I met Mike 3 years ago in the Library bar in the Royal York Hotel. At that time I had sold my businesses and my condo and I was ready to thumb my way around the islands as crew on whatever boat I could find.

Mike had a few more years to go before he could officially retire or ‘swallow the anchor’ as they say in the navy. He asked me to wait for him.  I agreed and here we are 24 days from departing on our sailing life together.

Thanks Mike for being so supportive of my adventurous life doing boat deliveries in the meantime. Now we will both be free for boat deliveries when they come up. Thank you too for agreeing to have Debbie join us on board Ohana.

Can’t wait to celebrate this last day with you, complete our work on Ohana and live the dream we are both so passionate about.

I must get ready to go as we are having lunch with his co-workers then off to the Library Bar to celebrate as we return to the place we met 3 years ago. If you are in the area feel free to drop by after 2pm and say hello.

Cheers!

after the air cleared

Written by Mike

For ten months now I’ve been climbing in and out of the lazarettes; replacing hoses, adding bilge pumps, running wiring, wrestling with the heavy inverter that someone, in what must have been a fit of insanity, mounted on the back of the electrical panel cover – and always there lurked in the dark recesses of the starboard lazarette a hulking, ominous presence.

frozen at the bottom

Fastened to the inside bulkhead a 32 lb cylinder of CO2 was quietly rusting away, waiting for the right moment to rupture – the red paint almost obscured by rust, topped by a brass “Pneumatic Feed Control Head” that was almost as big as… well, as my head!

inspection card

A faded inspection card was tied to it with a bit of string…”OK 6 – 8 – 82 needs cylinder check”. June 8th or August 6th, 1982 – that was three or four months before I started working thirty years ago and I’m retiring in two days (that’s a subject for another blog!).

As I crouch there in the lazarette I’m pretty sure it’s not pressurized anymore. Thirty years is a long time for a metal can in a marine environment.

I did some research on the Internet – Kidde Fire Systems has been around a while and takes credit for the first installations of CO2 fire suppression systems in marine environments. They even installed one on the Victory, Nelson’s flagship still floating in Portsmouth, England. All I could find was one graphic of the control head but no directions, instructions or manual.

There was a reset button, so I tried that… nothing. There was also a control arm in the “Up” position, locked out by a cotter pin so I pulled the pin… still nothing.

Thinking the control arm might isolate the canister from the initiator I turned it down… Whoooshh! White mist filled the lazarette and the engine space where it then puffed out into the cabin, scaring the daylights out of Wendy and Deb.

I probably should have warned them first!

The show lasted about ten seconds and when the mist cleared everything was fine… except that I was having trouble catching my breath. I took a couple more deep breaths and realized CO2 doesn’t contain a lot of oxygen; none at all really!

I got out of there in a hurry; of course, that’s the way CO2 fire systems work – force a blast of CO2 into a confined space, driving out the oxygen and smothering the fire.

leaving this on the boat for conversation

Which is why the pull station in the cabin bears the inscription “Make sure no one is in the space or spaces protected before operating system.” They should put that on the canister  for dunderheads like me!

Thirty minutes later I went back, removed the bracket and wrestled the beast out of its lair – still coated in frost. Kudos to Kidde for designing a system that can sit untended for thirty years and still perform when called upon!

brass head

Does anyone have an idea for the brass fitting on the cannister? Dinghy anchor? It seems a waste to toss a big piece of brass in the garbage.

a closer look

brass head instructions

Gary and Jennifer, our amazing hosts

March eleventh, we were in Newcastle, Ontario for our friend Jen’s birthday party and spent most of the evening in her husband Gary’s ‘man-cave’. He has totally turned their double car garage into a party room.  Clearly it is his space and totally reflects his personality.

My plate and I

Gary has albums, interesting collectibles and so much stuff. Of course there is a bar with stools, fridge, coke machine, tv to watch the Toronto Maple Leafs play, a stereo and tons of atmosphere. People find things and give them to him and there is a story behind everything in there.

retiring my plate

As I looked around the ‘man-cave’ I had a light bulb moment and realized it would be a perfect spot to leave one of my plates.

When I sold my car to my nephew I kept my SALORGRL plates with the intent to leave one at Foxy’s in the BVI’s.  Before attending Jen’s party I didn’t know where to leave the other one.

Gary and Jen agreed to host a ‘license retiring party’ for me.

The location seemed very appropriate as I owned a condo just down the street and Deb and I used to sail out of there on my CS 30 - Whisper and my 25′ Catalina -

Deb and Mike

I’m Sure along with Wally and other great friends.

We had plenty of good times in the ‘mancave’ with family and friends during the time I lived and sailed there.

In the evening of April 5th the party began. It was so much fun and it went until three am or so. Many laughs were shared and people were curious as to our plans and so many well wishes came our way. Everyone signed the plate and then it was hung up.

Great spot for it

Thank you Gary and Jen for such a fun and memorable party. Thank you Mike and Laurie as well for putting us up that night so we didn’t have to drive back to Port Credit. Many thanks to those who attended and left us with great memories. Also to the guitar players who entertained us throughout the evening.

My other plate will go up at Foxy’s, BVI’s.

More photos of the ‘mancave’ and some of the guests….

Robert, Jen and Gary’s son

Ford Escape

We are leaving town in approximately 28 days.  My emotions are very up and down for sure. I can’t believe I’m so close to living my dream. A dream I have dreamed about since the first time sailing in the British Virgin Islands which was back in the early 2000′s.

Now we are selling our car. We have picked up our new car which is our dinghy and motor, perfect for our future lifestyle.

I sold my car to my nephew about 1 year ago knowing one day we would be totally without a car. Well that day is coming fast and honestly it feels really funny.  I’ve had a car at my disposal since I was l6 years old. I feel like its a detachment from land in a way as it is how we get around to see family and friends etc. I know selling the car is part of cruising away as its an expense we don’t need for something we are not using. It just doesn’t feel right though.

Ford Escape

It’s a 2003 Ford Escape with l65,000 km featuring a 6 cylinder 4WD automatic engine, 4 door, A/C, power windows, mirrors and driver’s seat, 60/40 rear seat, new battery/ignition coil this winter and back door can open entirely or just the window opens up.

Professionally maintained throughout the years and only had one owner. Regular oil changes and no visible rust. She is in great shape and a pleasure to drive. Feel free to email me at wendy@windinmydreams.net if you are interested. You can take possession TBD. $4,000 Cdn.

Did you know bacteria doubles every 20 minutes?

Recent studies show that store bought disinfectants and cleanser are 40% ineffective against germs and bacteria. I found this quite interesting.  I’m also very conscientious about what I use on the boat as it goes directly into the lake. I have stopped using store bought cleaners even those that claim they are bio-degradable and I have taken it one step further.  When those products run out I’m refilling the spray bottles with natural ingredients that are not harmful to the environment.

Check out these simple tips.

Baking soda added to the rinse cycle makes a great fabric softener substitute.

Cleaning fruit – fill sink with water, add 1 C. vinegar, mix. Add all fruit and soak for 10 minutes. Water will be dirty and fruit will sparkle with no wax or dirty film. Ideal for berries too–keeps them from molding. When cleaning fruit it is best to wait to clean before they are eaten.

Carpet, clothing and upholstery cleaner. Put hydrogen peroxide into a spray bottle, add half handful of baking soda, shake and spray on stains. Also great for cleaning sores and infections.

De-greaser, add orange peels to white vinegar. Let peels soak in vinegar and use on hands and anything needing degreasing.

Spider killer or preventer…take one cup of vingar, one cup of pepper (powder), a teaspoon of oil and liquid soap. Put it into a spray bottle and spay along in your cockpit, lines and along windows. Refresh after it rains.

Dryer sheet cuts your bathroom cleaning time in half – makes mirrors & bath fixtures sparkle and cuts right through soap scum on bathtub.Use to get sticky dust right off of furniture, blinds and baseboards. Cleans up cook-tops and greasy cupboards quickly. Soak paintbrushes in warm water with a dryer sheet and watch the paint come right off. Clean dead, icky bugs from surfaces. Wipe pet hair off of clothes and furniture. Run over thread before sewing to keep tangles away. Put in cupboards and drawers for a nice fresh scent. These are not homeade but sure take up less space on the boat and have many uses.

Spray hydrogen peroxide on surfaces as it cleans like bleach.

Add mineral, baby or olive oil to your head to keep the flushing mechanism lubricated.

White vinegar or apple cider vinegar and baking soda make a great head/toilet cleaner as well as surface cleanser. Mixed together makes great bubble/abrasive action. It can also unclog a drain.

Half water and half white vinegar leaves mirrors, windows, floors, faucets and sinks shining. Or you can add soda pop to a spray bottle and it works great on tough carpet stains.

Simmer cloves and cinnamon for a natural air freshener.

My daughter Krystin suggested I search Pinterest for great ideas. She was right.

Share your tips with us.

Written by Mike

Our transmission returned last week with new seals, gaskets and the spline properly sweated into place; I arranged for Adam to return on the weekend to handle the installation. On Saturday I attached the new damper plate and started to install the oil cooling unit (it cools both the engine and transmission oil). By that time Adam had arrived and we finished attaching the four oil hoses and two water hoses. It actually took both of us to tighten the hoses – cranking on the brass hose fittings can deform the soft copper body of the cooler unless you support the brass fitting with another pair of pliers.

Then the real fun began. Adam and I found it much more difficult to get the transmission back in over the top of the engine than it was to get it out. We had to lift, roll, twist and shift 135 lbs of oddly shaped metal over the engine/under the cover without jarring the high-pressure fuel lines – which run along the top edge of the engine just to one side.

Once it was resting on top of the engine Adam had to position himself to catch the transmission as I moved it back towards him.

It’s a great way to lose a finger or a toe.

We managed to get it in and Adam set to work inching it into position – six holes in the flange had to match up with six bolts in the back of the engine. That’s a tricky proposition when the transmission needs to be lifted up about two inches, braced at the perfect angle and then shifted forward till the spline meets the drive plate.

After that it’s easy – just align the spline teeth with gear in the drive (without shifting the transmission on any axis) and slide it forward.

Okay, so it’s not easy – that part took us an hour. Only one of us can get in there at a time and I’m glad it was Adam, because he knew what he was doing. I’d probably still be in there. The engine mounts went back on and after that we focused on the rest of the hoses, cables and other attachments.

I had pumped out most of the engine oil earlier in the week so I gave the Perkins a drink of some fresh stuff. I then filled the transmission with oil and we all crossed our fingers.

This would be the first time we had run the 4-108 since mid-December – it had been a cold four months, although we had warmed the engine spaces quite often to keep the water lines open.

We turned the key, pressed the start button and listened to the familiar sound of a marine diesel rolling over… and over…

And then it caught! After four months and only ten seconds of ignition the iron jenny fired up and ran like a charm!

Adam felt around the transmission while the engine warmed up – after five minutes he gave me the cut-off signal and said those five magic words…

“The transmission is still leaking.”

$1,400 was the bill and they hadn’t fixed the problem. I was not happy.

Adam explained that it was leaking from the gear selector on the port side of the transmission.

“You take the cover plate off on the starboard side and pull out the neutral switch assembly – there’s an O-ring on the port end that should have been replaced.” I observed that this would have been a lot easier to do when the transmission was in the shop and he agreed!

I sent an e-mail to the mechanic and he arranged to send someone out the next day to look at it. Wendy pointed him into the abyss and he confirmed that the neutral switch assembly was the culprit.

“This would have been a lot easier to do in the shop.”

He had no idea how ironic that was!

Once again, we wouldn’t have been able to accomplish this without Adam’s help – I probably would have spent another $800 to have the mechanic pull and install the transmission. That’s why Adam and Ellie have earned a lifetime membership in the Ohana Cruising Club!

view from the main dock

The noise from sanders, saws and the travel lift are music to our ears.  It’s funny how you don’t see many people all winter on the docks then as the weather warms the activity begins to increase. Shrink wrap is being removed and people are working away.

It’s like the boats have been in cocoons all winter and now they are new butterflies with the removal of their covers and life returns to the marina.

Less than a week ago we had a winter storm and we were happy we still had our shrink wrap as ice pellets bounced off the plastic.

We will likely be one of the last to remove it due to working on our exterior woodwork.

The docks were repaired, however some are underwater again. Water on the dock is to be turned on this week, yeah to that. Although we have not had an issue with hauling water from the laundry room.  We have all done our share and will certainly welcome having the water back on.

What is really odd is every spring when I have worked on my boats in the past I’ve had to climb on up and down a ladder with it on the hard, making spring cleaning difficult. I love that Ohana is in the water for all the work we are doing to her. Her interior is almost complete after cleaning, sanding and varnishing the woodwork.  She is looking amazing.

We will need to book a haul out so we can take care of her bottom and clean the hull as well.  We didn’t have time last year when we purchased her and I’ve been quite anxious to get her shining again.

Beautiful teak wood

This 36 year old boat is gleaming after many hours of cleaning the wood with Murphy’s oil soap. Then we rubbed it down in teak oil producing amazing results.

As soon as the weather dries up we will paint the inside of the cupboards in white to add brightness and cleanliness.

Thanks Deb for all your help, I would be so far behind doing this myself.

looks like a bomb went off

Now that spring has almost arrived – well officially anyway - we have decided to tear apart all the cupboards, lockers and every inch of the boat to get her scrubbed, painted, wiped down and reorganized.

The winter was hard on Ohana with all the condensation issues we had. At times it was rolling down the sides of the boat, especially in the closets where we hung our clothes. I won’t miss putting on damp cold clothing in the mornings. Honestly, I would totally live on board in the winter again but I wouldn’t on Ohana. She is so well built and air tight the condensation left dark stains on some of the woodwork and throughout the winter we were chasing mold. We had to completely tear away the sheet of teak ply below the chart table as it was delaminated. This was not just from this winter, she has had condensation issues in the past.

forward locker

Our next step after we scrub out the lockers is to paint all the fiberglass that is on the inside. The forward locker needed to be scraped before painting. Some lockers are so hard to reach inside and get to every corner so I’m going to look for a brush with a handle about 1-2 ft long.  It will be reused when we clean the engine.

We bought a biodegradable product to clear the years of dirt, grease and grime away which is giving us great results. For the woodwork, we are washing it down in Murphy’s oil soap, then we will apply a coat of teak oil.

The weather over the next few days may hold us up due to plenty of rain forecast and the possibility of ice pellets or snow. We are still covered with shrink wrap but it’s too moist in the boat to paint. UGH

We are staying at a friends house here in Port Credit. The extent of our projects would be difficult to complete while living on board. Thank you Sue, we are so grateful.

Ohana will look and smell lovely when we are done.

We are off to pick up the rebuilt transmission today and that is Saturday’s project to install it safe and secure. Things are really coming together.

I’m reaching into a cupboard under the settee

Deb hanging in the locker scraping away

deflating her

Written by Mike

For every boat there is a dinghy… that might be a good line for a song! If you’re a songwriter you can use that – just credit me with the idea!

Over the last five years I’ve cruised for some fourteen weeks and only three of those were spent without a dinghy. It’s a standard item when you charter a yacht and a gamboling herd of gray dinghies tied up at the “dinghy dock” means you’ve found the local watering hole! Having the use of a dinghy actually triples your options when cruising, allowing you to choose a mooring ball or “dropping the hook” at the end of the day rather than $2/foot or more at the dock.

You can choose a mooring ball or an anchorage without a dinghy, but then you know you won’t be getting off the boat to shop, socialize or chill out on the beach. For this reason many cruisers refer to their dinghy as “the car”.

We purchased a new Duras 9’6″ dinghy with the wooden floor and a 6 HP Tohatsu
4-stroke outboard at the 2013 Toronto Boat Show – it was a great package deal and a real pleasure to buy from the guys at the MarineEx booth. We asked them to install bow/stern lights and they had everything ready when we arrived.

We felt like kids on Christmas morning, quite anxious to get our new toy.The dinghy was inflated and they took the time to show us how the floor boards install; after that they went over the engine operation. They’d even given the engine 25 minutes of run-in time. We were happy to hear they increased the warranty from three to five years.

The dinghy itself folds up into a bag the size of a large tent and all the other equipment goes into a bag the same size. We plan to tow the dinghy behind us on short sails, boom her up onto the foredeck for longer sails and if we’re sure she wouldn’t be needed for a while we can deflate her, storing her in the bag on the foredeck to give us more room.

Wendy’s mother passed away two years ago; when the estate was finalized Wendy used some of the money to pay for the dinghy. When it came time to choose a name it only seemed fitting that we should remember Barb – so the dinghy will be christened “Babs” (that was her nickname) and it will be applied to the bow with pride. Everywhere we go Babs will carry us safely, watching over us and always finding the way home.

Be sure to read Wendy’s blog on dinghy safety.

installing floor boards

deflating her

reviewing the insides

just out of the box

Traveller Troubles are Solved

Finally!

Written By Mike

Hallelujah! brothers and sisters – a miracle has come to pass! The stubborn, obnoxious sail track that had refused to part ways with Ohana has seen the light!

I would like to thank everyone for the suggestions and tips. I tried them all – heat, drift pin and even blunt force so I’m not sure that any one idea proved to be the solution. It’s probable that they all contributed in some way.

adding heat

As is often the case, had I known the specific details of how the sail track had been  attached to the bridge it would have been much easier to remove it. It turns out that the holes in the track and the bridge through which the threaded fasteners passed were not themselves threaded. So once I had removed all the nuts from the underside of the bridge the track was essentially held in place by nothing more than corrosion.

The underside of the track is hollow and the fasteners still haven’t come out of the old track – all I had to do was smack the livin’ daylights out of the track to break the grip between the fasteners and the bridge. Even that didn’t work till I got really, really mad at it!

extra torque

When I pulled the rubber boot off the stainless steel pin at the starboard end of the track I found a thick layer of hard, white, chalky material. To pull the pin out of the track/bridge I had to lock a pair of vice grips to the pin and twist it out – twenty to thirty revolutions before I could work it out.

When I went to the port side and started to pry the boot off with a heavy screwdriver the pin popped out along with the boot. There was no corrosion at all on that side.

It’s possible the port side had been replaced recently, but it may also be that Ohana had spent a lot of time with salty water being blown over the starboard side!

prying it off

As soon as I had the pin out I realized that there was some play in the track. I couldn’t find my pry bar, so I tapped a slot screwdriver under the base of the track, just enough to let me slip the hammer claws under the track. I pulled up enough to release the screwdriver and moved it to the other side of the hammer claws. I worked my way down the track and it gradually lifted away, to the sound of happy cries from my admiring crew!

a closer look

The next job will see me marking the new track for drilling and cutting to length. I’ll take suggestions on the best ways to avoid this corrosion issue when I install the new track… Loctite? White grease?

What do you think?

Raging waters of the Ganaraska River flooded the little town of Port Hope on Lake Ontario 33 years ago (l980). One year after this disaster devastated their town, the residents turned this into a celebration and created, ‘Float your Fanny down the Ganny’.

Thousands of people line the shoreline to watch this crazy, fun filled event as adventurous rafters, canoeists and kayakers parade down the Ganaraska River. Water guns and water balloons are filled and ready to hit the rafters floating by, they too are armed and ready to fire back at the spectators.

Water temperatures are below freezing and the churning, white water has no mercy as it capsizes rafts, sends crew flying into the water, claims paddles and gear and sends them down the river.  The participants are determined to be unstoppable on their l8km route as they strive to stay afloat and take risks to cross that finish line. 

‘Float your Fanny down the Ganny’ is held in March when the river is elevated during our winter thaw and provides plenty of fun and entertainment for everyone involved. It has been snowing here as recently as yesterday and this years event has been a chilly one.

“The miracle isn’t that I finished. The miracle is that I

the Courage to Start”.

John J. Bingham

Photographs by Michael Mead

BBQ cover over the helm

This was one tricky project. My intentions were to record it step by step but it didn’t work out that way.  I made it up as I went along, sewing a seam here and a dart there. It was too short so I had to add scrap fabric to the bottom. This photo isn’t very good either.

I started by pinning the shape that I wanted to achieve, then I sewed the one side. I refit it and sewed the other side.  I had it inside out and right side up many times trying to figure out how to do this. I sewed elastic around the entire base so it holds firm underneath everything and the wind won’t catch it and take it away. Not a fun project but rewarding once completed.

teak cockpit table in down position

One of Mike’s winter projects was restoring our teak cockpit table and he did an amazing job. We also bought a wooden wheel to go with the age and decor of the boat. It too needs to be protected from the eliments.

helm showing wheel, compass and table, cockpit is still messy as its part of our workshop too (for now)

My very good friend Sue, came up with this brilliant idea to buy a BBQ cover and modify it to fit over everything including the the GPS and compass. So I purchased a cover at Canadian Tire for $20 and now I have a helm station cover. I used a light weight cover not one of the heavy duty covers as it would be a real challenge to modify and it would add extra bulk.

This saved a lot of money buying marine canvas although it doesn’t look so great, the purpose outweighs the looks.

Small spaces on boats can really get messy. I decided to purchase some containers at Walmart to fit the space. First I measured the opening for which the containers need to go through, then I measured the inside space. I prefer to have several bins to keep things separate as I thought bigger bins would be messier.

These spaces are behind the settees.

In this space I have assorted bins which fit really nicely and I still have room for one more on top.  Before the spaces were jammed, now they are organized and items are protected from condensation.

I love it.

Check out this facebook site if you plan to head south this season.

Southbound Escapees Association

Hello Escapees….We’re considering doing a Google Hangout on Cruising South, to help you prepare for your first trip (or next one!) south, and to provide experts to answer your questions on the various topics you’re interested in.

This association sounds quite informative. Let me know what you think.

SHARE this on your FB page for them. Try this link if the above does not work for you.

Selling your boat? 10 Steps to Staging your Boat

Dinner anyone?

1. Clean your boat inside and outside and keep it clean.

2. Be organized. Clean out cupboards and closets to make them look spacious.

3. Take as much of your personal stuff off the boat as possible. Make it look roomy and uncluttered.

4. Consider having cushions recovered in tasteful fabric. It will help you to sell your boat as it’s usually the first thing you notice when going below. Buy or make throw cushions, they help to add warmth and comfort. You can often pick up great cushions at second hand stores or sites like Kijiji.  Purchase a few scatter mats, they add warmth and comfort too.

5. Put an air freshener or two on board especially if its been closed up for a period of time. The smell test can ruin a deal.

6. Set a nice table if possible. Have fresh flowers on the table and maybe a fresh loaf of bread and some wine glasses. If it’s in the way during showings then set it for the photographs.

7. Buy new dish/tea towels for the galley and hand towels for the head. Its amazing what you can pick up a the dollar store.

8. Pull beds out and make them for the photographs so people can see just how the bed looks when it is set up. Many settees and galley tables turn into beds and it can be hard to visualize them set up for your guests.

9. Don’t buy too much stuff to stage your boat.  I have seen this at boat shows and it looks overdone.

10. Colour co-ordinate your boat, make the colours flow throughout.

Go to my blog for photos of Ohana’s interior

Here are a few examples….

This is my friends boat Maple Jack, a lovely 30′ Pacemaker she is selling for $10k. We staged it back in the fall so she would have nice photos to show prospective purchasers over the winter. Maple Jack was tarped and on the hard for the winter and showings were not recommended. Pauline has decorated with blues and yellows and it’s beautiful. She also went to a bargain store for decorative pillows and they fit perfect. Here is a link to her listing and to view more photos.

beautiful sunroom in cockpit

V-berth

an inviting table

first impressions when boarding

I staged this SeaRay 33 we currently have for sale. After I spent a week cleaning her I took photographs for the websites. Everything was purchased at the dollar store, towels, placemats, dishes etc. Pillows I borrowed off of Ohana. Go to this site to view the listing and more photos.

all items from the dollars store, except the wine

dark pillows on the soft colours

blended colours

add cockpit cushions

new towel and adds colour

Be creative, make your boat as bright and welcoming as possible. Create desire to view your boat by posting many photographs on websites. The photographs will invite potential purchasers to step on board.

There are unlimited ideas and tip for staging your boat.  These are the basic ones and cater mainly to the interior of the boat. Search decorating sites and magazines for cottages, homes etc.

Once I have the cockpit cushions sewn up I will blog about the exterior of the boat. Right now we still have everything stored on the deck since the shrink wrap is still on. Mike has been spending endless hours in the engine compartment and everything is out of the lazarettes.

Basil, Oregano and Thyme

I love cooking on board and I enjoy putting fresh herbs into my meals. I have googled growing a herb garden on your boat without much luck.  I’m looking for your ideas.

When we were sailing in Croatia we bought a very healthy basil plant in a pot and Betty Basil lasted the 2 weeks. Rosemary grows everywhere over there so it was easy to find.

Since then I have been buying herbs in pots and replace as needed. I purchased a metal plant container from Ikea and it holds 3 potted plans. However, when we sail I have to put it in the sink to avoid a big mess.

While we still have our bubble over the boat I put them outside in the daytime to get the extra warmth and sunshine.

Let me know your secrets for growing an herb garden on your boat.

Ohana’s galley

When we purchased Ohana I didn’t want to go with the usual nautical look but rather a bright, tropical look.

I have added green and blue tones to add some pop to the boat.

Pillows help to add warmth and comfort.

Our interior is done in beautiful teak wood and I have been adding colour to break up the dark wood. My preference would be to paint some of the wood white but I’m sure I would be thrown overboard for doing before I even got started.

Settee with pillows

Our settees are done in a beige fabric which is very dull. I’m currently searching for a nice off white fabric to recover them.

Dinner anyone?

I love to set a nice table for dinner. I have added colours to go with the fabrics on the boat. Fresh flowers are always nice to have on board.

I’m searching for the right fabrics to make new cockpit cushions. I have narrowed it down to indoor and outdoor Sunbrella fabrics.

Fresh flowers add a nice touch.

Fresh bread also a nice touch

Ok I’m a pillow freak.

Here I have carried the colours through the boat into the v-berth.

I often search through boat listings for colours, storage, and design ideas. I search Gulfstar 37′s in particular.

colour in the head

shower curtain and towels

As we prepare to depart in May I’m trying to figure out where we are going to put everything that has to come on board.

Charts can take up plenty of room so I decided to buy some webbing and peel and stick velcro to hang the charts under the chart table.

26″ by 1″ any colour works

We have a couple of tubes to store so I measured 26 inches of webbing. Adhered the velcro to the webbing. I put the velcro 8 inches apart for the first section to wrap around the piping. I then peeled the paper off and stuck it together after wrapping it around the pipe.

26 inches long by 1″ wide

We have a pipe that our wires run through just under the desk.  I wrapped the one end around the tube and secured it with the velcro.

The string hanging in the photo was my original attempt to hang the tubes which held the tubes up but it was very difficult to get them in and out.

We plan to store the flat charts in booklet form such as Richardson’s Charts on a shelf that is yet to be made. The shelf will be built under the chart table as well.  Another project down the road. This is something I have seen while researching Gulfstars.

Please share your organization/storage tips with us.