Hauling the mast
Almost down - whew!
Now for sanding the mast
Mary Poppins holds the umbrella for Pete the painter in searing temperatures over 100deg F (+40deg C)
The icy cold bore water is a great way to cool off
Polishing
Our neighbour Don at work
The new rigging arrives
Putting my artistic skills to work painting the hull
Neighbours Don & Margaret enjoy "Happy Hour" on board Caribee
We took time out to go to a Fish Fry which included live music. This man is playing a Hurdy Gurdie.
Time to say good bye to our neighbour Caribee
Yahoo - we're heading back to the water
The big splash
Pete has a huge clean up on board
The dreaded chain plates finally come out
One of the local boats catches fire on the dock, the local firebrigade arrived to extinguish the flames in time to save the owners whisky supply.
Lavorne makes us a lovely breakfast of fresh fruit & German pancakes on board "Cats Meow"
Celebrating Pete's Birthday with Don, Margaret, Joanie, Lisa & Bob
We arrived back in Deltaville on 2nd July, hard to believe that was over 7 weeks ago. We renamed the old girl “Smeliander” cause she stunk of mothballs, amazingly enough they lasted the whole 12 months. But that was the least of our worries, the harsh weather conditions here, ie heavy snow falls, along with thunder & lightening storms, had dealt to her. Water had frozen in some of the cockpit drains & a hatch which caused several leaks so we had a bit of a mess to clean up, but luckily no real damage was done. Pete had winterized the boat by draining all the water tanks & putting anti-freeze in the motors, however he omitted to drain all the water pipes, consequently the water froze & blew holes in the copper pipes & brass fittings. Then we discovered a small hole in one of the water storage tanks, luckily we could still use the other tank. The first 4 days we used a disposable BBQ & the microwave for cooking until we could get an American gas bottle. It was a bit like camping out, but thankfully Pete got the fridge up & running fairly quickly. So the first week Pete basically spent his time getting things up & running so we could use some facilities on board, while I was sewing new covers for the mattresses.
Week 2 - Pulled the mast, stripped all the rigging etc off & began sanding & painting it. While they had an exceptionally cold winter with lots of snow, this summer has been exceptionally hot & humid - the sweat just drips off you, but we were on a mission to get the boat back in the water ASAP. The locals were telling us it was a heat wave & the hottest summer they could recall – no kidding!!! We were working 12 hour days, getting up at day break & painting as much as could before the sun got over onto the mast. Once the sun reached the mast temperatures were getting up over 40deg c, so I had to follow Pete around with an old sun umbrella to enable him to continue working without being fried. Pete had been trying to get our air con working however it needs 240volts & American power supply is only 110volts, so despite desperate attempts he didn’t have any luck. In the end we splashed out on a big fan costing $16 which was the best investment we’ve made. We mounted it over the hatch above our bunk so we could get some decent nights sleep – yahhooo.
Deltaville is similar to the rest of the Chesapeake with lots of tall trees around. With that comes lots of beautiful bird life of all different varieties, including Cardinals, Blue Birds, Osprey, Buzzards, Swallows, & Woodpeckers. Along with the bird life there’s plenty of giant dragonflies, fireflies, squirrels, deer & we’ve even seen a fruit bat. Thankfully we haven’t seen any snakes yet but they are here.
Week 3 - Continued polishing the topsides & working on the mast (replacing wiring etc). We also got some work done on the propeller shaft, so reinstalled the shaft & propeller which is a bit like doing a jigsaw, if you get it wrong the propeller won’t work & you could be in serious trouble…. The boat yard is beside a swampy area, so naturally it’s a great breeding ground for frogs, they serenade us at night. But along with the frogs there are the inevitable mosquitoes & my legs look like a war zone, even when I put repellant on they get me through my clothing!!!! After a lot of perseverance Pete finally managed to get the air con working which was heaven.
Week 4 – Put the top coat of paint on the mast, connected halyards & new rigging which arrived from Connecticut. Pete installed new bilge pumps & we started prepping the hull for the antifouling. The internet is a great thing, we’ve been able to order a number of things online, however one of the drawbacks is you can’t see what you’re getting until it arrives. Most of the products we ordered, such as the rigging turned out to be great, however every now & again you get a dud. We ordered 2 folding bikes which arrived, only to find that one went rusty overnight & the other arrived with a bent chain cog. The easy part was ordering them, but not so easy sending them back….. Pete has spent a great deal of time, & of course money, at the local hardware store. The staff there have been a big help & sourced some new anchor chain for us, unfortunately this was the wrong size for our anchor windlass. I spent hours on the internet searching for a new gypsy that would fit the new chain to no avail. So the only other option was to order new chain that would fit. Pete discovered our wind instruments weren’t working, possibly affected by lightening that struck a nearby boat last year, so this had to be sent away for repairs.
There are regular thunder storms coming through & we got a reprieve in the weather as the temperatures dropped down to 30degs for a few days - we started to feel human again.
Week 5- Finished antifouling the hull, got the mast put back up & tensioned the rigging, all went well.
There are only 2 other fulltime live aboards in this boat yard as the facilities are very basic with the only facilities being a showers, toilets, washing machine & clothes dryer. We were very fortuitous at having Don & Margaret as our neighbors. They live about 3 ½ hours drive away, but for the past 2 years have been spending a week or so at a time on board their motor sailor “Caribee” doing her up to go cruising. In between visits to Caribee they are busy going on cruises & flying in Don’s planes around the countryside visiting their children & grandchildren. Don calls this place “Hotel California” you can check out but you can’t leave….They have been wonderful company, Margaret & I go shopping & swap recipes, while Pete & Don have deep & meaningful discussions about boat mechanics & electronics etc. They have been very generous with lending us their car for which we are eternally grateful as the shops are so spread & too far to walk, so it’s been very handy for our many trips to the hardware store & supermarket, & also to go further afield to get our anchors galvanized. Don & Margaret also saved us from the extreme heat on a couple of occasions by taking us to some of the mega stores (Walmart, & Lowes etc) where we could regain our sanity in the air-conditioning.
Week 6 - When polishing the deck fittings we discovered some bulging & cracking in the main chain plates which we hadn’t noticed before. We re-attached the rigging to the toe rails & with a bit of blood, sweat & tears removed the chain plates. Our local engineer could not make them for us so Pete sent the measurements to a company in Dallas. We re-launched on Tuesday & had 3 days on the dock before heading out in the bay to anchor – yahhooooo. What a relief, it’s a lot cooler than the boat yard as there is generally a breeze blowing. We called Don to tell him we had paid our bill & were on anchor, he replied “This is Hotel California, you may have checked out, but you haven’t left yet”
Week 7- I polished the decks & Pete had a huge cleanup on board. He sorted out all his spare parts, paints, tools etc, right down to nuts & bolts, & stored them away in new containers. This is the first time in quite a while that he’s been able to do it as we are always busy going places. It’s made a huge difference & created a lot more space as he’s managed to throw a lot of old things out (no easy task for Pete the hoarder I can tell you).
We were hoping the new chain plates may arrive mid week so we could leave by Friday, so Margaret took me to Costco for a big food stock up in anticipation. The chain plate arrived on Friday, there should have been 2 plates but only one arrived & guess what? it was cut out wrong – back to square one!!!! As Don keeps reminding us “Welcome to Hotel California”
It hasn’t all been bad though. We’ve made some great new friends here & people can’t do enough for you. Thrya & Theresa whom we met here last year have offered to take us different places & had us round their house for dinner one night. We were having a BBQ, but Pete refused to go outside cause he wanted to make the most of the air-conditioning while we were there, so we ate indoors (well it was 108deg outside after all).
We met some Kiwi/Americans, Bob, Joanie & their daughter Lisa. They are originally from USA, but have been living in Kerikeri for the past 20 years & are now cruising on their yacht in the Chesapeake. They are flying home to NZ for 6 months in September so their yacht “Nemir” will be neighbours with “Caribee”. In the meantime they are in the marina next door & we get to enjoy their BBQ & swimming pool facilities on several occasions. We’ve made friends with some other locals, Don & Lavorne have a beautiful 78ft multi hull called “Cats Meow” & Mary & Tim have a yacht called “Destiny” both couples are in various stages of getting ready to start their cruising adventures so are very interested to hear about our experiences on our travels.
Week 8 – Took the old chain plates to a nearby engineering workshop to see if they can make them for us, today is Friday, they’ve just arrive back here & they fit perfectly – yeesss!!! Pete has been fixing alternators & the generator this week while I’ve been cleaning, polishing, making chutney & fruitcakes. This weekend we will re-tune the rigging & finish off work that needs to be done up the mast. Pete’s just making his final run to the local hardware store, not sure how they will survive once we leave – probably go out of business….
Last night we went out for dinner with some friends to celebrate Pete’s Birthday & we have a couple more farewell dinners this weekend as we plan to leave “Hotel California” on Monday – fingers crossed.
Week 5- Finished antifouling the hull, got the mast put back up & tensioned the rigging, all went well.
There are only 2 other fulltime live aboards in this boat yard as the facilities are very basic with the only facilities being a showers, toilets, washing machine & clothes dryer. We were very fortuitous at having Don & Margaret as our neighbors. They live about 3 ½ hours drive away, but for the past 2 years have been spending a week or so at a time on board their motor sailor “Caribee” doing her up to go cruising. In between visits to Caribee they are busy going on cruises & flying in Don’s planes around the countryside visiting their children & grandchildren. Don calls this place “Hotel California” you can check out but you can’t leave….They have been wonderful company, Margaret & I go shopping & swap recipes, while Pete & Don have deep & meaningful discussions about boat mechanics & electronics etc. They have been very generous with lending us their car for which we are eternally grateful as the shops are so spread & too far to walk, so it’s been very handy for our many trips to the hardware store & supermarket, & also to go further afield to get our anchors galvanized. Don & Margaret also saved us from the extreme heat on a couple of occasions by taking us to some of the mega stores (Walmart, & Lowes etc) where we could regain our sanity in the air-conditioning.
Week 6 - When polishing the deck fittings we discovered some bulging & cracking in the main chain plates which we hadn’t noticed before. We re-attached the rigging to the toe rails & with a bit of blood, sweat & tears removed the chain plates. Our local engineer could not make them for us so Pete sent the measurements to a company in Dallas. We re-launched on Tuesday & had 3 days on the dock before heading out in the bay to anchor – yahhooooo. What a relief, it’s a lot cooler than the boat yard as there is generally a breeze blowing. We called Don to tell him we had paid our bill & were on anchor, he replied “This is Hotel California, you may have checked out, but you haven’t left yet”
Week 7- I polished the decks & Pete had a huge cleanup on board. He sorted out all his spare parts, paints, tools etc, right down to nuts & bolts, & stored them away in new containers. This is the first time in quite a while that he’s been able to do it as we are always busy going places. It’s made a huge difference & created a lot more space as he’s managed to throw a lot of old things out (no easy task for Pete the hoarder I can tell you).
We were hoping the new chain plates may arrive mid week so we could leave by Friday, so Margaret took me to Costco for a big food stock up in anticipation. The chain plate arrived on Friday, there should have been 2 plates but only one arrived & guess what? it was cut out wrong – back to square one!!!! As Don keeps reminding us “Welcome to Hotel California”
It hasn’t all been bad though. We’ve made some great new friends here & people can’t do enough for you. Thrya & Theresa whom we met here last year have offered to take us different places & had us round their house for dinner one night. We were having a BBQ, but Pete refused to go outside cause he wanted to make the most of the air-conditioning while we were there, so we ate indoors (well it was 108deg outside after all).
We met some Kiwi/Americans, Bob, Joanie & their daughter Lisa. They are originally from USA, but have been living in Kerikeri for the past 20 years & are now cruising on their yacht in the Chesapeake. They are flying home to NZ for 6 months in September so their yacht “Nemir” will be neighbours with “Caribee”. In the meantime they are in the marina next door & we get to enjoy their BBQ & swimming pool facilities on several occasions. We’ve made friends with some other locals, Don & Lavorne have a beautiful 78ft multi hull called “Cats Meow” & Mary & Tim have a yacht called “Destiny” both couples are in various stages of getting ready to start their cruising adventures so are very interested to hear about our experiences on our travels.
Week 8 – Took the old chain plates to a nearby engineering workshop to see if they can make them for us, today is Friday, they’ve just arrive back here & they fit perfectly – yeesss!!! Pete has been fixing alternators & the generator this week while I’ve been cleaning, polishing, making chutney & fruitcakes. This weekend we will re-tune the rigging & finish off work that needs to be done up the mast. Pete’s just making his final run to the local hardware store, not sure how they will survive once we leave – probably go out of business….
Last night we went out for dinner with some friends to celebrate Pete’s Birthday & we have a couple more farewell dinners this weekend as we plan to leave “Hotel California” on Monday – fingers crossed.
Naturally we've done a lot of other work over the last 8 weeks other than the jobs I have mentioned & have been working non-stop seven days a week. So we're looking forward to leaving here & having a few days to catch pour breath. However it's hard to say goodbye to all the wonderful new freinds we've made, but hopefully we may catchup with some of them down in the Bahamas at the end of the year.
The weather is definitely getting cooler & more bearable as we come into fall. We hear it’s a lot colder up north where we are heading so we may have our winter woolies back out before too long.
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