Live-Aboard Status

What is it?

Many people have asked what our plans are. Part of the answer to this question requires something that we have been referring to as "live-aboard" status. Most people get a questioning look on their face when this comes up. We planned to move aboard our boat at Shilshole after the holidays. As with many things in life, we did not have total control over this plan. The Port of Seattle had the control. They limit the number of moorage customers at Shilshole who are allowed to live on their boats: live-aboards. At Shilshole, the number of boats with this special status remains at the cap and so there is a waiting list for "live-aboard" status. We have been waiting since June (being totally mystified by the actual waiting list system as our position in the queue seemed jump around on a weekly basis) for the Port to offer us this status.

WE GOT THE CALL YESTERDAY!!!!

I guess not many people want to move onto their boats in the dead of winter. That is what we will be doing. We have promised the kids that we would celebrate Christmas at our house and after we get it all cleaned up, we will move onto the boat. We will be getting our house ready for rental and working through all those transitional issues. Please offer any advice on moving that you might have!!

Spa Treatments

Hopefully, Capaz has been been enjoying her treatments in the spa (yard). She has 2 coats of new paint on her bottom lovingly applied by Brad and I. Brad worked on installing new zincs. After his experience diving on the boat in Hawaii spending 3 hours scraping worms off the hull, Brad wanted to make extra sure that the coverage is complete. He went over all the crevices and through-hulls making sure they all had good coverage. Capaz also had her top sides buffed and waxed. We have worked on the same treatment to the decks and cabin tops but were unfortunately stopped by some drizzle. We should be able to finish that part of the job once Capaz is back in the slip on dry days that I have off from work. Yes, I realize that it is fast approaching winter in Seattle and the number of dry days that coincide with my days off may be a very small number, but like always, if the opportunity presents itself, I will jump on it.

"Spa Week" for Capaz

Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Aunt Carrie and Uncle Rex approaching the locks

Years ago, I was talking to one of the "big boat" owner's wives at a Christmas party. She was explaining to me that the boat had just returned from a trip to the "Spa". Evidently, this couple had worked out some sort of rationalization for the cost of the race boat going into the yard for her yearly maintenance. Yard trips are an unavoidable part of every healthy boat's life. It was explained to me, that this particular owner treated the two important women in his life to spa time - each in their own particular way. The wife got to go to the spa. The boat got to go to the yard. I see this couple continuing their already enduring relationship far into the future. It always helps us boat wives when things are explained to us in terms that make sense in our world.
With that said, our girl, Capaz, is headed to the spa. Aunt Carrie and Uncle Rex got out to see the boat and help us move it through the locks to Canal Boat Yard before joining us for a great dinner. We had an uneventful and quick trip. Last boat into the locks. Carrie commented that it was just like driving onto the ferry just before it leaves the dock. It was nice to have them aboard as the power boat that we rafted to was single handing and I was able to jump on his boat and man his aft lock line. We made it under the Ballard Bridge long before the 4:00 cut-off. Carrie seemed a little disappointed that all had gone so smoothly and quickly - she would have liked to have spent a little more time on our boat!

Aunt Carrie mans the bow line leaving the locks

Our favorite fiberglass wizard, Paul, caught us at the Canal wall. We are hoping that we aren't too close to the shallow spot with the lake level down. First thing tommorrow, Capaz will be hauled and we will begin the work on her bottom among other projects. The boys are going to spend a few days at Deer Meadow-Brad and I will be putting long days at Canal, trying to not have the yard bill mount too quickly.










November 6, 2008
Capaz checks in at the "Spa"

Up and out of the water . . . . .

. . . . . . . and into your "treatment space"

F & G Dock Halloween

Baker Pirates ready to Trick-or-Treat on F & G Docks

We had this crazy idea to tag along with some live-aboard pros down at Shilshole for Halloween. The "Ghostsailors" were amenable to having some company on their rounds of F and G docks. (F & G docks are mentioned together alot because we share the same marina gate, so we all see each in the same parking area and at the top of the dock.) Because Angela has had kids for most of the years that she and her husband have lived on their boat, she knows that a little planning has to go into these kind of events. She posted a sign-up sheet at the gate for anyone interested in participating in the kids' trick-or-treating rounds. Most of our live-aboard neighbors were game so that gave about 20 boats to visit. It was a toss-up on who was more exciting the kids: two pirates, a skeleton and blue angels flying ace or the folks on their boats. Armed with Hot Apple Pies to keep us warm (it was a beautiful evening and we probably didn't really need them, but I think the drinks allowed the 3 adults to chill a little about the massive amounts of candy our children were collecting), we started off on the far end of F-dock. Quite a few of the boats were "decorated" and even the residents came to the hatch (don't know how you refer to entryway on a powerboat - help me out here) dressed in costumes. The first person to ask for a trick got all four kids standing on one leg (it was the first thing that came to my mind). After that, the kids came up with knocking on the hull, then crouching below the boat's and yelling "Trick or Treat" when someone came out - better "trick"! We wound our way around the head of the two docks and started down G-dock meeting more people that we don't see as often, but who still seem familiar. We met the parrot that I had been hearing all summer (thinking that I might just have been hearing things). S/V Ghost was the last stop where Angela and Scott prepared to host a Halloween Dock Party. I supervised the first look in light at the candy the kids had collected. O-M-G!!!!! When all four of the dumped out their haul, it covered the entire main saloon of Ghost (I know most boats don't have much floor space, but this was actually a fairly large area). There was an initial sort and then we decided that maybe we go check on Brad who was manning the door back at the house, but hadn't been feeling that well. When we arrived back the house, the boys combined all their candy and then weighed it - 17 pounds. Thank goodness that Austin's class celebrates the holiday by seeing how much candy they can bring in the next day and donate to Childhaven! Most of it has left the house, however, I must say that somehow I was talked into having a basket for the house and for the boat!
This dock community is very friendly and seem very close-knit. It makes us get very excited to become a part of it all (still hoping for moving aboard after the holidays). Our immediate neighbors are both live-aboards and we feel very lucky to have gotten the slip between them, but it is even nicer to know that their welcoming attitude premeates both of these docks.

Stayed tuned . . . . . . . Capaz goes to the "Spa"