It never fails to amaze me how much work it is to get your sailboat ready for winter, or for being hauled out, or for storage. Either way, your systems are not going to be working in the usual way, so they need some TLC.
First off this week was pickling our watermaker. We love our Spectra Ventura 150 and have been thrilled with how well it has worked for twelve years. But we won’t be using it until the summer school holidays come again, so the delicate filter membranes need to be protected by filling the watermaker with a chemical to protect the filters. That seemed easy enough, but we couldn’t get the hose to prime, so that it would draw/suck the fluid in from the bucket, but after a couple of phone calls to Spectra we came up with a workaround and it worked! Major sighs of relief were heard here on the boat.
Meanwhile the deep freeze has hit Port Townsend and everything is frozen and frosty. That means the water gets turned off to the marina and yacht club, so that makes life just a bit more difficult. Luckily we’d known about the water shut off in advance, so we filled our water tank and also filled our external water jugs that usually ride up on deck, but the winds were gusting and the tide was super low, so we brought the water jugs down to the dock where they promptly froze solid. And the diesel even started to cloud up, which it does before freezing…Now we have water and diesel jugs sitting around the main salon as I sit here working on my computer.
In the better news category, the weather will be warming up midweek so all will be well and soon we will have a water hose that works again. And of course, the snow makes for an interesting and unusual holiday for us Californians who still think it is fun to go out and walk in the snow. And the heaters are keeping it warm enough for us to do our daily work (and have some play-time too) on the boat.
Speaking of play-time, we have been watching films from our 300 plus DVD collection, since our wifi doesn’t work well when we have very low tides like we had this last week (our boat sits so low below the street level that we are effectively hidden from the cell repeater/tower). We’ve watched some old favorites like The Umbrellas of Cherbourg, Off the Map, and Spring Forward. But, in case you think it’s only serious cinema fare here on Watchfire, we also watched the LoTR trilogy. And I bought us digital downloads of the entire 12 seasons of The Big Bang Theory and we’ve been binging that series on chilly mornings and evenings when we still have wifi. Yes, the Honeymoon Continues!
If you’re curious, the boat’s inside temperature stays around 65 when the heaters are on, and about 40 overnight, which is definitely manageable, if one is warmly dressed, or under a thick down duvet and flannels sheets. But there are freaking icicles hanging from the boat! Look closely at this photo and you’ll see them.
The other day, before the snow fell, I got a call from Pet Townsend Veterinary Clinic, the local vet that our dear Ready’s ashes were ready to be picked up, which made for a somewhat somber outing. They gave me a gift bag that held a box with a clay cast of her paw print that I will treasure, along with a lovely card signed by the vet, her assistant, and all the office staff. That was such a sweet gesture, and there wasn’t a dry eye in the place. Such compassion really helps as we deal with the loss of our crew member. Every day gets a bit easier….When I saw this meme today, it really hit home.
Not much else happening here but preparations for the big Book Tour, my classes and workshops, and all the book events. I have heard from a few venues that they already have sign ups so that is encouraging. If you missed any of the book event info, check last week’s post, or follow me on Facebook to get the latest updates (I’m still the only Jennifer Silva Redmond on FB!)
I was thinking yesterday how Honeymoon at Sea has become a memorial to my mom and my dear friend Jimmy as well as serving as a time capsule for our sailing friends who cruised Baja in the early 1990s and remember the people and places. A sailing friend called me just yesterday to thank me for bringing her cruising days with her late husband to life again in my book, which really warmed my heart. All of them, people and places, live on in those pages for me, as well. And now it’s also a memorial for Ready—such a good boat dog and companion.
I posted this image on social media so some of you may have seen it, but I thought I’d attach it here, too. I keep thinking of the first day I saw Ready, as a skinny little pup, the very day that Russel and I had agreed we were “ready” for another boat dog to join our crew. As I got closer to the person walking her, I spotted the “Adopt Me” harness she was wearing—she was being walked by a PAWS volunteer! The timing was perfect, and we adopted her just days later. She adapted perfectly to our waterborne lifestyle, enjoyed sailing and exploring, and stayed sweet and upbeat to the end.
Next week I will be posting from the road, so I will keep it simple, with links to my newest interviews (hopefully Womancake and or Lupita Reads will be live by then), and even a link to a brand-new sailing podcast that I was a guest on—one of my all-time favorite interviews—which will finally be released tomorrow.
On I go, putting one foot in front of the other, checking carefully for ice on the dock.
hasta pronto!
Looks like you two are staying toasty in spite of the weather. Wow, the snow! And soon you'll be
in (a bit) warmer CA. Buen viaje!
Oh, Port Townsend is such a charming place. ♥️