Wednesday, February 4, 2009

Sailboat?????

The question is: Are you a sailboat if you have masts but no booms? I would like to believe that we are back to being a sailboat even though we haven't quite gotten the booms re-attached. You all will have to weigh in on this one. I guess technically, we would have a hard time sailing without booms, but we certainly look more like a sailboat. The masts went back into the boat with the help of the crane at Seaview East yesterday. We took the boat over on Monday night, spent the night on their wall (I could walk to yoga class in the morning) and by a little after noon, the masts were back in their rightful place with many boat bucks worth of beautiful new rigging and spreaders that Forespar advises us are much less likely to fall down! Brad and I took the boat back through the locks under beautiful sunny skies. Had the boys not needed to picked up after school, I would have suggested continuing across the Sound to Port Madison for dinner. I had to leave work to help Brad with this little trip and was up to my ears with stuff to do. I did feel guilty leaving, but that didn't stop me from closing my eyes and smiling up at that glowing orb in the sky as we waited for the locks. We even remembered to check and see if the railroad bridge was up after exiting the locks (powerboats and mastless sailboats do not have to do this).

Main Mast going in and what makes everything work: It only looks like Spaghetti Mess



Mizzen Mast going in
We have completed our first month living on the boat. Brad and I keep looking at each other and wondering why we didn't do it sooner (one reason was that we didn't have live-aboard status.) The boys, the cats and the parents all seem to be transitioning well.
Bryce and I took our Ham Radio Technician level test on Saturday passed. The FCC now recognizes both of us as lisenced amatuer radio operators. From now on you can refer to me as KE7ZTO and Bryce as KE7ZTP (although we are looking into vanity call signs?????). The Lake Washington Ham Club did a fabulous job with the prep class and they were all so friendly that we look forward to meeting up with them on the airwaves once we figure out our radio.
Finally, thank you to everyone for your concern over our little conbustible incident last week. We are all definitely OK and have all started checking the power for excess heat which is the way a crew should work (together). I hope everyone who has a boat takes it as an opportunity to discuss the plan in case of fire for their own boat (as pointed out by a land friend, we all have an escape plan for our homes, why wouldn't you have a plan for your boat?).