Thank you Gerty for lifting us up and freeing our minds.  There are moments every day that we focus on you, instead of our situation.  You are the ultimate distraction! Gerty, you are a gift that we gave ourselves three…

For Valentine’s Day Michael got me a new alternator, a freezer, and some type of supersonic antifouling paint for the propeller (Propspeed).  Isn’t that romantic? You may be laughing, but a better alternator equals more power and more power equals…

I’m blogging from my sofa today while I prep for my first colonoscopy.  Did we mention previously that not everything about sailing is glamorous?  There is engine maintenance, the importance of freezing flour, so weevils don’t appear, laundry in a…

For the first time in a long time, I am sitting still long enough to write a blog post.  I have peeled off three of the six layers I put on this morning in preparation for what I thought would…

While Gerty was under construction we insisted on having the dorade vents upgraded. The standard plastic vents were very low profile and did not look functional. Unfortunately, this expensive upgrade to welded aluminum dorade boxes with Vetus cowls has proved…

September 1 Mmmm, the smokey smell of sawdust is radiating from the port-side lazarette.  My nose is thrilled with the savory blend of campfire, old cedar closet, and marshland.  Never mind the blaring sound of the jigsaw that is profoundly…

Overfilling the head holding tank is messy. A mistake that one only has to learn once! To help assure our tank is not overfilled I recently installed a tank monitor. A bright red light now comes on when the tank…

Since getting Gerty, lifting the centerboard had been a chore. The load on the lifting line was substantial, requiring the slower winch speed for adequate leverage. We were told by the factory that this was normal and for the last…

Someday I may want to know what it was like making the transition from one way of life to another.  Today is Friday, my day off, so I have a moment to write this shit down. Firstly, when I am…

I learned to use the water maker, which seems very appropriate since I love having our tank full of fresh water.  Apparently, I still have to conserve because it takes power to make water and our 600 watts of solar…

Block Island Harbor is full and fun. Giant American flags are hoisted on the masts of several boats reminding us that the calendar still exists. I think, “What is the most relaxing thing we can do this morning?” “You’re not…

We could see thunderheads in the distance to the southeast mid-sail between Marth’s Vineyard and Block Island. It felt a little silly to be taking precautions given that the sky was sunny and blue above our mast. We put up…