Cultivating Patience

Breakfast. Schoolwork. Showers. Turn on engine. Head to dock to dump garbage and recycling, fill diesel and water tank. Sail 5 nautical miles east to the Isles of Shoals. Find empty mooring ball. Explore island. Go swimming. Find an ice cream store.

That was our plan today. Nothing elaborate.

We did the first three things and then when our engine would not start, the rest of our day looked nothing like we had envisioned. 

Cruising requires patience. Heaps and heaps of patience. 

Since we ran out of fuel just outside Boothbay Harbor about 2 weeks ago, our engine has been requiring more TLC.

In theory, when we know we are running low on diesel, we switch tanks. We have 2 diesel tanks and switching one to another only requires someone to simply switch the dial. Easy peasy. 

The problem was we didn't KNOW our main tank was running so low. When we filled up at the dock last week and it started to bubble up we stopped filling, thinking it was full. In fact, it was just the speed of the fill that made it do that. And likely the clogged vents,  which we have now cleaned.

We should have kept filling but being paranoid of spilling diesel into the water, we stopped. And so we really didn't know how much was left because we thought it was completely topped up. 

So when we ran out of fuel in the first tank, it was impossible to switch to the second tank without bleeding the engine first. Bleeding the line basically entails making sure all the air is purged from the line. 

When Matt and Garvin bled the engine the first time it started back again. However this was necessary again a few days later. And after today's no-go we realized something was truly wrong. Even bleeding the engine 3 times today didn't do the trick.

Hmmmmmm. Time to call in an expert.

But getting a marine diesel mechanic to come to you at short notice is not easy. We called around, texted friends, asked the marina and after a few dead ends, managed to get someone to come to us within a few hours!

Glen is a mobile marine mechanic, formally an airplane engineer technician for the army. He was great and managed to start the engine again.

So what was the problem in the end? There was a nut under the high pressure pump that was slowly dripping diesel, so when turned off it was also slowly letting in air. Hence needing to bleed it so often.

Also the fuel filter in the engine needs changing, and the lifting pump on the back side of the engine isn't working. We have ordered a new pump which we'll have installed, though not urgent.

All in all, we had a different day than we anticipated. We didn't go anywhere and we spent a lot of the day waiting and dealing with engine stuff.

Did I mention cruising requires lots of patience? And if you claim to already be a patient person, cruising will certainly test that theory.

As always, we try to look for the positive in any situation. It could have been a LOT worse.

Also, the bonus was we got to see a massive tanker and another nuclear submarine pass us. This one carried ballistic missiles too! Had we gone today, we would've missed all that action.

In the evening back on the boat, we learned how to play Hanabi, a cooperative game where you try to set off the best fireworks as a team  before the timer goes off. Thanks to Garf for the game, we loved it!

Tomorrow, we try for the Isles of Shoals again.

The kids have quickly become confident on the VHF and calling the launch.
The praise they get from the marina staff and fellow boaters helps too.

Patient kids meant we bought them a small bag of 
Cheetos to share. Highlight of the day!

Humongous tanker makes our boat seem tiny. Imagine the wake it made!

Nuclear submarine passing us, this one carrying ballistic missiles.
Everyone is warned to stay at least 500 yards away. Even the launch doesn't operate.

Chasing Wifi

Rare TV TIME!

The kids have learned a new phrase from us which they use all the time now.

It is: chasing wifi.

After more than two months of this cruising journey, we have realized how important it is for us to have reliable internet connectivity. 

Not wanting to eat up our data quota, good wifi has become as important as a functioning propane gas stove, a reliable dinghy and outboard and, dare I say, a working diesel engine.

For us, wifi allows us to be able to check emails, message family of our whereabouts and stay in touch with their news, keep up to date with Liverpool's recent matches, read the news, scroll Facebook, upload photos, download videos .... but probably most important, check the weather and wind forecast. 

As cruisers, our lives are ruled by weather. We don't care what day of the week it is but we do care if there are thunderstorms and 40 knot winds forecasted for tomorrow. 

We pretty much shape our day and week around the weather. We pick an anchorage based on the direction of the wind so we get the most protection. 

We decide when to leave a dock/anchorage/mooring ball based on the wind forecast, if it is a going to be a good point of sail to our next intended destination. 

We know how much sail to set and when to reef if we know the weather coming up, to allow us a comfortable journey and if a Stugeron is necessary beforehand.

We like to be able to research anchorages and marinas that are ahead of us. There is an app called Active Captain that has reviews and tips that allow us to plan where we should go next.

Knowing what amenities a marina has helps us plan our upcoming chores. 

Do they have showers, laundry machines or a nearby shop for provisioning? Or should we get more milk here in this marina because we know we can get it here... but it won't last for more than a few days, and will our solar panels be able to keep the fridge going during the next few days anyway?

Should we do one last load of laundry here or will the next place have a laundromat to use, maybe even for free? But what if the next laundromat is a couple blocks away from the marina? That means taking our wagon to shore by dinghy and then schlepping it all there and sticking around for the few hours it will take to wash and dry everything. But if there is a launch service and a courtesy car, that could be useful. Oh and maybe there's wifi at the laundromat, so bonus!

Being used to living in a digital world and having all the information we want at our fingertips, it can be hard to be 'in the dark'. Not having wifi is one thing. Having intermittent weak wifi is awful, like a huge tease.

So far, the anchorages we've been to are completely off line, obviously. When we're at a mooring ball near a marina, we tend to get very weak signal and only when we're perched on deck holding our device in some precarious position. Not ideal.

Once we actually started sailing from Chester and moving from place to place, Matt and I would spend most evenings after the kids had gone to bed pouring over charts and weather forecasts. We will do this again first thing in the morning to make sure there weren't any major weather changes overnight.

We all know weather forecasts are not all accurate and so even after we painstakingly make plans based on what has been forecasted (and we consult several weather apps and talk to the locals if we can), we leave enough room to make changes or retreat if necessary.

The more we move from place to place, the more pertinent reliable wifi is in order to passage plan. And so we often say we are "chasing wifi."

As you can imagine, all the planning and weather routing can be exhausting. Throw in boat maintenance, emergency repairs, chores and homeschooling and you kind of get the idea of the state of our frazzled minds after a day!  

Matt and I joke that we feel like we have less free time than we ever did before. That knitting project has remained firmly tucked away. The ukelele has been out once. 

How do cruisers find the time for hobbies and free time? I know we're in the depths of a steep learning curve so I'm not too concerned really.

Still, it has been nice to be here at Portsmouth Yacht Club for almost one week now. We have gotten to know the marina staff, know where things are, and just feel at home here, even for a little bit. 

Routine cannot be underestimated and being in one spot for several days has provided the necessary R&R that we needed after several weeks of pretty solid sailing and constant moving around.

Today we took advantage of the marina's strong wifi.  We found a lounge upstairs at the clubhouse and while the kids binged on cable TV,  Matt and I did some planning for our upcoming Europe trip. We booked trains, planes, buses, car rentals and accommodation. We contacted friends we want to see and basically got everything organized for what will be an epic holiday. 

We don't leave for another week so tomorrow we will cast off and head 5 nautical miles east to the Isles of Shoals. 

Time to explore and journey again. We have chased enough wifi for the time being. We are ready to go.

☆ We did actually get out of the marina later in the day. We walked to the nearby lighthouse and took the guided tour there. Great learning with an impressive history, and such devoted volunteers!

Booking our Europe holiday!

View from the lighthouse.

Bringing School to Life

I love it when homeschooling comes together and the kids get the full-on experience.

We are seeing quite a bit of sealife recently from our boat, from seals to dolphins to sunfish to little creatures in tidal pools.

We have started watching the Blue Planet series in the evening together, learning about the ocean and how we are all interconnected.

Today we visited the Seacoast Science Center and got to learn more about marine animals, water conservation and the human impact on the environment.

It's a fantastic place right by the sea and very hands-on and interactive.

The Center puts into perspective how humans greatly influence and impact our Earth, for better and worse. The kids saw how their everyday actions directly impact everything around them.

We only have an 80 gallon water tank on board so we have become pretty good at conserving water.

Typically we'll need to fill up once a week at a marina depending on how much we use. We also carry water jugs for emergency use but we have never run out.... yet!

Matt fixing our water pressure pump. We had no running water for a
few days when we found that one of the hose connectors had split, causing
the pump to suck air which meant it couldn't get enough pressure to bring
water up and through the pipes. After a few days of troubleshooting, we have water again!

3 Toed Box turtle, found at a construction site and brought to the
Seacoast Science Center 26 years ago. Typically these turtles live in
warmer climates down south.

Kids were encouraged to write their Water Story. 

Kindness is .... an electric car!

Everyday is an adventure, said someone to us recently. Today was certainly proof of that.

After schoolwork, the kids and i took the launch to the marina to get some wifi stuff done. Matt stayed behind to fix our water pressure pump, the next boat repair that needed attention.

I got talking to a family who was getting diesel at the dock and one thing led to another and the next thing I know, I'm being handed the keys to their electric car to use for the day!

Before I could thank them, they were off the dock, headed to the Isle of Shoals, just an hour east of Portsmouth. That's when I shouted "oh and by the way my name is Bonnie... what's yours?"

Honestly, I can't get over the generosity and kindness of the people we've met over the last several months.

This was a fantastic surprise since Portsmouth Yacht Club is not serviced by any public transportation and there are no shops within walking distance.

So what would you do if you were given a free electric car for the day?

Our first priority was to get a USA SIM card for our phones. We needed to get to an AT&T store and there was one at a nearby shopping mall.

Strange to be driving a car again. Even more strange to be in a mall! With air conditioning!

Then we hit a grocery store to provision with cans and cereal, and then a stop at West Marine (chandlery) for some supplies and parts.

Another day done. What adventures will tomorrow bring?

Listening to audio books and reading ebooks in the marina. 

The awesome electric car.

Kids found out they could play games on their display phones!

Learning how navigate a mall. No tides or currents to contend with!

In awe of all the new and sparkly items.

Comfy couches & free wifi at Fox Run Shopping Mall.

Submarines submarines submarines!

We saw a Virginia class nuclear submarine pass us this morning. So cool. We waved to the submariners standing on the deck. Nobody waved back, hah!

Decided we better follow up that experience with a visit to the Albacore Submarine Museum.

The Albacore was mainly an experimental sub, had engines made of aluminum and ran on diesel. First sub to use counter rotating propellers. First modern sub to have a tear shaped hull.

The kids loved it for the mere fact that you could touch absolutely anything and everything.

Uber'd back to the marina, early dinner and bedtime. Got many hours of lost sleep to catch up on!

Aila is on her second journal book! 

There goes the Virginia class sub! 

Not a lot of room. The men used to hot bunk here.

Almost tall enough to see out!

So many wires and cables ! Makes our boat look so unbelievably simple.

Captain Aila on the Albacore!

I would have absolutley no idea where to start with this engine!!

Engine description - OMG!