Getting back to the boat next week.

I am looking forward to getting back on the boat. I’ve been traveling seemingly nonstop with the holidays combined and last minute software demos here at the end of the year. Unfortunately, I may not have as strong as a finish to this year as I had first hoped for which could make it difficult to implement some of the projects I wanted to do at the first haul out. Oh well, I am getting used to the idea of keeping things more and more simple. The fewer outdated systems I need to upgrade the quicker I can go and the longer I can stay.

I’ve been rereading Hal Roth’s How to Sail Around the World and just like the first time have not been diligent about keeping a pad of paper handy to jot down notes of things to check on the boat. Regardless, I love this book as it really gives a multitude of things to look for from the perspective of a no frills cruising boat. With wireless on the boat I am going to spend next week working from Houston. This will give me a chance to take on some of the projects I listed earlier on in the blog like getting the life raft inspected, updating the EPIRB battery, rigging some jacklines, servicing the winches, and running my dingy. So far I haven’t even had the dingy off the davits. I sure hope that outboard works! I am going to try to add a new worksheet to the project and cruising costs spreadsheet on the website. This one will track basic statistics like length of various lines, fuel filter part numbers and replacement gaskets, serial numbers from various electronics. Hopefully this will not only act as a service guide to the equipment for future repairs, but help me make educated purchases while I plan from New Mexico.

As I flew to Oakland this morning for a meeting I landed next to a guy on the plane who was a broker for J-Boats. Good guy and he just confirmed that everyone in Houston, Texas involved in the boating world knows this boat I bought or at least a rumor of it. J.D. Sellers, the former owner, was the Harbor Master at Waterford Marina. This guy seems to be infamous. I am looking forward to having a beer with him on Romance and working through all the various systems and really getting a handle on the systems he installed. If I can find a decent drafting program, god forbid I have to do it by hand, I’ll mock up a hull map showing each system component. One map each for plumbing, electrical, mechanical, and most important all through hulls regardless of purpose. Time to start putting this old girl together!