When a superhero is making banana bread she should always wear her cape.
This is the top deck steering station. Seeing as we’re ripping out all the big old chartplotters, and the boat is 31 years old, there is plenty of wiring to rip out. I just like to clean things out so I know what I’m dealing with.
Beach houses. Lowe built his a little too small.
The boat came with lots of old paperwork, including original brochures. Our kids said, “Mama, a little boy used to live on our boat.”
Ali got pictures out, and in no time at all, this happened.
Old anchor and chain. Inside the chain locker I emptied out a bucket full of sand, and then vacuumed up the rest with a wet-dry vac, which of course blew dust throughout the entire house. It was hard to tell for sure, but I’m pretty sure Ali thought cleaning the house was worth it in order to not have any dirt in the chain locker. She didn’t specifically say that, but I can read body language pretty well.
We’ve seen this manatee around a couple of times. They are the most bizarre creatures.
Ouest pins Lowe with a surprise kiss.
Prepping for teak and varnish work. Love that these running lights are metal. I get so tired of plastic crap.
The transom is the centerpiece of the Grand Banks. Can’t wait to have this finished, and to finally have Ariel given a proper nautical name—Bumfuzzle.
Fortunately, no interior work.
25 Comments on “Superheroes, Dolls, and Fairies”
Glad you guys are back on a boat! Love following your adventures!
Thanks, Cookie. It’s a great family life spent together (a bit too crowded at times).
With you on the plastic crap. Seems to be way too much of it these days.
We are trying to do our share of keeping it down. Even the kids know we won’t buy it, so they use their own money, and immediately regret it, calling it “plastic crap” – yes teaching goes like this sometimes. I did have to laugh though as we received your bowls from Amazon this week, and they were PLASTIC – not crap though and very cool. Thanks again and keep on trucking you two!
This boat is going to look even better with you guys on board…
Thanks, Peter.
Boat fairies! Who knew? I’m loving every bit of this new adventure.
Thanks, Sherry. And yes fairies that visit when we are in marinas/towns and mermaids when out at sea. It really keeps Ouest’s imagination going.
Excellent stuff, Pat! I’m really enjoying following your new adventure.
We are so excited to read about your next adventure!
Disconnect that hinged plow from your chain and send it to Davy Jones locker. less than worthless.
Both the old chain and anchor are worthless. Trying to give them away is going to be a challenge. Got the new Mantus anchor up front now. Ordering chain soon.
Surely the price for scrap steel would give a return of some kind. Maybe not in USA.
hhhhmmmmm…..are you SURE about your ability to read body language? Rose colored glasses are awesome, wouldn’t you agree. Let me wipe the dust off of those for ya…ha.
Wonderful to see you’re back on the water and ready for the next adventure. After living on a sailboat in my teens in the northeast, I can relate to the excitement of the kids and new adventures. I would do it again, maybe in retirement! Because of living on a boat I picked up a trade that is now a business for me. I have hand carved and gold leafed many quarter boards and transom boards for GBs and if you’d like to get in touch with me, please feel free to do so.
Fair motoring!
The new trend is kitschy pictures with your boat name on the transom. Somehow I can’t see you doing that. Trying to think what your picture would be? A bum (butt) ringed in fuzz? LOL Love the interior shots of your boat. It looks like it’s in great shape; the wood looks so good. Trying to convince the hubby that a trawler should be in our future. It seems like he still has a need for speed. (Or as fast as a bridge boat can go. 24mph?) Just a few more years till retirement; hoping the wanderlust kicks in…..
No, no, no, no… https://www.google.com/search?q=bumfuzzle&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X
Ha Ha, Marie. Bumfuzzle will be hand painted (not by our kids, but that would be cute) on a newly varnished piece of teak and hung proudly on the back transom for all to see. We are trying to be a respectable cruising family this time around. It’s going to be hard. 🙂 Good luck with your hubby.
We snorkled with the manatees. They are so gentle. They will swim under you and roll over so you can rub their bellies.
“Inside the chain locker I emptied out a bucket full of sand, and then vacuumed up the rest with a wet-dry vac, which of course blew dust throughout the entire house”. Sounds like there may be a hole in the wet-dry vac filter or maybe someone simply forgot to re-install the filter after cleaning it (whoops?)
Great work on the boat.
Are you going to park it somewhere near a school so the kids can go to school easily? I’m assuming they are well and truly school age now or at least one of them is.
We are doing a mix of homeschooling, world-schooling, and unschooling for our kids ages 6 (kindergarten) and 7 (first grade). We will be heading to The Bahamas by the new year – every day will be a school day for them. They are excited!
Know that your children are having an invaluable experience. Of course they have been “homeschooled” since birth. Am curious to know if you are following a commercial homeschooling curriculum or just teaching reading, writing and ‘rithmatic on your own. ? I know that there are a lot of homeschooling packages out there because there are many families in our area that home school even though there is a pretty good public school system here. Have really enjoyed watching them grow up. They seem to be so creative and get along so well together.
I have enjoyed your blogs and books since the beginning, thank you, they brighten my day. I am particularly impressed with the way you care for your children. Just from the photos it is clear that they are two beautiful young people. I would go so far as to predict that Ouest will be successful in whatever field she chooses. Lowe is showing his father’s prowess in mechanical technique.
Hey there Pat and Ali (and Ouest & Lowe).
I have to admit that I’ve been reading your blog religiously since you were on the catamaran (somewhere in Europe is where I picked you up) and I’ve never actually reached out until now. You were an inspiration for me to get out of my job while my family was still young and now we’re bumming around on a catamaran of our own. Currently in Bonaire but looks to head to the Bahamas sometime around March…will you still be there? Wild love to bump into you and buy you a beer. I have a feeling that my 7 and 11 year olds would get along well with your kids too.
Pat, I’m inches away from pulling the trigger on a subscription to wanderer financial…is it really as easy as you make it sound in liVe on the margin and the promotional stuff from wanderer financial?
Thanks for inspiring and for living life by your own rules.
Darryl