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December 2005
6th- We have our main back up!
26th- We have our wind generator up!
30th- We are setting sail today!!!
31st- Our second day on the river.
2nd- New crew!
Friday, A sunny day, but very chilly (low of 23, high of 44). However it was not as windy as was predicted, which made a big difference. We are slowly tying up all the loose ends and finishing up projects. I am so close to putting the first coat of paint on the letters SUSTAINABILITY PROJECT. It will feel really good to get that project done. The mast is so nearly complete. Just need to finish changing out the lines and get it back on the boat (no small task)! And our new windenerator arrived yesterday (very cool), so we need to install that as well. A few more other small projects and we will hopefully be on our way some time next week.
Amanda and Cielo left on Tuesday and it felt a little empty around here. Lucky for us we gained someone else to brighten our day, our friend Britt arrived yesterday in Nashville. We went to pick her up and of course what do you do in “Music City USA”, you go to a bar and listen to country music! I think it is very important to get to know the culture of wherever you are and that we did. This is especially true when you want to share knowledge, like what we would like to do on our journey. Although, I have no doubt that we will be learning way more than we will be able to teach.
We have been watching the news a lot and almost every night there is a story about the hurricane-ravaged coast. It looks very intense down there. It is helping me get mentally prepared for what lies ahead. I look forward to getting there and seeing how the project can best aid the people who are down there.
6th- We have our main back up!
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Main Mast being hiosted up |
(Eric) Wednesday, 22°/47°, clear and calm Today was momentous, as the main mast was put back up. Yeah! After a month of work by a team of helping hands, the mast is in great shape and is back in service. It went up fairly smoothly (always room for learning), and involved everyone’s help to position the boat, pass the mast from the dock to the boat, and then insert the pin and raise it up without it falling over. No easy task, it took all day to get everything set up, but now it is sturdy and beautiful. With new paint and new lines, the mast looks great, and the boat is really coming together. The letters are being painted on the side, and the work in the chain locker is nearly complete. It is a huge relief to have the boat back in working order, and it means the major projects are coming to a close. As they say down here in the south, “we just lack a little finishin up” (which really means we still have a few projects left). The next thing is to install the wind generator, which involves re-wiring in the boat and rebuilding the tower that holds it. The lettering on the side still needs to be finished, and the logo to be printed and added to the sides, as well as packing supplies and gear aboard. We are so grateful to everyone that has helped contribute to this project, in so many ways we have been blessed, thank you so much for your support. We have learned so much already, and have so much more to learn and share. We are really excited about getting under way, and connecting with communities and individuals as we go. Life on the boat is so basic, the elements of wind and water so present, one really gets in touch with nature. It is a simple life, not many amenities, and one that provides many opportunities for introspection and growth.
26th- We have our wind generator up!
Dec 26th, 40°-45°, overcast with sporadic drizzle. After spending nearly two cold weeks installing the new wind generator, today it was finally finished. The process started with removing the old wind generator (twice as heavy as the new one) and the tower that it was mounted on. Then we had to find the materials and design the new setup, and then fabricate the new base and
tower. Next we had to rewire the generator 
to battery power supply, adding in new electrical hardware to the engine compartment. Each one of these steps involved much time and creativity, and brought much education in learning how to fabricate hardware out of scrap metal, install a wind generator, and setup 12 volt wiring systems. This knowledge could be very useful for the project in the future. Click on the link if you would like to learn more about installing the wind genertator. LINK TO COME
The lettering is now finished, and the logo has been added to the side of the boat, the dinghy, and the wind generator. The boat looks really good, and getting to the point of being ready. Another major milestone, and we are nearing our departure.
27th- Nearly ready!
32-55 degrees, partly cloudy. Today we changed the lower gear oil and engine oil on the motor, put the repaired prop back on, and lowered the motor back into the engine well. This was a messy job, but one that will help to extend the life of the motor and our ability to get out of sticky situations. After putting the motor back in the engine well, the cockpit was finally open again and we spent the rest of the day putting tools and materials away and cleaning up. All the major projects are now done (we hope) and we are beginning the process of getting everything all packed up and ship shape. This time of working has been a great education in sustainability, as we have had to be resourceful and adaptable in order to get the work accomplished. Being here with this community, Broadened Horizons Farm, has also been a great experience, and we have all learned a lot by being here. The pace of life and the quality of work help to slow things down, allowing more time for reflection and integration. Sustainability encompasses so much, there are many perceptions and insights to consider. Nature is a great teacher, and we her pupils are trying to learn as much as we can.
30th- We are setting sail today!!!
Friday, 7am, calm and mild. Well, today is the day, we are setting sail! Leaf and Cielo will be going to Sail Creek with us (about 45 miles. We arrive this evening). It will be good to have the veterans on boatrd for the first day.
Some reflections before we depart- So many people and even ourselves have asked, when do you leave? When does the project start? For a while we said the projected date that we were to set sail, but really we began the project when we arrived here in Tennessee. During the last 10 weeks here, we have been living the Sustainability Research and Education Project. And we will continue to do so as we leave this lovely, safe cove in Rockwood Tenn. The time I have spent here at Broadened Horizons Farms, has been one of learning, family, connection to this place, fun, and non-stop preparation for the next stage of our journey. I am so thankful to Leaf, Cielo, and Hawk for all that they have given.
Yesterday, we took the boat out for a little stretch, and got a taste of what’s to come. I think we all welled up with a sense of adventure and anticipation for today. We had some different emotions on Wednesday, when we got to experience the wonder and awe of Mother Nature. We were on the boat organizing, when we looked to the gray sky and saw that the storm predicted for that day, was right overhead (the lighting was also a clue that the storm was coming!). We could ride the storm out on the boat or go to shore. With the wind blowing up a storm (our wind generator was spinning up a storm), we went to shore and only just in time. As soon as we got undercover of the dock, the wind dead stopped and it started pouring. At times the rain was laced with popcorn size hail and the thunder was defining. It was so awesome to experience. That is the most exposed and the closest I have been to a storm of that magnitude, I know it won’t be the last! Within 20 minute the storm was done and the sun trying to peak through. As we walked up to the house we could feel the charge in the air and see how happy the plants were that they had just received a good drink.
We will post new logs about our progress and the things we are learning, as we have the opportunity. Until then your thoughts of safe passage are much appreciated. Love to you all. Katie
HERE IS WHAT HAPPED IN DURING OUR FIRST DAY ON THE RIVER (from Britt)
Our day started well before any light had even begun to peak through the ports. We were anticipating a full day’s travel with a deluge of last minute preparatory measures. I think we were all floating down the quarter mile path from the boat to the house to fill our bellies with one last meal of porridge and nuts. Eric finished assembling the solar cooker, Katie put the last log up on the website, and I sent out a batch of brochures and letters. We were underway by 10 am with a full crew of 5; Leaf and Cielo joined us for the 45 mile trip to Sale Creek. Our maiden voyage was smooth, with Katie and I learning boating etiquette and getting gentle reminders about where to stand, when and where to tie fenders, etc. (ah, the first day’s grace period is a sweet thing!). Leaf taught us somenew knots and Cielo showed us how to fend off the walls of the Watt’s Bar lock. That was an imposing feeling, to be tied to a yellow floating pin on the side of a massive concrete wall, dropping 60 ft to level with the water on the other side of the lock.
The whole process of calling in, getting the green light to proceed into the lock, readying the boat, tying up, and motoring out is almost surreal. When the horn blares to signal the completion of the locking through process and the huge doors slowly open outward into the new world beyond, I always think of the “Never-Ending Story.” Atrayu stands at the gates protected by the all-knowing stone sphinxs and contemplates whether or not he’ll make it through. If I can recall correctly, only those with pure hearts and intentions made it through…I’ll just believe that’s true in our case too! After 10 hours of motoring with Eric at the helm most of the way, we docked easily at the marina and were met with hot pizza and beer to finish of our first day. This day marked the passing of the this beautiful boat that Leaf and Cielo built, lived, worked on, and cared for for 15 years, to Eric as its new captain, and Sustainability Project Director. If this day was any indication of the rest of the trip, this is going to be an incredible journey.
31st- Our second day on the river.
We pushed off from Sale Creek Marina at 10 am and were in the channel in an instant. The night before, we passed the Hiwassee Island Wildlife Refuge 5 miles upriver where thousands of birds take rests on their migratory journeys. We were all for going back to round the island and sneak peaks through our binoculars. We saw our friend, the great blue heron, sandhill cranes, lots of seagulls, and mallards. There are numerous places along the river where birds fly in swarms overhead playing in the thermals, swim languidly on the calm water, or perch atop a bare deciduous tree watching the scenery float by. We’ve been keen on checking out the foliage too. The dominant trees that grow along the shore are sycamores, sweet gum, and willows. We’ve seen some river cane whose claim to fame is that it is the country’s only native bamboo; we’ve even seen some mistletoe up high in the tops of the tree canopies. Does anyone know how the parasitic mistletoe became the beacon for kisses underneath its leaves? We were undersail, enjoying the slight breeze and scouting out the scenery today when we noticed an abandoned and partially submerged motorboat. Katie hopped in the dingy with a hammer, hack saw, and screw driver to see what there was to salvage while Eric and I made a wide arch in the sailboat to come round and pick her up again. We were just about to tack and were trying to pick up speed to do so, when we noticed we weren’t going anywhere! We had landed on the bottom of the river. We used the boat hooks to push the bow off the bottom, not a budge. I held onto the shrouds on the starboard side and rocked my whole body’s weight in and out trying to create a trough while Eric did the same up by the tiller, while backing down with the motor. Nothing. Without the dingy, we couldn’t hop in and row ourselves off the bottom either. Eric was thinking about putting the wetsuit on and plunging in the 49 degree water to push us off. But first we decided to try to rock the boat from the port side, while backing down; thankfully that worked and we were set free in clouds of silt. Katie recovered a stainless steel cleat and we were all back on board and on our way. We each tried our hand at navigating and got a feeling for the boat and the way she handles under motor. At nightfall, we found a decent anchorage in a little, protected cove. To celebrate the end of 2005, we each enjoyed a glass of Katie’s grandpa’s plum brandy from 1985…needless to say, we were all exhausted and didn’t make it to herald in the new year at 23:59 (we fell asleep at 9 or 10) but we were ready to get up the next day bright and early.