Splash Day

Finally! After all the blood, sweat, and tears (of laughter and frustration)... it was time to get her wet.
We were totally prepared to have to haul Airabess back out immediately. I mean nothing, so far, had gone the right way the first time.  So with fingers crossed and expectations low we ordered the lift to come and drop her in.

Just slightly intimidating.  Not to mention the fact that the wind picked up and our little dream was just swinging back and forth on the lift.

 

So.  We did it.  And she didn't have to come back out.  Super stressful, but so exciting.  Finally Airabess was wet, and she didn't sink.  All of that hard work really did work.  Such an amazing feeling!

 

Hubs and Coco enjoying our first sunset on the water.

Time to start enjoying the simple things.

Tired of waiting

“If we wait for the moment when everything, absolutely everything is ready, we shall never begin.”

—	Ivan Turgenev So, we are changing plans… a bit.  Not trying to get EVERYTHING done on the boat.  Just trying to get it in the water again.  Then, while we ARE on the water… we can work on finishing, while we are living :) Much better.

Fingers Crossed

      
Well, we set a date to at least get her wet.  Fingers crossed we will motor over to a marina end of this month or early next.  SO MUCH to be done to make that happen. 
We have been knocking out some major stuff though.  Or maybe it feels major because it is such tangible- visible progress.
The bottom is painted.  Deck boards are down.  Propane housing reinstalled.  Electronics box installed.  Steering complete.  Lockers painted and sails and anchors put back on boat.
Just walking out to the garage and seeing things moved out feels good. 
Yesterday the hubs didn’t have the best day on the boat, but not all days are good.  It is getting hot here again, hence the race to get in the water.


That was last year (April 2012).  Crazy.  So much can happen.  So much did happen. 

Mast Drama

It's really awesome doing boat work when your back is busted.  But slave away I did.  Because I wanted to, but also because I really needed to.  Stuff needed to get done.  The only way that was going to happen is if we did it... so commence to the never-ending bending and lifting that is rebuilding a boat. 
We sanded and painted, painted and sanded and got Airabess all nice and shiny... at least on the hulls.  The topside is coming, or so I'm told.

Honestly, it was really hard, but kind of empowering.  I did stuff and used tools that I never thought I wanted to.  Team work at it's finest.  Hubs was mostly patient with me and it felt good to help.

Then it was time to raise the mast.  I had every intention of just staying out of the way.  I really had hurt my back.  So, I was just there for moral support....

But... then it kind of got a little crazy, and he needed help.  Thanks again adrenaline for kicking in.

And this is what I walked into...

I know you're jealous.  This boat owning thing is awesome. 
Then, for icing on the cake.  I got to run back down the rusty ladder and grab the furling and hold it for, oh, almost forever.  Hubs ran around securing the rigging all the while telling me to hold tight, as I was what was holding the mast up.  I'm still not sure if this is true... I know so much about sailing and all, needless to say  I did exactly what he said.  I am pretty dexterous though and managed to take some pics with my phone.  And, yes, Hubs was all, "Put the the phone away."  That was until later when he was grateful I documented our idiocy.

And, holy shit!  We did it.  We really did it.  It was totally stressful and painful and trying.  But we did it~ in less than an hour.  Because, well, then we would have had to fork over another $300.  I mean it- teamwork at its finest.  

I could also tell you all about the jackass crane operator. But, it doesn't matter.  Because the mast was up and that's all that mattered. 

I will never forget the relief and satisfaction we both felt when it was done.  We had worked really hard, but it was really our first test of ability... and I think we passed.  Long time cruisers might not think so ... I really don't care.  Hubs and I did it.  Together.  And that is what this whole thing is about.  Us, together, making shit happen.

By the way....

It was bothering Hubs that I wasn't posting our timeline in the correct order.  So, here's the disclaimer:

It's not all in the right order.  I'm trying, but it's still our story, in my words and pictures.


That is all.

There, I did it.

I was so excited to have my own project on Airabess.  So excited... and then I threw my back out, like slipped disc threw it out.
But damn it, I WAS going to do something on that boat if it killed me.  So, I put a heating pad on (still hot, still Summer), took something for the pain, and headed down there. 

I laid out my tarps and did another wipe down with acetone (the rest of the prep work was already done).  I got out the paint and mixed it up according to the instructions.  I set up my work station and got to work.  The port side went great.  It was early still so even though I was in the sun it wasn't THAT hot~ YET.  As I was working  I kept stirring the paint... per the instructions, but it started getting gloopy and sticky and it was hard to work with.  But.. I finished the outside of the hull and was making my way down the inside.... and bam face to face with a freaking black widow. AGAIN.  Seriously. 

I thought we had taken care of those stupid things.  Apparently not.  I must have missed it when I did my last wipe down, what with all of my enthusiasm to get started (you may insert eye roll here). 

I really didn't want to call Hubs.  I really wanted to do it myself.  So I took the drill to it and it felt so good. 

I tried finishing up the bottom, but found 2 more freaking spiders and the paint had turned to cement. And my meds wore off.  So, I broke down and called him. 
Ugh!  Why, oh why could it not have gone the way it was supposed to:

 

Hubs: Wow, love, you did a fantastic job.  It looks awesome!

Me:  Aw, thanks babe.  It was no big deal.  Piece of cake.  What's next?

Instead it was more like this...

Hubs: Uh, what happened?  What did you do to the paint.  You drilled the spider?!  While it was still on the keel?  What were you thinking?

Me: sniff, sniff... I hate this boat.  I am DONE!

 

Okay, so it wasn't that bad.  Especially now in hind sight.  And in my defense he did give me bunk paint to work with and I had a broken back.  Not to mention they were Black fricken widows. 

 

 

Either way its done and you can't see it.
 

 

That's what it looked like before.  This is actually a pic of raising the mast.  I'll tell that super fun story another time soon.

This is what it looked like after.  In this case, it was splash day (again another time)... but the bottom paint is what you should be ooohhing and aaahhhing over. 

 

Impressive, isn't it?

Make it Mine

I have a boat project all my own. And… I am so excited.  Surprisingly so.

Hubs has been waiting for me to take some ownership; to want it.  Make it mine.  Whatever.  It is his dream, but I am along for the ride and its not always so fun in the passenger seat.  I have been doing my thing.  Doing whatever task he asks (most of the time begrudgingly).  I have been almost completely present to this project.  But now… I have my own thing to do.  By myself.  With no supervision.  Start to finish.  And it’s not that big.  You won’t even see it.   But, I will know.  And right now that is so huge.  Because as his dream becomes my dream… I am able to stake some claim to the work.  The dirty work, not the regular domesticated work of living a life with a family.  BOAT WORK.
Bottom paint.  Sanding, cleaning, taping, and painting.  Really not a big deal.  But sort of a game changer :)
Never~ ever thought I would be stoked on sanding and painting.

The Dream

There has been progress.  Lots of progress.  Things are looking different.  We have had a few, “This is as bad as it is going to look”, and ‘it gets worse before it’s better’.  But, truly, there is positive change.

The windows are in.  Most of them.  That was huge, because there was water flowing into the boat… and that, obviously is not good.  Floors are going down, cabinetry up.  All good stuff. Although, Hubs came home the other day and offered me good news and bad news… Bad news~ ripped out the galley, good news~ I get to pick out the new counter top.

Finally, I think we have found a rhythm to the work-on-the-future versus live-in-the-now conundrum.  We have evaluated our parts in the big picture of this scheme we have plotted.  I think (with hope mixed in there) that we are each comfortable with our place in the project.
Having a schedule has helped.  It’s funny because we really do have every day scheduled for the month.  It makes it a lot easier though, less frustrating.  A whole lot of communication upfront to avoid disappointment later.

I am still waiting to put my mark on the journey. Hubs is still waiting for me to put my mark on it as well. I know it will happen.  I know it’s not yet.  I mean, I’m here.  I’m committed to it.  I’m all in…. with a great big smile on my face.  It’s just not really part of me yet.    I need to get comfortable with it. Not the possibility of it. I need the everyday life part. I am still very rooted in the now, because I have to be.  I think that is the part I need to play now for our family, to make it work. To make the right now part of our life work.  We have a 5-year-old, a house, and the rooted on land life… for right now.
The dream is very much alive in me though.  Now, if I could convince my husband :)