How did I write a blog post in November… and then not post again all winter or spring? What can I say, I’m easily distracted. Here’s a quick update in 650 words or less. Hopefully.
Winter was a lot cozier than we expected. It was cold and damp, yes, and we didn’t sail at all, but we had area heaters keeping us warm and less damp (keeping it real, damp on a boat is a way of life) while projects and travel kept us busy. There were many small projects, but the biggest was preparing and travelling to Anacortes to have all of the standing rigging (that’s the heavy gauge stainless wires that hold the mast in place no matter the weather) replaced, and all the Halyards (those are the lines (ropes) which are used to hoist the sails) replaced. We had a great experience with Northwest Rigging in Anacortes. They handled Crescendo with kid gloves and we feel confident that she’s ready to take on the mighty Pacific.
While in Anacortes, we also procured a dinghy! The dinghy Crescendo came with was a heavy little boat with a substantial seating set up and a steering console. Since we’ll need to pull our dinghy onshore at beaches in many of our adventures, we needed one that could be easily tugged up a beach. Next up for the dinghy is installing a wheel extension to help with beach tugging efforts.
Also while in Anacortes we installed an oversized Mantus M2 anchor. That was a fun project for the two of us to do. While dealing with the anchor we also pulled out all our rode (anchor chain) to reverse-engineer the colored markings the prior owner of the boat had made. We measured it out and now have a better sense of how much scope we’re applying.
There have been numerous smaller projects, from installing a data hub so that our family and followers can track our travels (Ted) to replacing water and sanitation filters (Nan), among other nearly countless things. There’s also the constant cleaning, plus training for each aspect of this adventure. It is rare that a day goes by when we don’t learn something new!
In May we had the great experience of having Captain Margaret Pommert aboard for a week, during which we expanded our understanding of sailing and safety at sea, as well as getting more comfortable with our boat. Margaret, a US Naval Academy instructor, among other hats, is an extremely knowledgeable sailor, and really great at sharing her knowledge with the likes of us.
The current big project is getting the Victron Charger/Invert as well as new lithium (LiFePO4) batteries set up and installed, as well as solar panels to power it. This project is Ted’s baby, and he’ll have to fill you in on the details as changes occur. We’re just ending a long weekend in Poulsbo’s Liberty Bay, and we’re both looking forward to the passive and quiet energy solar will generate, versus the diesel generator chug-chugging along to charge all the modern conveniences, from freezers to laptops.
Among all the rest, we traveled to Spokane, Boise, Coeur d’Alene for Christmas with the whole family, as well as a visit to the city of Nebaj in Guatemala to see the amazing work NFE.org is doing with the Nicholas schools, and a trip to Rome to celebrate a dear friend’s 60th birthday.
The most difficult part of the winter and spring has been the loss of Nan’s dear father, Lee Jennings, shortly after Christmas. He lived a long, full, happy life full of faith, love and music, and his positivity will be missed.
Going forward I hope to be posting much more frequently, and in greater detail, but I thought it was past time to let y’all know what’s been up. If you’re not following our socials, I recommend that you do. We post frequently on Facebook, Instagram, and starting this week, YouTube! Links are on our Home page.
Hey! That’s my 600 words!