I've Got 99 Problems Because Boats Are Dumb!

"If you're having boat problems I feel bad for you hun,  we've got 99 problems 'cause boats are dumb!"

One of the most financially successful entrepreneur/hip hop artists of all time, Jay-Z, released a song called "99 Problems" (warning EXPLICIT lyrics) in 2004. The chorus sings, "I've got 99 problems and a b*&%$ ain't one"! This song is excellent for blasting and dancing or singing to expel any frustrations you may have during any of the following issues. So I made it "I've got 99 Problems Because Boats are Dumb!" Let's, for a moment, forget that song is incredibly inappropriate for children, women, authoritative figures and many others and just laugh with me - please!  

 This guy did a parody to the song so you'll get the gist of the song without the foul language. 

1. What's That Noise?
2. Canned Peas (eww)
3. Strainer is Blocked
4. The God Awful Caribbean Heat (seriously, I'm melting)
5. No See Ums!
6. There Goes My Nice Shirt... Again
7. Ran Aground
8. Sun Burn on Your Unmentionables
9. Rough Seas
10. Sailing with a Hangover
11. Prop got Bent
12. Out of Propane, COFFEE!!
13. Dust in my Varnish Job
14. Drain Clogged from...Ewww!
15. Steering Cable Broke
16. Hatches are Leaking
17. You Didn't Want to Be Anywhere By Any Certain Time Did You?
18. The "Dink, Dink, Dink" of "This Guy's" Halyard
19. Docking.
20. No Air Conditioning
21. Mosquitoes are Biting
22. Slip Fees
23. Something's Leaking but I have No Idea What
24. Haul Out Fees
25. Customs Fees
26. You Weren't Trying to Keep That White Shirt White, Right?
27. Bottom Cleaning, "Ouch, barnacles bite!"
28. Oh, You Mean You Made Plans?
29. Ever Heard of Chainplates? Yeah, You'd Better Check Them Out!
30. The Sound of Wires Inside the Mast "Tinkling"
31. Trying to Find Parts to ANYTHING in Exotic Locations
32. Hurricane Season
33. Batteries Are Dead
34. Ran Out of  Drinking Water
35. Bilge Pump Quit Working
36. Toilet Won't Flush
37. Anchorage Rolling
38. Fiberglass Dust in My Eye
39. 32 Volt Battery System
40. Generator Died
41. Friends are Leaving
42. Thru-hull Frozen
43. Hot Water Heater Died
44. Sailing to Windward
45. Climbing On-board at High Tide
46. B.O.A.T. - Break Out Another Thousand!
47. No Wi-Fi Connection
48. No GPS Satellite Reception, Back to the Charts!!
49. No Cable TV, Eh, There's Never Anything On Anyway!
50. Everything is Corroded, Damn That Sun!
51. The Dinghy is Missing - It Wasn't ME!
52. Outboard Won't Start, Time To Take Her Apart!
53. The ONLY Wrench Fell Overboard, AHHH!
54. 24 Hours with Your Partner, 365 Days....How Long Have we Been Doing This??
55. Listing Because of Weight, Are All The Cans On That Side?
56. Lines in the Propeller, Or Crab Pots
57. Ran Out of Fuel, "Boats Don't Run out of Fuel, Captain's Do!"
58. Tear in the Sail, Bust Out the Sail Repair Kit
59. Pump Out Fees, That Sh*t Stinks! (Pun Intended)
60. Dock Fees
61. Random Coast Guard Boarding ("for training")
62. No Fresh Veggies in Town
63. Laundry Day - Heavy Lifting
64. Rainy Season
65. Remember that Leak?!
66. Butchering the Local Language in Order to Get Parts
67. Pets, Vets, and Certificates
68. Remember HOT SHOWERS?
69. Varnish is Chipping
70. Cats Get Sea Sick
71. Cat Litter  Bits Everywhere
72. Cat Food Bits That You Randomly Stick to Feet
73. Do We Have Flea Medicine?
74. Vet Paperwork, Is it Current?
75. Registration, where is it? 
76. Do We Have Extra Impeller(s)
77. Warranty JUST Expired on That Thing
78. Blown Gaskets
79. Customs Fees (did I say that already?) (yes)
80. Pump Out Fee (something about all these fees)
81. Ran Out of Conditioner
82. Leaving Behind Amazing Friends
83. Honey, Where's the Cat? (overboard, yikes!)
84. The Horrors of Homeschooling
85. Is this Chicken? Or Lizard? Or, (shudder) just eat it!
86. Montezuma's Revenge!
87. Wait!! You're Having Fun?? Beep, beep!! Anchor Alarm
88. Big Boat Wakes
89. Inflatable Boat's Deflating
90. Fuel Costs
91. Naked Neighbors (not the hot ones!)
92. Unexplained bruises & scrapes
93. Lightening Strikes
94. Tricky Multi-Function Counter Space
95. Crazy, Sailor Girl Hair, Oh the knots!!
96. Outboard Engine Pull Start Cord Issues
97. Dust in Your Varnish Job
98. Mold Growing on Anything and Everything
99. Pump Out Hose Mishaps

And if you still want to go cruising, you just might survive with some amazing stories to regale your friends with for many, many years to come! Are we gluttons for punishment or is all our suffering just par for the course of steering our own way against the flow of an ordinary life in search of some extra - ordinary?

Make Bottom Painting Fun!

Definitely my #1 - Favorite Boat Yard Thing!!

It was all GR's idea. We began this tradition years ago with our first boat, a  1981 42' Pearson in Daytona Beach, after we painted the bottom a royal blue he suggested we grab a can of white paint to decorate the keel so that when we were snorkeling and swimming in the amazingly clear waters of the Bahamas we could reflect on the fun we had working on our boat. It was a great project that we all had fun doing, we put paint on our hands and made hand prints, we wrote our names and drew little fishes.  These memories  allows those "blood, sweat and tears" moments associated with many bottom jobs fall by the wayside and replaces them with these magical memories of creating artwork with your family. It's like a visible time capsule!

So of course, this boat was no different. The more practical side this project is that we cover every thru hull and highlight every transducer and/or grounding plate and zinc, that way they are easy for a diver (or us) to locate. Tide and time dictated our splash time so I wasn't sure if Gia wanted to participate in this tradition since she was technically supposed to be in school. "Of course, I want to Mom!! It's a family tradition!!" She said and my heart welled up with joy because maybe, just maybe she still loved all this boating stuff after all!!

So with dirt under our nails and paint on our hands and knees we hunched under the belly of this beast and painted our little hearts out! We had a blast and we can't wait to swim under Felicity in the Bahamas sometime soon!!

The End. Thank you!!

Felicity's First Haul Out in Photos

Here's a brief photo tour of Felicity's haul out, August 2013. Haul out projects included up sizing generator water intake and air conditioning raw water intake, removal of three (yes 3!) non-functional transducers and addition of new transducer, trim tab actuators, bottom paint and of course our artwork!!

This was the first time we have seen Felicity out of the water AND the first time we've hauled out a power boat making it very exciting and nerve wracking at the same time. I held my hand on my heart the whole time they lifted her and carried her a short distance before she was on the stands. I mean, this is our whole life, our home.

All in all it was a smooth yard period with no errors or interruptions, which is really all we could hope for in this situation.

Enjoy the show.

Confessions from an Out of Practice Yogi: Part One

So I had to get this off my mat today. (mat = mind)

When I step on my mat I feel instantly connected with my self.
Raw. Whole. At peace.

After reading inspiring blogs, on The Monkey's Fist where I act as "Topic Coordinator" for the topic, Fitness Aboard , I was moved by incredible cruisers with insatiable appetite for an active lifestyle (other than the super-active life of living aboard!) and compelled to tell the "truth". I mean really folks, I don't savasannah all day. I know my posts may come off like I'm just this balanced, calm, tranquil being that floats through the cruising lifestyle...but, no.

Confession is like a cleansing. My personal practice meter reads "Your only kidding yourself." My body feels like a left-for-dead shammy, crinkled and stiff. Developing a personal practice is a intimate way to engage your body in detoxification and spark health into a burning flame. To start with one must know "asana" and "pranayama" they are the guiding light. Create a good flow using your breath to continue from one posture to the next in a rhythmic energy.

I admit it. I'm not practicing.  I haven't stepped a foot on my mat, in a long time. I'm not even meditating. I've been sucked into the very existence I tried to stave off ever since we returned to the US. I've let my one sanctuary take a backseat. I applaud people who engage in the working world and keep a good routine. I'm having a hard time adjusting to "land life". After work, I have no energy. At home (on the boat) I have no space. ( Shhh... I know this boat is huge!) By space, I mean peaceful space, where nothing stares at me saying, "I'm cat hair, you should really sweep me up."

Aside from confession, I'm seeking advice. How do you keep up with all the demands of your working life, boating life, parenting life, social life and still find time for your practice?

"The practice itself, done consistently and accurately, is the real teacher." ~ Tim Miller, Yoga Teacher

Comments welcome.
Namaste.
xx

Deck Work: Re-Coring

Here is a glimpse of what our entire deck looked like piece by piece over the course of 10 weeks.

Microscopic flakes of opalescent dust dance threw the air to the unpleasant screech and squeal of a grinder. Magical and toxic; exhilarating and exhausting. Quite easily the most difficult process of Felicity's facelift. Encompassing just over 10 weeks we were riddled with itchiness, played musical rooms, we struggled to create space for an amazing amount of supplies and we mentally limped along hoping to see an end in sight.  Financially, this project commanded our attention and we had no choice but to suffer boredom as we couldn't afford to do much else.

In reality, we did manage to get a few things done but none of that came to mind until just this moment, as I am now able to stand up from the rubble and smile at our accomplishments. If you are into numbers, I'll follow up with a post of just how much product we consumed. If you are into wallowing in sorrow, you won't find that here 'cause at the moment, I'm freaking ecstatic!

As I've had time to think about why this project seemed so difficult for us there is only one answer I can come up with.

We had to pay for someone else to do the job.

Typically, we do ALL our own work. (I use the term "we" lightly, mostly GR does the hard stuff.) I mean on previous boats, we painted our bottom, painted our decks and installed our on engine even, BUT this time around we had to (4 letter word) work. (Ahhhhh) The work we get paid to do, so we could afford all the products and the dockage and well the list goes on. With our last boats we were able to stop working, focus solely on our boat and seemed a whole lot happier to go to sleep with bits of wood and paint in our hair. This time, we were just going to work all day and spending our nights buying supplies. "What's he doing drinking the lacquer thinner?" I asked G one day after a particularly crappy day of driving South Florida's deadliest stretch of I-95. I mean we were buying 5 Gallon containers of it?! While I am sooo thankful that we didn't actually have to crawl around on our hands and knees in paper suits grinding fiberglass and pouring epoxy in between spells of torrential downpours and 92 degree scorchers there is a large portion of me that thinks we were cranky that we weren't working on our boat.

Satisfaction comes rolling in when you are able to touch and feel the progress being made on your floating home. That's what we'd been missing.


I'm happy to report the "worst" of it is over. We can now resume painting which is nothing compared to  fiberglass work.

Reality Check

Well, hello out there! (echo, echo, echo)

It's been FAR too long since I've logged onto this blog to make a report on our progress (or lack thereof).

I feel like we've been completely consumed by the "real" world. The life of responsibility. Wake up, look presentable (is this clean? sniff), feed everyone, make lunches, beds, clean  the cat box, toss the garbage, drive Gia to school then me to work in traffic - Work - WORK, then drive back home in traffic, Traffic - TRAFFIC!! Make dinner, do homework, feed the cats, clean the lunch boxes, do some kind of boat project, shower?? Have I mentioned it's been a LONG time since I had a 9 - 5? I wasn't just working 5 days a week either, I was picking up gigs left and right for charters. Days that can last up to 15 hours. I was tired. All work and no play.

Last week, I had a breakdown. I should have stopped to use a restroom as soon as I felt the urge. But I was in a rush, right? Got to get to work on time! To my surprise the highway suddenly turned into a parking lot, a horrific accident shut 95 down at midnight - it was now 8:30am. After 2 hours my eyeballs were yellow and I'm pretty sure I developed a twitch in my eye! I didn't realize how much I was wrapped up in this hustle bustle shit! My blood pressure rose; my nerves were shot. I had premonitions of a major wreck on highway 95 with every tap of the brakes. Because I wear my heart on my sleeve everyone noticed. I didn't know how to turn it off. I wanted to throw in the towel. What was the root of the problem?

I wasn't living in the present moment. All the projects that need to be done, the supplies to be purchased filled my mind. I held my breathe  and clutched the wheel as I pushed pedal to metal rushing to make some deadline, to punch a time clock. What the heck!? I haven't felt this - EVER! What could I do? Well, for starters I decided to get the heck off the highway. Now, I take a nice leisurely cruise down US1. The speedometer doesn't reach 50mph. I hit every light. And I don't give a flip. In fact, I crank up the tunes and chill out. After taking this step back I see other vehicles filled with "rushers"; zigging, zagging in and out only to end up beside me. I say a silent pray that they too will slow down.

Que Sera Sera - Whatever will be, will be. There will always be things on my mind, projects to do and lists that need doing but as long as we stay in the here and now, the future can wait.

A big part of what's going on right now aboard Felicity should be recorded and it will, eventually. I mean it's pretty major stuff! But I'm so tired, I'm so pulled in other directions I haven't been able to steal away. The reason there aren't more blogs out there that describe every detail all the amazing things that take place during a boat refit is because it's time consuming, it's hard on the body AND the mind! So, please be patient with us and me as we slowly pump out updates.

Namaste!
Jessica
xox

The Florida Promise

 

Image here.

It must be the blinding sunshine. Maybe it's the sensational beaches with endless bikini clad bodies emitting the scent of tanning oil. Could it be the laid back lifestyle or the lure of fishing just a few minutes offshore? Whatever IT is...IT SUCKS!

IT, is the Florida Promise and it's been happening for a LONG time. It began when droves of Northerners began the exodus from the chilly weather to the incredible, natural "Disneyland" the is the Sunshine State. Basically, contractors (local or not) make you a promise by saying they will show up and then never do! OR when they do they are either drunk, hungover or have a wicked tan from their day out surfing instead of working for you!

I've changed the names to protect the innocent or not-so-innocent in one such scenario we've experienced. Let's say, "Tom", the painter tells you he will show up Tuesday to look at the boat and give you a price. Well, he never shows up and he doesn't even call. Being the good communicator you are, you call him and say, "Hey Tom, Don't worry about coming by today, it's a bit late now. Thank you". "Tom" replies with some excuse about how busy he was and he will come by tomorrow. BUT he never comes!!

This seems to continue until you've called about 6 different people until you finally get a "good" one. Someone who shows up when they say the will, performs the job with little to no errors, charges on or below the estimated amount and gives the results you were after. Unfortunately, that's just the way it is. There are an amazing amount of boats (mega-yachts mostly) here and these contractors know how in-demand they are. It's as if they don't really give a sh*t about their name or reputation. WHY? Because they know they can charge insane amounts of money and people will pay it(not us but some people don't know about the "working man's price") -  and they know that there will always be those folks that are in a rush to get cruising that just want the job done and pay because they can't wait any longer.

My advice to you:

• Don't Be in a Rush  - Contractors can smell your fear and your money. If you are pushy, hurried and riding them they will charge you for it!

• Be Proactive/Handy - Doing the work yourself not only helps you understand systems better it allows you the freedom of knowing how to fix things when your "out there" where it can be exponentially expensive! If you really can't do the work yourself it's not the end of the world but it may cost you more in time and money. Two things we rarely have at the same time. So if you have time - SAVE MONEY & Vice Versa!

• Get Several Quotes - Get as many contractor names & company's as you can, ask everyone you know, use forum and prepare yourself to be confused. You will get opinions and ideas from different ends of the spectrum by stick with what you know and keep it simple!

I'm sure several yachting and boating town's have similar issues with handymen and such but here in Florida we refer to the issue as "The Florida Promise." The best weapon is awareness! I hope you found these tips useful. Best of Luck!

Namaste!

A Long Awaited Ride

Can you believe it's been over a year since we took a ride on our old Livingston dinghy in Guatemala!! We can't either. When we brought Felicity from Ocean Isle Marina in North Carolina back in November of 2011 we were tender-less all the way until Fort Lauderdale 2013! How did we survive? Ugh, well we've been dock-dwellers. We have learned to get used to living the dock life but we haven't lost sight of our goal to make Felicity a modern day, energy efficient, cruising machine! Even if it was an impulse buy getting our dinghy set up was a major step in leaving dock life in our wake.

Although, we aren't quite ready to trade in our dock lines for anchor or mooring line, we are able to move forward with our next phase of life. We will soon have a new location complete with new scenery and better access to many of the contractors who work on boats including a woodworkers, fabricators and general labor to help us with removal of the old generator, installation of new batteries, installation of our new windlass, varnishing the double doors in the main salon etc.

This weekend was THE perfect weather for a long, lazy ride down the ICW and up the New River. Check out some pictures from our adventures.

Gia & Savannah - Boat Kids

Captain & Me and our 12T with 20 Hp Yamaha

Our friend, Sandy with her 8' Livingston, even her small outboard gets her on plane!

Day of purchase, delivering the boats down New River - GR, Adam & Sandy following.

Visions of MIBS, Yacht & Brokerage Show

 

So, I've been away for a long time with the business of the Miami International Boat Show. 

Here's a photo recap of the MIBS, Yacht & Brokerage Show that I was a part of, enjoy!!

BRAND NEW 2013 70' & 76' Monte Carlo, Italian built boats.

2013 50' Beneteau Trawler

2013' 38' Beneteau Grand Turismo

Underway on the 70' Monte Carlo, our parade making way toward 17th St Causeway

25 knots = FAST!!

After delivering the Italian boats, I was stationed for the remainder of the show with Westport Yachts, built in the USA!

Occasionally, I gave tours but mostly we wiped off fingerprints, smiled, directed folks to the tent where they would be assigned a tour guide.

People came from far and wide to the FREE event!

Boats were squeezed in nice and close for maximum visibility.

It was a beautiful boat.

Weather ranged from sunny & hot to cold & windy to downright pouring rain!

All these girls were stationed to different boats and over the course of 5 days we had GREAT FUN!!

What's the Reward?

Image found here.

Best Buy. Winn-Dixie. Pet Smart.

All have what in common??

They all have a rewards system. Who doesn't these days, right? You only need to open your wallet to see the tiny plastic cards plastered with brand names. There seems to be the idea that everything bears a reward. Especially things we spend our money on! So when dreaming of sailing away someday on a boat you don't often think of all the working time you will spend; covered in grease, grim, or paint. Using your boat helps you appreciate all the time you spend working on her. It seems for the past, well, year and a few months, we haven't gotten to do very much playing!

Well, today we went ahead and cashed in some of our rewards!! We needed a change of scenery but we won't be docking anywhere else, anytime soon, so we flipped Felicity around! Funny, how such a small adjustment can turn a the stench of routine into the spark of adventure! We are now looking out over the canal. I can hear the sound of a wake as it slaps under each dock before it gently rolls Felicity in her slip. I needed today something serious!

I'll never forget the first time I sailed out of that first inlet. Lake Worth. I was so excited and nervous I was glued to the port side railing the whole trip. In the morning as the sun blinded my bloodshot eyes, I saw dolphins in insane blue water. It was precisely that moment when I realized I would suffer that pain again in a second (if given the chance) to make this memory one more time!! That is the reward my friends.

The reward of cruising varies for everyone. What are some of your favorite rewards of cruising?
The perfect tan.
Cooking with native produce.
More family time.
Bonfires!

Spread Thin, an update!

Image found here

I swear I'm just NOT happy unless I have a zillion things to do!!! Currently, I'm spread thinner than light mayo on a dieter's BLT!

Besides, the fact that I am blogging for ourselves here at Project Motor Boat. I'm Kids as Crew "Topic Coordinator" for The Monkey's Fist, which means I am reading a (bleep)-ton of blogs sorting through them to find kids displaying their knowledge for navigation, provisioning, driving the tender etc. Got any links?? Share them in the comment section!!

I'm doing data entry for my local Bikram Yoga studio, AND washing those sweat-soaked yoga towels (yea. eww.)  all in order to continue my membership and continue my practice, so that I might go to Teacher Training, hopefully in 2013!!!

I'm working with a friend/yacht broker on my Yacht Broker Internship (2 years) so that one day I can sell more than just our own personal boats!! Didn't know a yacht broker? NOW you do!!

I'm also still writing with Raft Up (soon to have a new website) so stay tuned for my next post, February 2nd, I'm the first up on a very touchy subject!!

This weekend I'm looking forward to unplugging (just a little bit) when GR's mom comes to town (tomorrow) and we get to play tourist on Saturday by taking on ride on the infamous Jungle Queen!!!

So if you were wondering?? Now you know!! Enjoy today.

Several Projects Underway

Having GR home for *good* is an amazing sigh of relief for us. It seems that over the last few months we have done more projects than in the past year we have owned the boat. Since our change of scenery he has significantly cut down his travel time to and from work AND now he will no longer have to leave for charter trips! A recent change allows him to only work Monday - Friday with no trips and weekends are just for US; meaning more completed projects aboard Felicity! (clap, clap, clap)

When I last wrote about our head project we had just begun painting, well painting is complete. We are now in the process of researching products and prices for flooring and counter tops. On Friday, we were able to go shopping together at a couple of the local places to check out laminates. Then we measured the floors and counter tops in all three heads and came up with our numbers. After some comparison we have narrowed it down and have two winners! Alas, the ordering is on hold because we have a much BIGGER project underway at the same time!

Did I forget to mention on fuel system is currently inoperable? Hmm, yea well, something we have struggled with since the beginning is the fuel system. A pretty serious issue to have is we want to actually "cruise". By far, the longest hold up of this progress has been traveling (for work). GR did an amazing job re-configuring the entire manifold and even added a fuel polishing system. Felicity, built in 1968, has mostly been untouched and much remains original including original fuel valves and copper fuel lines. Of course, this was state of the art equipment 44 years ago but time and technology have advanced rather quickly and it's time to adapt! We were able to remove the old manifold, prep, paint and install the *new* manifold. Designed by GR using bronze shut off and elbows etc, he had the panel made by Ward's Marine. Here's a picture for now but I will go more in depth in another post.

Fuel Manifold from 1968

Fuel Manifold from 2012

Small advances were made including the addition of a hand crank pencil sharpener! (Yes, I am old enough to remember these) This little addition makes life just a little easier and astheticallly, it brings a little vintage feel back to the engine room!

Home for the Holidays.....Or Not.

Happy Holidays!!

When was the last time YOU were home for the holidays? Cruisers, yachties and many others such as ourselves are often subject to spending the Thanksgiving, Christmas, and even New Years in unique locations surrounded by *new* faces. It can be fun and exciting to dine "potluck" style and to be introduced to new traditions but it can also be hard for families to cope without their loved ones.
 
Being in the yachting industry (or any service industry for that matter), holidays and weekends just aren't the same. Typically, we ("yachties") work every weekend and every holiday; it's just expected. It just comes with the territory. We work for people who work hard and want to play hard with their families aboard their *awesome* yachts, can you blame them?! Thankfully, owners' are using their boats. keeping us working and keeping us in the green. A recent study by The Triton, a local yacht crew publication shows crew perspective regarding working through this time of year. Some don't mind, some hate it but either way there's no getting around it.

Through the years we have found ways of getting around the separation.
You could celebrate at another time of the year when time off is more acceptable.
You could celebrate in unique ways like by using modern technology to be a part of your family party via Skype or Facetime.
Or you could just quit your job and go home! (At your own risk, of course)

Seriously, this year we are super thankful to both have great gigs that allow us more freedom during the holidays, meaning we will both be home on the "big" days. All three of us will go to sleep on Christmas Eve and wake up together to open presents, eat an incredible breakfast and spend the day playing with our new things and just plain enjoying ourselves. This year we are doing it right!

Keep Your Cord Clean

Photo: 86' Burger (not our boat).

What is that muck that builds up on our shore power cord? Who knows, but it sure is nasty! It's sticky and can leave black streaks on the deck. Want to keep your cord clean? Here's how:

Marine Strip: As bad as this stuff smells it turns out it's not that bad after all. Their website claims it's environmentally safe, biodegradable, non toxic and won't stain or bleach fabrics. However, use it sparingly because it's NOT cheap!!

Mop & Glo: Mop & Glo®  is a multi-surface floor cleaner that is safe for use on tile, vinyl, hardwood, marble, linoleum, ceramic, and no-wax floors but it works great on sealing up the porous surface of your shore cord keeping the black scum from building up again once you've cleaned it with the Marine Strip.

**You might want to wear gloves if you a) enjoy your smooth, moisturized, clean hands or b) don't want to have oddly, super, shiny hands!

Okay, now that you have the two main ingredients for a clean power cord, grab those rags and let's get started. Again, sparingly wet a clean rag with the Marine Strip and rub a test section to see the amazing results. With very little effort the black, sticky scum will transfer from the cord to your rag. You will need to continually change the spot of the rag that you are rubbing with because it gets gummed up and won't actually remove anything it just smears along the cord. It might be a good idea to work in 3 foot sections. Look at that! I bet that cord hasn't been yellow in years!! Now, take another clean rag and saturate with Mop & Glo, apply liberally. Now your cord will not only be clean and smooth but shiny to boot!

After the whole cord is clean, you may want to do this again in a month. After that upkeep is very minimal, depending upon your location. Let me know how it goes! Happy Cleaning!

Two Yachtie Tips You Can Use!

Those "mega" yachts sure are pretty and man, do they spend a lot of money to play with them! BUT I will say this, they still keep to the" basics" when it comes to cleaning! I work on a classic Burger here in Fort Lauderdale and find I use these two products more than any other cleaning supply. They are cheap and safe to use for anyone, anywhere!

There are a number of reasons why using natural cleaning products in your home (floating or not) is a great idea! We could start with the fact that these chemicals are absorbed by your body, end up in our waterways AND can cause lasting damaging effects on both human and animal life! Just because your turning over a "green" leaf doesn't mean you'll need to spend a bunch of "green" either, let's just consider going back to the basics!

1. Vinegar -A simple mix of white vinegar and water will work wonders on windows, ports, hatches and any other clear or glass surface! No more blue dyes or streaks baby, this is it! Designate a small spray bottle for this use specifically and keep it full and handy wherever you will use it most. Don't like the "salad dressing" smell? Add a few drops of your favorite essential oil like calming lavender!
2. Alcohol - Yup! Straight up rubbing alcohol. Just put it in a spray bottle and use it on just about any hard surface. It's not a deep cleaner but it will cut your workload in half when you use it everyday to clean lightly. Showers, stainless, mirrors, toilets even floors can benefit from the germ killing powers in plain, old, inexpensive rubbing alcohol!

Now, I'm off to work, Happy Friday!!

Forward and Reverse

So I know I've been blabbing about how awesome it is that we don't have a car and haven't for three years (2009). How we love the exercise and how we never live too far from anything...well, that has all ended. In Miami public transportation was a breeze but in Fort Lauderdale things aren't so easy.

On one hand, I really wanted a car, like in the way a little girl really wants anything! I wanted it because I felt I was "too old" to be riding my bike 20 miles a day and arriving any/everywhere looking like a sweaty, disheveled mess. I wanted to be able to bring our daughter to play dates and help out the other Moms who so graciously traveled both ways in order to make up for our lack of transportation. I wanted to be able to sneak down to Miami and visit GR when his boat moved from one marina to another to await the arrival of owners. I wanted to be able to drive up to Daytona Beach for the holidays and see my Grama and other friends we miss so much! I wanted to hop in the car and drive to work when it was raining and/or cold, not bundle up into a bunch of layers and then shove all the extra clothes in my backpack because by afternoon it's back up to 80 degrees here!

On the other hand, I hated the idea of spending money on said car, a very temporary item, at least for us. In our bigger view of our future we do not have a need for a car. We will have the scooter, 3 bicycles and our dinghy (soon to come) but definitely -  NO CAR! I hated the fact that most of the reasons for getting the car were "wants" not "needs". Mostly, I hated that I was putting money towards something that wasn't going to accelerate our cruising "shove off" date. Yet, I made the decision anyway.

Here she is ... I'm calling her *Mellow* mostly because she looks like a marshmallow and slightly because I need to be reminded to just - be - mellow. I know this decision will turn out to be beneficial (Christmas tree hauling by bicycle would look quite funny) and there's always the fact that we will sell her before we do take off, because we will. Eventually.

In the meantime, I'm enjoying expressing gratitude for the ability to work hard and get the things we want and experience the freedom of a longer range of motion that "Mellow" provides in forward and in reverse!! ;)

Cruisers Laundry Etiquette 101

Laundry has always been one of the necessary evils of cruising. I don't know about you but I have found that the best way to do laundry is to go to the laundry room on a Thursday night with an *alcoholic beverage* of choice; load the machine and plop down with a good gossip mag! But, as we all know sometime life gets in the way and it just doesn't happen like that. WARNING: This may not be pretty and I may make some  people mad but, "Hey, the truth hurts sometimes." Also, while we should all really know this already; we could all use a kind reminder. I have come to the conclusion that there are two kinds of people in the laundry room. Inconsiderate *or* Considerate. Here is a list of things that will help keep you in the good graces of the laundering Gods (and your neighbors). 

1. Handling Other People's Stuff - While I am one who will absolutely NOT touch other people's laundry there comes a time when you need the machine that someone has long forgotten about and you just have to move it. If you have waited a reasonable amount of time, at least 10 or more (use your own parameters) minutes since the machine stopped, it's time to decide your plan of action. When removing people's laundry remember this - SH*T happens and sometimes people get hung up, the timer doesn't go off, kids get sick, whatever the reason people do not intentionally leave their laundry to piss you off, so be courteous. Put the laundry in a basket if it's dry or the dryer if it is wet. But DO NOT start the dryer. You are not doing them any favors as some people like to line dry. If you are there when the person arrives be nice, smile, introduce yourself and mention that you are sorry you touched their stuff and you hope they don't mind but you needed the next machine. Generally speaking, that person (if it is you, listen up!) will be thankful and remorseful. The most important thing to remember here is to "treat others as you would like to be treated!" 

2. Don't Be That Guy! - Okay so as you read above, no one wants to touch your stuff, so please be timely about your laundering. Set a timer, bring a book, join the club, we have other things to do too! If you don't want people touching your skivvies then get your butt back to the laundry room on time, or don't even leave. Focus solely on the task at hand and GET 'er DONE! 

3. Clean the Lint Trap - Nothing worse than checking the lint trap and finding animal hair, pieces of crumpled up paper and who knows what in the screen. The unwritten rule is clean it immediately after you remove your dry clothing. While I don't mind finding $money$ in the machine I do mind that fact that I have to touch (eww) whatever it is that you wanted to wash OUT of your stuff. Thanks, but no thanks.

4. NO SMOKING. Seriously, I was in shock when I saw people crowded around the door of the washroom puffing away on those things! While I'm trying to make things smell clean they are right at the doorway stinking it up again. Geesh! Besides, my health I am interested in keeping my clean laundry smelling like the Tide I walked in here with, thanks.

5. Be Organized -Nothing worse than waiting for a machine with a person standing in front of it sorting the whites from the colors. Get your laundry in order. Get your quarters or tokens in advance. Have all the supplies you need before you occupy the machine. You may have walked into an empty room but don't take that as your que to spread out and call it home.

 6. Remember You Are a Guest - This is not your washing machine. This is not your boat or your house and you will have to "share" this space. Be kind, be courteous and be clean. Thankfully, this space was here so you could go have clean clothes. Treat this space as you would better than your own. Wipe down any spills immediately, put garbage in proper location and remember to check and re-check that you have all of your materials and clothing before you leave.

Laundry can be a very touchy subject and hopefully, I haven't offended anyone but this does need to be said. I am no angel I have been "that guy" - believe me. That being said, I totally had a good reason for showing up late and thankfully the person who waited patiently for me to return to my work was super nice. Hence, my affinity for treating people the way you wish to be treated. In any case, I think you will find that you'll have a great laundry experience if you remember this advice. Happy Washing!!!

Wishing you your own felicity.

Wine Theater

Being  a natural born BIG MOUTH, I love to support my friends in the endeavors and shout their praises from the fly bridge!. Today, I am promoting Chip. He's a great friend, comic genius and a fellow sailor aboard, SV Cara Mia a 38' Island Packet! We first met Chip & Tammy in Black Point, Exumas, Bahamas at The Scorpio Bar during happy hour. Chip came over to our table where each of us (Gia, GR, myself & my sister)  had a computer in front of our face. We were donning the tell-tale Skype headphones. He commented that we were in fact the future of cruising families! He made us laugh, we were instantly friends. He understood as all cruisers do that while we strive to "get away from it all" but then we still want to be connected to those we love back home. Funny, funny guy!

Fast forward 3 or so years where we bump into them in Coconut Grove. We spent some time chatting over Ribs and craft beer at Flanigan's and even had Tammy over during our Easter Egg dyeing session. Having said all this backstory, we love these guys. Now on with the news. When we found out that Chip & Tammy were moving to Fort Lauderdale about the same time as us we were thrilled! Chip is entering the yachting industry with his "Wine Theater" a unique wine class that takes the snobbery out of wine. Chip is a joke-ster and his presentation will both educate and entertain you all the while helping you become a better host or server!

We will be hosting a Home Show this Saturday May 19th at 4pm, please contact us at MVFelicity(at)gmail.com for more information and directions.
Or to book your own party or class visit Chip's website here.

My "other" job - Sale Rack

My momma always told me, "Idol hands are the Devil's workshop." Hence the fact that I can't stand to be without a project! When my friend Ali, owner of Sale Rack, an awesome Buy*Sell*Trade Recycled Clothing Boutique in Coconut Grove(my 'hood) told me she had an opening I jumped at the chance to work alongside her. The "Rack" is a collection of unique pieces including clothing, shoes, hats, bags, & other accessories that run the gamut from vintage threads to designer duds.

I find that when I am passionate about something I will go above and beyond in order to make my cause known. Since I first became a customer I have been telling everyone about this place! Working with Sale Rack has not only given me a better wardrobe but it has given me some real fashion knowledge. When we sold San San in Guatemala I gave up almost all of my clothes. Living in Miami, if you are working in the "real" world you have got to keep up the pace. Sale Rack has been key in helping me stick to me budget while still sticking to my style, "hobo boater chic."

 GO THERE & TELL THEM Jessica SENT YOU!!

Not only that I have made some true friends, I love the girls I work with! I'm going to miss them sooo much! I decided to write this blog to give them an opportunity to shine on this platform because I know a few of my girlfriends that live on boats still love to shop for clothes and occasionally have to part with some as well. If this is the case, stop by and make an appointment to meet with Ali. She will inspect the clean, gently used clothing you have and give you cold hard cash or store credit for them! Sounds too good to be true right? Well it's not! Sale Rack has become a go to store for unique patterns, colors and trends for women of all ages!

Sale Rack

3444 Main Hwy., Suite 20
Coconut Grove, Florida 33133
(305) 537-6078