SailingKnitter

Whew! We are knocking chores off of the list as we prepare to embark on our open-ended cruising aboard the "Niki Wiki". Here is a pic of Jones intalling the hoist sling to the outboard motor for the dinghy. We had the motor refurbished and just got it back. Below is me sewing the D-rings into the straps that secure the liferaft. Just another day of purchases, repairs, upgrades, meals, and of course knitting!
We picked up the liferaft that had been re-certified and repacked - $700 - but worth every penny considering that a new one is $6000 and if we ever need to use it - priceless. It was tough getting it back onto the boat - Jones fashioned a 3-point pulley system and we hoisted her aboard. Then I made the sewing repairs to the straps. That's the liferaft at my feet - the white box. Hard to believe that there's a 6-man life raft inside! It's one of those that is shaped like a space ship capsule - completely enclosed - and has a medical kit and small rations of water. All you have to do is toss the WHOLE BOX overboard and the line (rope) that ties it to the boat yanks on the box as it drops and engages the mechanisms that will inflate the raft! I really hope I never see it inflated!!!!

Also today, we lowered the dinghy into the water, mounted the motor and off we went for our maiden voyage in our dinghy around the harbor. We toured the marina looking at the other boats. As it is Memorial weekend, I attacked the nasty, greasy BBQ on the rear deck with a wire brush so I can grill some teriyaki chicken & veggies this evening. You know how it is - everyone is down here on their boats and they will be grilling up delicious food with wonderful aromas. It would be awful to have to smell their meals without grilling up our own!

Yesterday was a mega work day - we discovered that the forward head was "burping" fumes and "fluid materials" out of the holding tank onto the floor and into the bilge. No wonder it stank to high heaven up there!!!!! Once we tighted up the fittings - so simple - I mixed up a solution of Clorox bleach and detergent and scrubbed all the forward areas. Yeah, that's how it is to be retired and living on a boat - thrilling chores. So you pictured me with an umbrella drink sitting in a hammock? Well, that's coming up...just a few more chores...

Making progress on the "Pacific Northwest Shawl" as I've finished the "seagulls" motifs and am about 2/3 of the way thru the "evergreen trees" motifs. Still have the "sand dollars" "Fish" "Waves" and the "shell" border to go...knitting..knitting....

As this is a lace shawl you really can't see the patterning yet - kinda a rumpled blob.

Knit on...