Pre-maiden voyage

It took a few weeks (and 158 e-mails) for the Grampian to sell.  Aeolian Asylum has great new owners to take care of her.  She will be missed.

Mark spent 3 very long weeks driving back and forth to Erie, Pennsylvania to work on the boat.  To save money we packed food and cooking implements and he just camped out in the boat.  Port quarter berth will have to suffice.  Oh stop, it wasn't that bad, he could SEE the marina! 

Marks list for trip One:

Take out the garbage (had to make him feel at home)

Take a complete inventory

Put on the sails, fold the rest

Fix the hole

Install new batteries

Apply anti-fouling. 

Fix the hole.  Yes I said, "fix the hole".  We were trying to keep that one under wraps! 

There was a wee hole in the hull, caused by pesky 1/2" drill bit.  The boat was on the hard for 5 years, I'd been sick of bailing too!  I did my best to insure it wasn't fixed with bubble gum and duct tape.  Voila, all better! 

You can't see in the picture, but Mark hasn't any shoes on.  Something happened that caused him to spill the paint, or step in it I'm not sure.  I can tell you he did a bang up job of anti-fouling his feet!

He found a boom tent under one of the settees.  Mark's always said he prefers a boom tent to a bimini.  This one looks like it's missing poles or something.  I'll put it on the list of sewing projects (near the bottom). 

Summer holidays were very quickly coming to an end.  We didn't have much time left and it couldn't be wasted on cosmetic improvements.  That stuff could come later.  It was important for Mark to only concentrate on jobs that were required to get the boat home.  Lucky for us the motor was put to bed properly (5 years previous).  There was nothing to do but replace the parts that should be replaced and cross our fingers.  But not only was a running motor key, so were lights and power.  We just purchased a new VHF radio, but still couldn't get any of the wiring to work.                                                         

It's just dirt

Yup, that's what he said, "It's just dirt, she'll clean up fine".   I debated it for a long time.   Am I stupid?  Or do I just love him?  The jury's still out!





The cabin top looking aft.  A mess of dirty lines.



  The filth here didn't scare me.  Only requirement - elbow grease. 

I should have taken a picture of the birds nest in the boom.

Other than the fact it was dirty, the galley didn't appear that bad.

The oven was spotless!



Though I should save the worst for last.  The salon was atrocious. 



By the end of that Tuesday afternoon the offer had been made and accepted.  Mark and I now owned two sailboats.  We bought her on the hard, we didn't know if the motor ran, or if it would float.  We knew it was the right size, included an amazing amount of hardware and sails, and was certainly the right price.  

Mark's a wood shop teacher,  and I sew marine upholstery.  Between the two of us, we have the skills and passion to put her back together (I tell myself everyday).  We're really putting our knowledge to the test with this baby! 

What the hell was I thinking?

This was the year I decided to learn to sail.  I made up my mind.  I was going to put the years of screaming, yelling and fighting away, and start fresh. 

Mark and I already owned a Grampian 26 (Aeolian Asylum).  Great little bullet-proof boat that we (more he) sailed out of The Port of Newcastle Marina on the north shores of Lake Ontario.  We joined the Newcastle Yacht Club, very quickly made friends, and I watched from shore.  They all laughed and smiled while they cruised and raced.  They couldn't all be crazy, there must be something to this, there must be something I'm missing.  I've got it..............

...."Honey, we need a bigger boat!"

And so starts the adventures of Mark, Christine and the Morgan 33T named Abracadabra.