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The one on the left is a three-line digital display that will show water depth, speed, water temp & various other bits of navigation data. The one on the right will show the wind speed & direction relative to the bow of the boat. This will be great because right now we have to look at the windex on the mast to tell what direction it's blowing, which makes for a sore neck by the end of the day.
First projects slated to hit the bench: rebuilding the watermaker and building companionway doors from teak.
Our good friend, Maurice, joined us today for a great sail and to help Matt with some boat maintenance. We started the day by hoisting our captain up the mast to diagnose navigation light issues, went out for an afternoon sail (Maurice even took the wheel for the majority the time) and then wrapped up with the 1st oil change and relaxed over dinner and chats. 
The shirt is that great wicking material & it just looks racy. I'm going to want to put Kaleo's rail in the water & sail fast every time I wear this. Though I do feel a little bad wearing this gear since I was cheering for team Puma, who took 2nd behind Ericsson 4, throughout the race.
Thanks Jenny for the great gear!
I am praying for a mild hurricane season. I just can't stand the thought of Kaleo sitting out a storm while we are stuck in Dallas.
So the dinghy will be our means of getting around the neighborhood when we are our cruising. The one that came with the boat is a West Marine 8-footer. The decision I am trying to make is, hard or rigid-inflatable dinghy?We spent Friday testing the windlass, which needs some work, & doing general boat work. Afterward, I modified the Revere copper clad bottom pots we ordered from eBay and as wedding gifts. They have a rivet holding the handle to the pot and by drilling the rivet the handle comes off to nest within each other, taking up a lot less space. (A critical feature on a 34' boat.) We got this great idea from our cruising mentors, Kirk & Lisa. Thanks guys!
Saturday came & it was hot (about 100). We worked on the boat and I mounted a solar garden light on our piling so I could more easily find our slip after dark.
Our marina neighbor, Kevin, hoisted me to the top of the mast so I could try and figure out why the mast navigation light doesn't work. I was unsuccessful and ended up cutting my hand open because the bulb shattered as I tried to remove it from the socket. But I did meet our neighbor
and we agreed to trade his winching skills for my mast scaling ability. I plan to help him mount a block for a spinaker halyard next time we're here.
Th family came about 4:00 and we motored out to the bay. There was more vessel traffic than we'd ever seen. And that was just the beginning. We picked a spot & Christie did a fantastic job of piloting while her brother & I dropped the hook. Her dad BBQed chicken while I worried about other boats anchoring too close. We ate a great meal & then watched the fireworks from the best vantage point we've ever experienced! The fireworks were so close & powerful that they shook the boat as they went off.
By the time we pulled the hook after the fireworks, the bay was inundated with boats. We then began the two hour journey back to the slip that typically only takes about 30 mins.
We're heading back in two weeks and can't wait!
We had an inventory weekend & cleaned out part of the boat. Christie spent time diligently writing thank-you notes for our wedding guests while I tackled the lazarettes. I found all sorts of interesting stuff and the picture below shows it piled up on the deck. The next step is to take on the storage behind the salon seats, called settees.
Today we mounted the "Welcome Aboard" mat that Christie's parents gave us for our finger pier, hung out, gave Kaleo a good bath, cooked, and explored what was aboard.
Saturday we spent some time messing about and received an excellent house warming/wedding gift of a new Kuuma grill for the aft rail. This was a gracious gift from Craig, Christie's father. We plan to get it installed next time and give it a try.
We also motored out to the mouth of the Kemah cut then turned around (Christie had to get back for a spa appointment). It was lots of fun, or so I thought until I saw the pictures that Christie's mom took. I look stressed out! Yet backing out of and pulling into the slip went superbly, I must still have some beginners luck on me. We tied her up and once again were sad to leave.
With all the buzz about buying our little ship and moving her to the new marina, we forgot to mention that we picked a name for her: Kaleo (ka-lay-o) which is a Greek word from the New Testament. It has a few meanings depending on the context of the verse but overall it means there is a sense of privilege that is bestowed on believers who were once far away, who are now given a new status in the Lord. There is also a sense of mission. This isn't a list; it's a responsibility of carrying out a life of service that is contrasted to the ways of the world. It is also a sense of permanency. Once a believer is called, there is a sense of completion by the hand of God.
We did it! We bought a boat! She is the one in the picture above, being piloted by the former owner in the Harvest Moon Race.
... looking her over from the bottom up, including Drake snapping photos for his survey report.
We spent many a weekends among the marinas of Galveston Bay, Lake Grapevine, Seattle and more perusing potential sailboats.
In our search to find the 'right' cruising sailboat, we created these business cards to help connect us with any and all potential matches. Vistaprint is a great resource to use to make free cards like these (+ $6 shipping). We handed them out to anyone who would take them ... to everyone we knew, along the marinas we'd visit, posted them on marina bulletin boards & restrooms, etc. They led to a few calls & were great for new contacts, but ultimately we found our beloved Kaleo through Carolyn at HSH Yachts in Seabrook. We highly recommend working with her in a search!
An outstanding 1st place finish in the Gold Rush Regatta with our sailing mentors and friends, Tim and Diann, at the Grapevine Sailing Club. We are beyond grateful for them helping us to 'learn the ropes’ aboard their beautiful Beneteau First 235, "Coquette".
Started the day with a little time "house" shopping before visiting Kelly & sweet baby Nico while browsing a few sparklie designs at Pampillonia.
Thrilling, competitive 1st place finish sail race this evening with Matt, Tim & Diane aboard Coquette on Lk. Grapevine!
