Table Transformation

As soon as we could call Thisldu our own, we came up with a long list of projects to take care of. One of those projects was to fix up the table in the settee berth. It was slightly too big—it jutted out into the walkway—and, well, we thought the overall aesthetic could be improved.

Like most of the boat projects so far, fixing the table was born and finished from Garrett's vision of what needed to be improved and what needed to be done to make those improvements. He is really, really good at visualizing things and making them come to life. I, unfortunately, am not.

Here are the before and after pictures (please excuse our mess!). The most obvious difference is the table top: the black has been replaced with a vintage map. Would you just look how it brightens up the space? The (maybe) less obvious difference is the size: Garrett cut down the table on the starboard side, and also built in hinges to allow the table to break down on the port side. (Look at me using all of those sailing terms!)

Garrett put together the below diagram to help illustrate the upgrades. In it, you can really see how much the stable size was reduced, which allows us more room to move around the cabin.

Not only do we love the table revamp because it looks better and gives us more room inside of Thisldu, but also because Garrett got to work on the project with his father, David. Together, they cut down the table, made another side foldable, removed the black top, and adhered the vintage map to the wood. Projects are made all the better when you're working on a good team, don't you think? (Come back, David, we have more work for you!)

After all of the resizing and recovering was done, Garrett mixed and applied an epoxy surface on top of the map. This part was *slightly* nerve-racking because the ratio of water:epoxy solution has to be just so, but Garrett did a good job of eyeballing the mixture and spreading it out across the map with the flat side of a credit card. Maybe one day we'll follow instructions closely and use the proper tools required. But until then...

If you ask me, the table came out great. We're so happy with how it looks and how it fits into the tiny space of the cabin. And I have to admit that I'm pretty impressed with Garrett's handy work. Aren't you?

First 30 Days of Boat Ownership

We've officially been boat owners for one whole month! It's been a busy 30 days, full of paperwork, boat projects, and sailing. Here's a recap of what we've been up to, with the fun stuff (sailing!) up first. 

(PS - You can get an insider look at all of this by subscribing to our YouTube channel)

Sailing

Collectively, we've taken the boat out three times. For the sea trial, Garrett sailed her out of the Gate (which means he went under the Golden Gate Bridge toward open water) and she handled beautifully.

After that, we had some friends join us for our "maiden voyage," during which we motored over to Angel Island, grabbed lunch, and briefly raised our sails on the way back. The wind was low that weekend, so we didn't move much if not under power.

We traveled to Park City, Utah at the end of September and then opted out of sailing during the chaos of Fleet Week after that, which meant we took a 2-week sailing hiatus. A pretty big storm pushed through the San Francisco Bay during the following weekend, so we decided to wake up early on a Saturday to take advantage of the only storm-free window. We brought Thisldu in and out of the docks pretty easily and had a great cruise around the empty Bay on our very first double-handed trip together. A move in the right direction, I'd say!

The days are already getting noticeably shorter, which means most of our sailing from here on out will take place on the weekends until spring. That being said, we hope to get out at least once every weekend. I'll be a salty sailor soon enough!

Boat Projects

The good news is that if we wanted to sail to Mexico tomorrow, we could. Well, the boat could. She's in great shape and pretty much ready to go wherever, whenever. That doesn't mean there aren't projects on projects on projects, though. I think I'm starting to get the sense that owning a boat means doing lots and lots of projects. There will always be something to work on. 

Here's what we've knocked out so far:

• Cleaning and brightening the teak are two out of the three steps we took in restoring the wood to its natural state. Over time, the elements got to the teak, leaving it dirty and gray. We spent a couple of hours scrubbing the wood with teak cleaner, and then a couple more applying teak brightener. The third and final step is applying teak oil, which we'll get to shortly (we've been delayed by wet weather and diminishing daylight). 
• Oiling the hatches, since they were stiff and difficult to open. A little bit of elbow grease and WD-40 made this project a quick one.
• Measuring the cushions for recovering, since the current cushions have been on board since 1979. We're replacing the brown vinyl with a nice cream and blue cotton plaid. We picked out the fabric (thanks to those that voted!) and got one cushion done before our sewing machine broke. Now we're looking into other options (ahem, affordable labor) for getting the cushions recovered in a less headache-inducing way.
• Organizing, organizing, and more organizing of all of the items left on the boat. This project was harder than it sounds because I'm still not totally up to snuff on the what's what when it comes to boats. A lot of things had collected over the years, and a lot of them looked important. Deciding what to keep and what to toss took a lot of careful consideration and me asking, "Garrett, what's this?"
• Purchasing a roller furling unit was Garrett's top priority after buying the boat. He decided on a Harken furling unit, and we placed the order last week. We're hoping that it'll be installed and functional within the month!

Paperwork

Bored by the word "paperwork" already? Me, too. But, like any other big purchase, buying a boat came with lots and lots of paperwork, such as:

• The boat survey which, lucky for us, was completed by the previous owners a few months prior. It was great to have the survey results on hand when considering the boat.
• Insurance was one of the first things that Garrett took care of, as it was required by the yacht harbor where we're docked. After painstakingly looking for a company that would insure a boat manufactured in 1979, we landed with Safeco Insurance, and so far, so good.
• Registering the boat in our name was one of my least favorite activities as it involved going to the DMV. I ended up bringing more paperwork than what was required, but in the end, had everything I needed. Except for handing over a sizable check, the registration process was easy enough.
• Transferring the slip to our name was also a smooth process. Thankfully, we were able to take over the same slip at the yacht harbor where the last owners kept the boat. The harbor is easy to get to from both our apartment and work, and it's really nice. Great, clean facilities and proximity to a market, bar, and restaurant. It also looks over the city, and is a great place to catch the sunset and sunrise. Really, it can't be beat! Here's what we look out on:

After our first full month of sailing, writing checks, and busting out projects, I'm glad to report that we love being boat owners. Phew. 

To get a better look into the day-to-day of our adventures, follow us on Instagram (@svthisldu), like us on Facebook, and subscribe to our YouTube channel!

Episode II: B.O.A.T (Break Out Another Thousand)

If you know one thing about boats, just one thing, it's that they're expensive. Whether or not you get a screaming deal on the purchase price, they'll end up costing you one way or another.

We knew what we were getting ourselves into, and it was worth it. It is worth it. At least, that's what I told myself when we handed over checks for the insurance, registration, sales tax, slip rent, new cushion fabric, and a roller furling unit. 

It's worth it.

I'm really, really excited to see where this boat will take us, and what kind of sailors it'll make us into. 

Sailing is a new venture for me, one that Garrett has brought into my life. Neither of us grew up sailing, but we did both grow up with a strong appreciation of the water. Garrett bought his first sailboat, a MacGregor 23', when we were in college. He and my dad painstakingly drove it cross-country from Michigan to Rhode Island, where it spent a happy summer in East Greenwich. It was the first time that I ever set foot on a sailboat. 

Garrett's passion for sailing grew during his college summers spent working at the Newport Shipyard. Endless hours of wax on, wax off didn't deter his love of boats; instead, it fueled it.

Fast forward six years to when Garrett and I moved to San Francisco, and we asked ourselves, "what makes us happy?" And both of us answered, "water." That's when we started planning on buying a sailboat.

It took about two years to find the right one, and every minute spent searching was worth it. We love our Rafiki 35'. 

In the below episode, we cover some of the tasks mentioned above (registering the boat, picking out new boat fabric, etc.), cleaning up Thisldu's teak, and taking her out for our first double-handed cruise together. Thanks for watching!

Park City

I miss the fall in New England and everything that comes with it. The crisp air. Apple cider donuts. Big, crackly orange maple leaves. You don't get all of these things in San Francisco or Phoenix, both places that I've lived for the past six years. 

But you do get all of these things in Park City, Utah, where I just spent a wonderful long weekend with friends. The weekend was made up of one part exploration and one part relaxation, with plenty of alcohol on the side.

On Friday, our squad hiked the Armstrong Trail. What we thought was a 4-mile trek turned into a 6-mile hike with lots of twists and turns, but with every extra step we took, we were rewarded with breathtaking, breathtaking, views. I mean, it's like Park City knew that I was craving serious fall foliage so it served me up the best, most colorful mix of scenery I've seen in years. White-barked Aspen trees. Dirt paths lined with fiery red leaves. Mountains dappled with sunshine. Dark, tall Evergreens. This hike had everything I'd ever hoped for in a beautiful fall day.

On Saturday, we drove over to the High West Distillery at Blue Sky Ranch in Wanship, Utah. The ranch is a sight to behold, well worth the short 30-minute drive from Park City. We toured the distillery and enjoyed a whiskey tasting on the beautiful outside deck overlooking a peaceful stretch of Utah mountains. I particularly enjoyed the Barreled Boulevardier, which is more of a cocktail whiskey, and the Bourye, their bourbon and rye whiskey mix. If you're ever in the area, I urge you to visit High West, Utah's first legal distillery since 1870.

I know that Park City is a major winter destination for skiing and snowboarding, but if you have a chance to visit this beautiful place in the fall, do! It's a wonderful time of year to be outside and see Utah in all of her glory.

Our First Few Days Aboard Thisldu

Good news: thisldu is still afloat. And we couldn't be happier.

The more time we spend on board thisldu, the more we know we buying her was the right decision. She's already starting to feel like home (especially since, let's be honest, we're not even close to being homeowners in the Bay Area). This boat will be our only big purchase in a long, long time.

During our first week as boat owners, we knocked out a bunch of projects, went out for our first sail, and took advantage of enjoying our beautiful slip in Sausalito. All in all, it was a good week!

To share our experiences with our family and friends that are near and far, Garrett and I have decided to film the project progress we make and the sailing trips we take on thisldu. Check out the first episode below! 

Video Edit: We bought the boat on September 21, 2016, and not on the future date of September 21, 2017! :)