What’s Under 40 Years of Antifouling Bottom Paint?
Of all the boat projects we’ve done so far, this is probably our biggest: a brand spankin’ new bottom job. New… literally allll the way down to the bottom...
This Little Thing could SINK our Boat – Ep. 59
Believe it or not, this ONE TINY little hose clamp is all that’s keeping our boat from potentially sinking to the bottom. It’s part of our centerboard operation, and unfortunately there’s not much we can do to improve it, except to ensure that the clamps and hoses are in good condition.
What’s the deal with Centerboards?
Most of you who have followed our journey for some time are familiar with our somewhat infamous centerboard issue, where we ran aground in the Illinois river in 8' of water when our boat should only draw 4'. We'd like to take this opportunity to talk a little bit about the pros and cons of the centerboard system and shed some light on how we've been using it with real life examples.
How to Prepare your Boat for Dry Storage over Hurricane Season
Storing your boat away for hurricane season is a daunting task. There's not much you can really do if Mother Nature conjures up her worst, but with proper planning and solid preparation you'll sleep better knowing you did your best -- and short of suffering the direct hit of a cat 4 or cat 5 hurricane -- your boat should survive!
WHAT will we FIND? Returning to the Boat after 5 Months Away – Ep. 58
This is nerve-wracking… After 5 months away from the boat, we return to the boatyard in Florida to find out how Soulianis survived over hurricane season.
Saying Goodbye to Our Boat – Ep. 53
It’s goodbye, but only for a while. We’re leaving Soulianis on the hard in Florida during hurricane season to return to the Midwest to visit our families.
“Kinda My Worst Nightmare” – Ep. 49
What makes your palms go clammy? Gives you a cold sweat? For both of us, swimming in murky water under a boat is one of our worst nightmares. Time to face our fears! We dive in to clean the hull, in preparation for our sail to Key West.
Sailing the Miserable Mile – Ep. 48
The Miserable Mile is a stretch of super busy waterway near Ft Myers with an incredibly narrow channel. Powerboats fly this way and that, wakes churn the water, and straying from the channel even a few feet means running aground. In short, it’s quite aptly named!
Monthly Cruising Budget: February | Month 8 – Boat Projects Continue
After spending the equivalent of two months of our budget and then some in January, February's expenses were quite bit more tame. In fact since we had already purchased just about everything we needed to complete our projects we came in just under budget.
Monthly Cruising Budget: Month 6 – Re-Stepping Mast & Ski Trip
We wrapped up our River Trip at the beginning of the month and then re-stepped the mast and started prep for our big electrical project. We also flew home to visit family for the holidays and took a short ski trip over the holidays with some friends.