates into using less propane. It also functions as a steamer, stock pot and Dutch oven. Now I can eliminate my large stock pot. (You need big - actually deep - pots to keep liquids from sloshing on you under way.)

Why is this a concern? Imagine running out of propane in the middle of grilling your dinner. Now put yourself in the middle of the Pacific Ocean or on some remote island where you can't just run out and refill the tank. In fact, much of the world does not use liquid propane gas like we do in the USA. As I read in preparation for the circumnavigation, propane will be nearly impossible to get once we leave the Caribbean.

Now I have a new rule about making coffee. Listen up, Crew. We will be using the 220V European coffee pot and not the propane for stove top coffee!

Now It Is Getting Serious!

How do you move a 25 ton yacht?

S/V Trillium is back in the water! Hooray!

We launched her July 4th after being on land since May 31, 2012. It felt sooooo good be be back on the Chesapeake Bay - even though it was really hot, humid and no wind.

Our sailing friends Stuart and Sondra joined us to take the boat north to Bert Jabin's Yacht Yard for some serious additions: a 400D wind generator, Watt & Sea hydro generator (and all of the gizmos that make them communicate with our other systems), a back-up auto-pilot, a new stereo/CD/DVD/MP3 player for crew entertainment, and a panic alarm to hopefully ward off any uninvited guests!

Just pick her up and drive down the street to the launch ramp!

The Selden furlers have been sent to Sweden for service, the rigging is being thoroughly checked and repaired or replaced as necessary, and the water-maker has been refurbished. All systems and safety items are being checked. The sails are at Quantum Sail loft being checked and repaired.

The life raft, MOM-8  and EPIRB will have to be repacked just before we leave. And we have to update all of our emergency flares. It amazes me that they are $50 each and expire in 3 years. But I know it is important to have them work if one ever needs them. Let's hope we don't!

Here we are at Jabin's - ready to spend $$$!

I started provisioning non-perishable goods, as in 40 rolls of single-ply toilet paper! Just how do you calculate how much TP one needs for 2-3 years? It's not that we will never see TP in a store along the way, but rather everything I have read says to take your favorite paper and plastic things with you as it will not be the same when you find it in these other places. I also stowed paper towels, laundry detergent, shampoo and cream rinse, toothpaste, etc.

Now I am starting to think about provisioning food. That will take a lot of thought and planning. I asked Stuart, who has crewed with us in the past and will on board for the Caribbean 1500 leg to Tortola, BVI, what changes I should make to my meal plan. He said: NONE! Just more of your famous corn chowder! That makes it easy for the first part of the trip. After that, I will have to get creative with local foods.

Living in an Upside Down World!

Our 1897 Summer House needed some porch repair!

These days are overwhelming! There is so much to do and much of it hinges on some other action needing to be taken. It is more than living in limbo. In fact, that would be easy compared to this. We have guys working on the boat, guys working on the house and guys working on the cottage. That doesn't even include the work we are doing ourselves.


Dennis & Roger spent a lot of time looking
at things underneath the sole (floor)...

We just spent four days in Maryland working on things you can't even see! But are very important. Everything is being checked out, upgraded, cleaned, tested, etc. Some new energy generating equipment is being added as well as some safety and back-up systems.

We have spent three weekends at the cottage getting it ready for the season and people who will be arriving soon. It is such a great place in the summer. Wouldn't you enjoy sitting on an old fashion screened in porch with the breeze, a good book and a cold one! I hope we get a chance to do just that!

I guess I didn't really picture so much chaos for the whole spring and summer. Everywhere I turn someone has created another mess. There are more calls to make and and things to be scheduled, ordered or ... Maybe it is part of the Master's plan! The more chaotic it is, the easier it is for me to focus on what I really want to keep and from what I will just walk away and leave behind. It will be a helluva moving sale!

and in the engine room. Now everything below the
sole is checked out, cleaned and ready to go.

A move like this makes you realize how much we "needed" to have over the years: the fine china, crystal and sterling silver. How about all of those small appliances and gadgets that were the latest and greatest? Now what do you do with it all! I have given so much away and there is still too much stuff. And then there is all of the stuff the five kids left behind. Just how many George Foreman Grills did we own collectively?

And then Dennis & Jim started doing the same on deck:
rigging check, some modifications to be made, etc.

The challenge is what should go where. The best stuff will go into storage for use when we return. The better stuff will go to the cottage and boat to replace the old stuff there. Then the old stuff from the all three places will go in the sale or more pick ups from Viet Nam Vets, or Grace Centers of Hope, or St. Vincent de Paul, or ... I can't even remember who all has taken bags and boxes off our porch. And they must know there is more as I keep receiving emails and post cards telling me there will be in our neighborhood! I'll bet they are waiting for the better and best stuff!