Prop

With the new engine we needed a new prop to spin the correct way. Also since the boat was out of the water it was prudent to change the cutlass bearing which holds the prop shaft inline and start off everything right with the re-power.

Try as I might I couldn't locate any set screws so I tried plan B which was to put a pipe wrench on it and turn it out. Fail. Plan C was pair of vice grips and pull really hard. Fail. Plan D was to use the puller for the transmission coupling that we had but it wouldn't fit in the area at all. Finally I decided to make my own tool which often has mixed results.

All Those Colors in One Space

I picked out the colors for the interior of our boat a little while back. "Is this her first time painting?" Whispered the guy behind the Lowes paint counter to Nick as I walked a few feet away..."She's not going to use them all in the same room, is she?" Nick laughed and shrugged, he did after all tell me I could pick whatever colors I wanted...

Yes it is true, we are stepping away from the conventional interior colors (gasp!!), but, we aren't really the conventional type either so I'm sure it's of no surprise. If we're living aboard and traveling in a small space we need to make it our own, and we need color!

The Undertaking of Anti-Fouling Paint

Ahh, finally! The rain cleared out and has left us with a few beautiful Maine days that I've grown to cherish. This weather window also means another thing on Neto Nomad.....it's time to get our Anti-fouling game faces on!

To those of you not familiar with this particular boat paint, it is applied on the lower half of the hull (bottom of the boat) that is submerged when in the water. The idea is to keep barnacles and other sea life from growing on the bottom of your boat which would inhibit smooth sailing.

A Journey to Patience

I can't believe it has been 10 months since we left California and headed back east to make our dream of sailing and simplifying our lives a reality. There has surely been a lot of ups and downs and obstacles to overcome as would be the case for any undertaking of a life style change. If the journey was not a struggle at times would the reward of obtaining your end goal be so sweet to the tongue?

At times our voyage seemed doomed -- had we made a mistake of leaving the comforts of our California lifestyle? The beach a rock kick away, being around our friends whom we had grown to love and enjoy our time with; the sun, always present, pleading it's case with ease to draw you out to play in its warm rays..... Our boat seemed to resist us at every turn, our plight to save her seemed tedious and at times impossible as our list of repairs grew longer and longer with every loosening of a screw.

Aqua repair

If you looked at the freshwater plumbing lines you may get sick. The lines are black with mold, kinked all over and leaking. It was not an option to flush them out and clean them so we decided to replace. We purchased some new FDA approved anti-bacterial water lines for the replacement, figuring better safe than sorry when it comes to water (I'd say a step up from the the old pool hose which was previously installed....).