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November 2005
5th-What happened to the water?
11th-More work than we thought!
2nd-Sanding and Painting
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Eric Sanding the Mast |
(Eric) Wed. (Happy Bibrthday Mom! I Love You) Cool night, clear and 70 degrees during the day. We are making progress on the boat, and the weather is ideal for getting the job done. We have the mast almost completely sanded down, and tomorrow will start building up the coats again, putting many protective layers of paint on before raising it on the boat. The stripe and RiverKeeper lettering on the side of the hull from the boat’s previous occupation have nearly disappeared under the fresh green paint (which Katie has been applying so well, on herself as well as the boat!). There is still much to do, and we are working hard. Our new solar panel (donated by Jeffrey Utter) is working great, and our solar shower got up to 104, which feels really good at the end of the day.
5th-What happened to the water?
Sat., Overcast with scattered rain showers, 60’s. The rain is much needed here, as they have been dry for months, but it has slowed work on the boat. There are plenty of other things to do, though, so we are staying busy. The Tennessee Valley authority (Tva) controls the water levels in the resevoir, and they have lowered the water down this week, so we have had to move the boat away from the dock to find deeper water. This gave us a chance to take the boat out, though, and Katie got to see the river for the first time, and got to experience the boat moving. Having the boat away from the dock will make it harder to work on, but we will be creative. We still have much to do, so we are hoping for clear weather to come again so we can continue painting.
11th-More work than we thought!
Katie) Friday. So things are moving right along. As we get closer to our departure date, our departure date seems to get further away. In other words, we have found some unexpected work to do on the boat. We aren’t sure by how much this will delay us. It depends in the weather and how fast we can get the work done. Actually, I should say how fast Eric can get the job done. He knows how to do all the work, I’m just learning. And I am learning a lot about building and maintaining a wooden boat. It’s really a wonderful thing.
Now that I have repainted the entire hull (not including the part that is in the water), my next big project is painting Sustainability Project on both sides of the boat. It will be amazing to have that on the boat, then I might feel like we will be closer to starting our voyage down the river into the gulf.
I am excited to get down to the Gulf. Currently, our friend Matia (who rode to Boulder,CO with us), is in Waveland, Mississippi with the Superheroes. They are this really amazing group of folks who ride around together on their bicycles, in costume (capes are preferred) and do good deeds for people. Right now she is at the New Waveland Café, a kitchen set up to feed thousands of hurricane survivors.
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15th- Close call!
Tuesday, strong wind and fast moving clouds, scattered showers. 70 degrees. The warm weather clashing with a cold front from the NW is causing very intense thunderstorms moving in a line stretching all the way from Texas to Maine. The Midwest is getting the strongest of it, and has had numerous incidences of tornados, hail, and heavy rainfall with flash flooding. I clamp down a greenhouse/tent over the exposed wood in the chain locker area to keep it from getting wet, and prepare the boat for storm conditions. The wind is blowing pretty good, and it is a challenge to keep light things from blowing overboard. After dark we see on the news that there are strong thunderstorms, with possible tornados, moving towards us and will be here in a couple of hours. My Dad and I go down to the boat and set a second anchor off the bow, and take the solar panel down below in case of hail. We now have 3 anchors set, 2 off the bow and 1 off the stern. The rain starts around 11pm, and at 11:30 there is a warning of a very strong storm cell, with winds exceeding 70mph, small hail, and the possibility for a tornado to form. This storm is about 100 miles away as the crow flies, and is moving around 45mph, right towards us! Around 12:30, another warning is issued for this same cell, but this time it is close, in the next county, and is moving towards us. I continue to batten down anything I can, until all I can do is wait and hope that it misses us. A short while later, the lightning starts, and the thunder is rumbling all around. The thunder grows until it is rumbling the entire sky overhead, rolling on continuously for over a minute at a time. The rain starts coming down in torrents, propelled by the wind. Thankfully, the wind is relatively mild, and after a while of listening to the storm from the warm dry interior of the boat, there is nothing left to do but drift into sleep. My ears are alert, though, and when the rain stops I wake back up. The storm is over, and thankfully the worst of it went around us. The wind has changed, and is now coming from the other direction, the north, and it is cold. We are relying on the stern anchor now, and in the dim light of 4:00 am I can see that the anchor is dragging. The mud at that part of the cove is not good for holding the anchor, and we are slowly sliding across the bottom. We are not in imminent danger, so I rest in an alert state until dawn. At first light I bail out the tender boat (which has a lot of water from the rain (1.25 inches)) and reset the anchor and tie on a stern line to the dock. The anchor will not dig in, it is just scraping across the mud, and so I coil it up on deck and rely instead on the dock line, which is holding us well. When all is secure, I head down below and rest for a few more hours before starting another day of living and working on the boat. A good drill for life on the water, but for now I am happy and thankful to have a house and family to come back to.
17th- Winter has come!
Thursday, November 17, clear and cold. Low of 26, high of 48. Very chilly in the morning, with the wind blowing WNW. The wind kept it cold all day, but where there was protection from wind the sun would heat it up, so we were able to get some work done on the mast and the booms.
stensils of the letters taped on the hull soon to be painted |
Katie started working on the lettering for the sides (SUSTAINABILITY PROJECT) and I made chocolate chip and wildcrafted black walnut cookies. The little woodstove on the boat is great, and it has been nice andtoasty down below. It burns very clean and with very little wood. I want to try baking some bread in there if I can find the right pan.
21st-Rain and Snow?
Monday, Steady rain all day, temperature dropping from 50 to 40°. Amanda has joined us for thethanksgiving week, and her presence has been a blessing. In the last 2 days, the three of us have been able to get more done onthe boat than Katie and I could in 3 days. However, today’s rain has prevented much from happening, and the moisture is expected to continue until thanksgiving. There is snow on the plateau, 100 miles to our west, and there is a possibility that we could get some in the next few days. There is still much to do, and we need warm, dry weather to do it. It feels like winter is closing in on us, and our window for preparation is shrinking. We have also come to the conclusion that our wind generator needs to be replaced, which will cost us an unanticipated $750 to replace. The electrical output has dropped significantly, and the shaft seems to be slightly bent (from the 90 mph winds experienced almost ten years ago in Florida) and is causing a dangerous amount of vibration in the boat. On the bright side, the new models are much more efficient, lighter, and have better safety mechanisms. The old wind generator served the boat well, but after 15 years it is time for retirement.
27th- Amanda speaks!
Sunday, What a beautiful place the Broadened Horizons All-Natural Farm is. The 90+ acres surrounding and supporting the similarly wonderful family I am so lucky to know now. The cool, open meadow, the gardens full of greens, the rising pond, and multitude of varieties of trees, among so many other things, is awe-inspiring.
The first day I was here I was (of course) put right to work, but it has been mostly enjoyable work that we have all been partaking in. The mast and booms are brighter and whiter than they have been after the many coats of smelly paint, a sign that they are progressing towards their respective purposes on the boat instead of remaining dock and greenhouse ornaments. My hands, lower arms, and back are now quite familiar with the movements of sanding, painting, and still more sanding and painting. Katie’s work on lettering is coming along nicely on the starboard and port sides of the hull (just practicing some nautical jargon). The outline of the letters of “Sustainability Project” is temporarily adhered to the hull with tape so that the inner space can be painted. It is so exciting seeing the nameon the boat, even if it is just in tape. It marks a big transition for the boat herself and for the people connected to her past, present and future. Eric has been working steadily on the forepeak, day after day, fixing the chain locker. He works bent down on hands and knees, half upside-down underneath a plastic tent covering to keep moisture out and heat in. I think the end of that project is in sight, slowly but surely approaching. Eric coiled some copper tubing around the metal chimney of the wood stove and he and I poured water through it while a fire was blazing within. Out spat steam and HOT water immediately into the mug for tea and a little onto Eric’s forehead, enough to leave a small burn. What a useful contraption, though, if used with caution, and an excellent example of the permaculture principle, every element in a system serves multiple functions. A new wind generator has been purchased and is on its way in the mail. With all thework and new components, the Broadened Horizons, an already incredibly well-outfitted and gorgeous vessel, is going to be even more spectacular and ready for adventure.
I have learned so much since being here, yet there is always more to know and understand and experience. I have learned how to sand and paint, about parts and names on the boat, to tie a couple knots, about the constant changing and unpredictability of Tennessee weather, and that however much I listen to directions I should always listen a little better. I have felt the affects of the water on my ability to stand up straight on land. And, oh! I was fortunate enough to experience the pre-dawn glory of the cove from atop the boat. Of course it was frigid and the light was dim, but the rising sun created soft wispy clouds made of gold and pink roses. The birds’ songs combined to make an extraordinary orchestra of staccato notes and gentle slurs, so many tones playing together, beckoning at the sun to shed warmth and peel back the layer of mist over the water. The clear, crisp, starry nights have been equally as dazzling. I am excited for this journey: for the personal adventure and the objectives of the project, of which I believe in and support whole-heartedly. Working each day allows time to imagine what life will be like when I return to the journey in just over a month, as there will be new challenges and opportunities that await and abound. And until then, there is so much potential for the project and for the crew to be shaped by their experiences.
I am excited for what is to come, and so grateful for what is here already. I hope I can take this multifaceted opportunity and experience it to the fullest, contributing an open mind, a pair of willing hands, and a desire to be a part of the real magic it purports.