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The month has gone so fast.
We got a bit of a scare when Arthur formed pretty much right in front of Caribee. Friends in Florida kept us up to date with the situation. In general Caribee is doing well through the Florida summer heat and humidity. We have had someone go inside and check things out, and all is good so far so that's great to hear. It seems our extra efforts are paying off. We are very lucky to have friends to look over Caribee for us while we are away. Thank you!
Here in Montreal we have had some progress on Mako. We think we have stopped all the leaks now and we are very happy about that. We got rid of our old microwave that was scaring us a little... microwaves scare me in general but this one was really old and making some strange noises occasionally. We have replaced it with a toaster oven so Marty can have more interesting breakfasts at dock. It will not reheat things quite as quickly, it will not make pasta or quinoa while waiting for my stove to work, nor will it boil water... but I have a
kettle if i need a tea. I feel much better that the microwave is gone. We bought another propane tank for the stove (we brought the other one to Caribee) and we are now in search of a 15 foot hose with the right fittings so we can get the stove going. I refinished the cockpit table and it looks better- this will give me the push I need to sand down and redo all the rest of the exterior wood. Thankfully there is not a lot. I cleaned all the cushions and although they did not come out as nicely as Caribee's did, they are much better for sure. The new batteries and new charger are in and are working well. We have still not built the closet shelves for our clothes, but we have bought the wood so that's a start! It is not a project we are looking forward to doing ( other than for the fact that we will be able to bring our clothes on board!) because it will require a lot of measuring and planning to get around the water intake hoses for our tanks. I replaced the bedroom bulbs for LEDs, and probably
the most visible and most rewarding change on Mako this season is the fact that we finally replaced the partially functioning light fixtures in the salon area and the galley. The difference is incredible- it is so bright and so cozy, and there is a night ambiance setting on them as well. In the galley there is a night setting blue light so as not to attract bugs, then 3 other brightness settings. Fantastic. Things are slowly getting organized. I might change locations for things again of course, it is hard to figure out the best place to put some things when you know your boat will not just be sitting at dock and they could go flying across the boat when you are heeled over out on the water. We went to Fabricville and picked out the material that we will use to recover our cushions this fall, and then picked material for curtains as well. I will start making those soon. Our neighbours are not around often, but they are both powerboats who can look down through our windows so I want to have the option of privacy if we are going to live here. It might also
help with heat in the boat on a sunny day. We also bought some throw cushions and wall art. When the cushions are redone Mako will look even better, can't wait! I have to find our lantern to put back on the wall, and see if I can fix the clock and the barometer... but I think they are done. Next week our home is not rented so I will probably use that to our advantage and we will go live there while I re-stain and re-varnish the v- berth. That is the only room I never worked on since we have owned the boat- it is the most difficult because that is where we would sleep and I just never got around to it. We have also decided to get a mattress made for the v-berth. Up until now we have been using old cushions donated from another boat which we cut up and duck taped together to fit our space, covered by a memory foam. Marty's cushions are pretty much finished and he is not very comfortable, so we decided it was time to get something real. Our v-berth is going to be all brand new!! We also
installed one of the big water tanks, so when we go out for a few days on the water we will have no worries. There are many more plans and projects in the works, but we may not get them all done this season. We need to tackle the important things first, and throw in a fun one here and there to keep things interesting and lighten things up.
Marty has been playing tennis first thing in the morning almost every day, and swimming laps almost every evening before the pool closes. I have had a few tennis lessons so far from Marty, I have done laps twice (not many, I have not done proper strokes in years.... I usually just float around in the water these days!) and I have started to go to the aquafit classes they offer a few times a week. I have to remember that this is just as important as my projects- I sometimes get wrapped up in my renos and forget to do anything for my health then wonder why my neck or lower back are killing me. There is not enough time in a day, but I have to just make
some!
A few weeks ago, we went away for the weekend with a few other boats and had a great time. We rafted up a second time in the middle of the lake at the sand bar on another occasion and had a great time as well. We have to make sure we plan more of this type of thing this summer. when you are out in the middle of the water you have no choice but to relax- you can't do anything about anything anyway, so you may as well try to forget about it and enjoy where you are. Marty and I need that environment to slow us down once in a while. We are racing every Friday, and we will do some other races as they come up as well. We have to take a bit longer to make sure everything is secure when we go out because we are now racing our house, and we have to take down the dodger because otherwise we cannot use the traveler. It all works out and we are having fun. I will have to take Mako out more this year, I have not been at the helm leaving
and returning to dock in three years- I have only helmed once we are out on the lake and that's not smart. We are definitely enjoying the club in a way we never have before.. for example we have never really used the pool or tennis courts before this to any extent. We have been invited on boats we have never been on before, and we have met new wonderful people who have been here all the long as we have, but with whom we have just never crossed paths. It's a very different life, but we are really enjoying it. Next year when we have everything fixed up and we can give more of our time, we will volunteer to help in club activities where we can. We are still really busy, but we are very grateful for the life we are living and for the wonderful people surrounding us.
"Don't worry about a thing, cause every little thing gonna be alright"
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