Year: 2013

The 2014 IPYOA Calendar is released….

I have enjoyed making Island Packet Yacht calendars for the last 11 years. The images I use are actual photographs that I have taken of Island Packet flags and logos. The IPY factory has granted me approval to create these calendars.  I like to focus on Island Packet Yachts sailing, anchored out or in interesting harbors. Owners from around the world submit images to include in the calendar. This year’s edition covers from Scotland to New England to the Exuma Islands of the Bahamas. If you would like to buy a calendar or other IP gear, please see my online store…

Here are the 13 images in the 2014 calendar. I hope you enjoy the photos.

Jan: IP 370 Midnight Sun Cruising Sea of Champlain

Feb: Sailing from George Town Exumas to Long Island Bahamas

Mar: IP 350 Kismet sails a code zero off Long Island Bahamas

Apr: IP 40 Navigator, Warderick Wells, Bahamas Land and Sea Park

May: Time to check the anchor, Kidd Cove, Bahamas

June: A puffin watches over IP 380 Touche, Outer Hebrides, Scotland

July: IP 38 Holiday with flags flying, Block Island, RI

Aug: Island Packet Maine Rendezvous 2013

Sep: SP Cruiser CATRYN, Scottish Hebrides sailing to the Faroe Islands

Oct: Skyway Bridge, Tampa, FL after IPY Factory Refit #1

Nov: IP 380 Judith III anchored off Cumberland Island, GA

Dec: IP35-145 Serendipity Reaching for St. Augustine, FL

We are docked in a BARN….

Our routine: We get up at at day break (living in a condo) and after breakfast, we make lunches and pack them into a cooler and load up the car. We drive 45 minutes from Siesta Key Beach to Snead Island Boat Works in Palmetto Florida where our boat is safely docked inside a barn and in the water!

This is a dream situation for working on teak as there is no dew, no sun and yet a nice breeze blows through the building. It takes about 1 hour to sand the previous coast of varnish with both of us sanding. Then it takes 30 minutes to dust off the sanding dust. In another 30 minutes, we can wipe down all the varnish with a rag and denatured alcohol. At this point, we are ready to start the next coat of Epifanes.

I love Girls with pretty curves 🙂

I pour the varnish into a measured cup and add the right proportions, 15% of brushing liquid / thinner, and start the next coast. Four to five hours later I have the next coast of varnish on all the surfaces. I start at the bow pulpit and work back to the stern on the starboard side. Then I work around the stern to the port stern and work my way back up to the bow. By now, my back is about broken! After that, I launch the dinghy and, while standing in it, I can varnish the outside edge of teak and also get under this edge. The last part to varnish is the companionway doors and door trim and then it is clean up time.

Varnish coat #3 and looking good

Brushes are cleaned with mineral spirits and then stored in diesel fuel cups. All paints and supplies are stored. The dinghy is lifted back up into the davits and we offload to the car. By now, it is near 4 pm. We drive home in time to hit the pool for some swimming and maybe a sunset walk on the beach before making dinner in the condo kitchen.

This has been our schedule for the past week and a half. We hope to be finished with this varnish work this week, and then we can begin to reload and rebuild the boat.

We had several pleasant changes to our routine today due to wonderful cruising friends. We are very grateful to all of them!  First, was a surprise visit from Loretta and Jim of IP380 Plan C. Thank you for stopping by!  Next, we took our life raft to a Zodiac service center in Tampa. Thanks to a very good friend, Greg, who is loaning us his raft until he buys his next sailboat, we now have a 4 person coastal life raft. See photos below.Thank you, GREG! Our day ended with a lively dinner in St. Pete Beach with Larry and Phyllis, former owners of IP40 LARK. Thank you for fitting us into your busy schedule!

Here are some photos of the work…

I enjoy looking at these curves, beautiful lines on a pretty boat

WOW, that is coat #3 and it looks so good, amazing finish.

All the stainless steel rub rails are off, so finishing the outside is easier.

Inspecting the Zodiac 4 person life raft

We hope and pray that we will NEVER need this, but it is here if we do. This is a 4 person coastal Zodiac Life Raft, 2006 model. Perfect condition, like new.

So, another great day “yachting” and “living da cruising life” as sailor bums. Radeen and I do enjoy sharing in the work and helping each other. It is not all about sailing, it is about teamwork and being together, focused on a unified goal. That is what makes this life so much fun. Thanks for following….  

Epifanes yacht varnish is the best….

It has nearly been a week since we arrived here in Florida. On Monday, the boat was launched. With her under a roof and in a boat shed, since she has no mast, we are working on sanding and preparing for a new yacht varnish finish. We have been doing our own varnish for the past 8 years, but we have never varnished the entire boat at one time. Usually we have the work divided into quadrants plus extras, making it much easier to handle. I know doing 1/4 of the boat usually takes 1.5 hours, so it should be no surprise that doing the entire boat takes 5+ hours. I am talking about applying just ONE COAT of varnish. I will be working towards applying 3 primer coats and 3-4 top coats, making 6-7 coats. So, this will take a while!

Carbide scraper takes off the old finish like a hand plane.

Welcome to Island Packet Yacht ownership! Yes, you can just as well let the teak all go grey and fade out or you can use other finishes that require fewer coats. We have found that once varnish is on, then taking care of the top coat is NO MORE work than any other top coat finish. So, if that is true, then why NOT use varnish? Plus, when it is on, it does look really great!.

We know this is not as exciting as beautiful photos of BLUE OCEAN waters or the gorgeous white sand beaches of the Bahamas, but we will get to that this winter. For right now, we are excited about refitting out this 20 year old yacht and making her brand new again. She is like a classic car, well designed and beautiful to own. We do enjoy this boat and all that goes along with ownership. Teak work is part of the job.

Lucky for us, we have been able to trade our timeshare for two condos to live in while we are working on the boat. The boat is still empty from being trucked to the Island Packet Yacht Factory for refit. So, we work hard all day, and then come “home” and hit the pool and enjoy the sunsets on the beach and relax in comfort!

Here are some photos of the work this week….

Cleaned, sanded and vacuumed teak.

Radeen is a Pisces, so she loves the water.

Bare teak. Eyebrow, Hand rail, gunwale. Teak every where!

Clean cockpit combing teak

Next, all the edges needed to be taped with long lasting tape for clean removal in 2 weeks.

We used two rolls of 60 yard tape

There is Radeen on the bow as seen from the stern, lots of teak!

Pre-dinner swim and beach sunset required daily.

After sunset, the sky is even more beautiful.

First coast of varnish is easy to see where you are. Check out the massive new chain plate!

Look at this SPLINE in the end of this teak board which keeps it from warping!

The cockpit is full of teak.

Radeen, on the beach after a full day of teak work.

It is hard to believe it is FRIDAY night, and we have been working 4 days on the teak. Monday was launch, Tuesday and Wednesday were spent sanding and vacuuming. Thursday was final prep and taping. Friday, I applied  the first varnish coat. Saturday, we need to move out of condo #1 and into condo #2 and set up shop there. Thanks for following, we enjoy sharing the adventures.

IP35 at Wild Acres Road, Largo Florida…..

Today was a very exciting day, as there are not many days in boat ownership where you ship your boat down the road on a specially designed yacht transport trailer. Today, we did just that!. Our boat was inside the Island Packet Yachts Factory since May, where she was built 20 years ago. This time she was there for a refurbishing / refitting job! From May to November she had her systems inspected and replaced, and now she is as good as a brand new yacht. This IPY refit program has been a real JOY to be part of, as the quality of work is exactly what we all love so much about our yachts. It is PERFECTION. No one can build a better yacht and no one can refit an IPY like the ORIGINAL TEAM. These are the key reasons we did this. Today, with her new systems and full refit, she went on a WILD ride at 60 MPH for about 40+ miles from Largo FL to Palmetto Fl, where we launched her back into the water at Snead Island Boat Works.

Look at the width, 12 feet wide….do not pass this!

Following your boat down the road and watching her sway back and forth, you really worry that she will fall off the truck, but this trucking company is amazing. They do this all the time and no need to worry with Joules Yacht Transport. We have had a great experience dealing with them. Once safely back at the boat yard, Terry the lift operator drove a massive 75 ton travel lift (a type of crane) using a joy stick remote control box. This allows the operator to be back and away from the lift, allowing him to see all corners. The lift uses large straps run under the keel of the yacht and then these are raised, lifting the yacht off the truck. Next, the operator drives the lift out over a special dock and lowers the yacht down into the water. At this point, before releasing the yacht, we climbed onto the boat and checked all fittings that could sink the boat. Once the yacht is checked, the lift operator releases the yacht and you are IN THE WATER. Start her up and pull out. This is always very exciting because you will most likely not have the boat out of the water for another year or two. Let the new season begin, Bahamas here we come! THANK YOU, ISLAND PACKET YACHTS…

Here is a photo essay of the progression of the day...

Karsten Johnson of Island Packet Yachts with Hayden

Hayden and Bill Bolin, VP of Island Packet Yachts and the Refit program

Ready for the Truck

Pulling out of Island Packet Yachts onto Wild Acres Road, just like this yacht did in 1993, 20 years ago!

We took the short cut route home, Skyway Bridge

The boat measures 13′ 6″ to the highest point. Looks like it will hit the bridges.

TOLL BOOTH at the Skyway Bridge, this roof on the right is an issue, but she fit.

Island Spirit over TAMPA BAY, on the Skyway Bridge!

SAFE….she made it. Thank you, Joules Yacht Transport.

This is a SMALL yacht on their trucks. The driver said he did not even feel it back there. They can haul up to 65 feet long. This boat is 40 feet over all and 18,000 lbs.

The crane / travel lift is driven over the truck and trailer.

The yacht is lifted off the trailer and the lift drives around the trailer.

The travel lift then drives across the parking lot to the water.

The boat swings and sways back and forth, it is wild!

The lift driver moves out over the water on a special dock

The yacht is lowered to the water and checked for any leaks.

We then drove the boat to our COVERED slip.

Island Spirit is under a roof, where we will work on varnish.

Check out this spot. Our own BOAT GARAGE. No mast, so we can do this.

Wonderful Island Packet Friends surprised us and helped with docking. Ed of http://www.whiteakeryachtsales.com , Hayden, and William of IP37 Optimystique

Our next task, while the boat is totally empty, is to paint the interior of all the lockers. We will be applying new varnish to all the stripped teak on deck. We also have some varnish to work on below deck. This could take a while. Being under the roof in a boat shed is a really cool place to work on varnish, no sun, no dew, no rain, no heat…..lucky that Snead had such a great spot for us!

The 2013 run to Florida….done….

Here we are in Florida, we did it! We met our goal of Nov 1 departing and Nov 2 arriving and setting up shop in a condo at Bradenton Beach, Florida. Our goal this week is to truck and launch IP35-165, Island Spirit, out of the Island Packet Yachts Factory, Largo FL, where she underwent a full refit for the past six months. We will splash her back at Snead Island Boat Works, Palmetto, FL on Monday, Nov 4. This process will take most of the day. Once back in the water, we will begin the rebuilding of our boat.

First, the trip to Florida. We drove home in May using a mini-van and we drove back using our own car, a Ford Taurus we call GOLDIE. Packed into the car was everything we removed from the boat and brought home, like a 50 lb SailRite Sewing Machine, and a Zodiac Life Raft given to us by good friend and former IP owner, Greg.

Goldie…way overloaded!

These two items alone nearly filled the trunk. Added to this, we needed to pack wedding clothes for a friend’s wedding we will attend in Mexico over Thanksgiving. Then add in our computers and our clothes for cruising over the next seven months and this packing was a massive deal. The car was totally overloaded, with the stern nearly down onto the wheels, but GOLDIE still got 27 MPG and ran us to Florida with ZERO glitches. What a car, even with 140,000 miles on her!

2 Bedroom Condo, Kitchen, Living Room, on the beach!

As for accommodations, I have to hand it to Radeen. She really knows how to get the most out of our timeshare ownership. She traded time and booked not one but TWO weeks of timeshare at two different resorts. Our first week is ON THE BEACH in a two bedroom condo in Bradenton Beach. We have a full kitchen, one bath, living room, and two bedrooms. This spot is about 20 minutes from Snead Island Boatworks where we will be working on our boat. Next week, we will move to Siesta Key, where we will be near good friend Captain Blaine. From there, we will be about 30 minutes from Snead. Both of these locations will provide us a place to live while we work on rebuilding our boat. We plan to move back onboard Nov 16 and will stay berthed at Snead until early December.

Our first dinner at the condo.

So, let the rebuilding begin, the week starts on MONDAY with trucking and splashing. Refinishing the teak and painting the lockers will be followed by working on the mast and installing new rigging.

Thanks again for following along!

Hayden and Radeen at Amy & Brian’s Wedding

We are BACK, the blog is back, and we will soon be living on Island Spirit time once again. In May we moved our boat to the Island Packet Yachts Factory for a refit and then we moved home to our passive solar home for a summer. This was the first summer in 22 years of Island Packet ownership that we did NOT sail during the summer. Instead we enjoyed some peaceful time at home and also took some amazing trips.

A highlighted summary:
…27 day trip to Italy
…New Hampshire Cottage with a close friend
…Williamsburg VA with boat buddy friends
…Family vacation in Florida
…Family Wedding in California
…Friends and Family dinners at our home

The other highlight of the summer was simply enjoying land based life where we (you, too) are seriously spoiled by life on land. Features such as curb side trash pick up, HOT water, endless electricity, 24/7 Broadband Internet, driving a CAR to get your groceries, and multiple places to lounge and relax around the home! WOW, life on land is soooooooooooo easy, when compared to life on a cruising sailboat.

Island Spirit, Exumas, Bahamas, THIS is the DREAM

But, we are very excited to depart this land based life of comfort and easy living and trade it in for life on a cruising sailboat. Life where you live fully with the weather, where you know exactly what the winds are doing, and what direction the wind is blowing from. You know if it is cold, rainy, windy, sunny, hot, mild or comfortable outside because you are living outside. You watch the sunset. You watch the sunrise. You listen to birds as the dawn awakens. You walk, hike, and climb miles everyday. You walk for all your food, water, and sightseeing. Car, who has a car? You read on a cruising boat, you write, and you study and you learn. TV, what TV? You visit and you talk, and you actually have lengthy conversations.

Life simply slows down, and life is peaceful. This is WHY we do it. There is no better life than on a cruising sailboat, especially when all systems are working well.

So, in the near future, we will be relaunching the boat out of the factory, splashing it and then spending the month of November rebuilding the on deck systems. We have allowed the first three weeks of November to rebuild. After that, we will set sail and re-explore Florida’s West Coast, and then onto Biscayne Bay. From there, we will set sail for the Exumas for year two of exploring there.

Thank you for following along, we hope you enjoy the sharing as much as we do. We look forward to another wonderful year of cruising.

Reflecting back on our year #2 of cruising, we feel so blessed and so lucky to be living this long term planned dream. Our second year took us down the ICW from Maryland to the Florida Keys where we spent another wonderful holiday time at Harbour Cay Club. From Florida, we headed off to the Exumas with our good friend Jeff arriving in Georgetown where Jeff rented a beach front home. From there we continued south to Long Island and then we began our trek northward to the Abacos. We spent a beautiful month in the Abacos where good friends Wendy and Craig flew down for a visit. From the Abacos, we headed for the Island Packet Yachts Factory in Largo, Florida!

We decided to truck our 1994 IP-35 back to the factory for a full refit and a few upgrades. The factory has started a new refit program and we are the first yacht to sign up. Our boat will be in the factory for 6 months, May to November, 2013. While the yacht is in the factory, we will be spending our first summer in 22 years at our home. Usually, we set sail in June and enjoy sailing to New England. This will be our first summer at home since we started sailing our Island Packet 27 in 1991. This will be a different summer for us.

Once the factory completes our refit, we will re-launch the boat in St. Petersburg, Florida, in November. At that point we will then begin year #3 of our Bahamas explorations.

We manage Google Maps of our yearly sailing trips and here is a picture of this past year… the blue pins are for the trip south to the Keys, the yellow pins are south to the Bahamas, the aqua pins represent our return to the US from the Exumas and the green pins show our way across the Okeechobee Waterway to Largo, Florida.

Team Island Spirit ICW to Exumas to the Island Packet Yachts Factory

Thank you for following along with our sailing adventures. We love to hear from you. Please leave us a comment below or use the CONTACT US link to send us an email.

Hayden & Radeen…..at HOME!

After our group tour of Italy, we stayed one more week in the Tuscany area to tour the wine country. We rented a condo via RCI in the beautiful hillside town of Loro Cuiffenna with waterfalls and street side cafes and bakeries. From this location, we drove (over 1,000 km.) into the Chianti Region and tour vineyards and hilltop towns from the 11th century! Italy, a wonderful place to get lost…

Here are some photos of the Tuscany Area:

A Cappuccino Girl is BORN…..oh NO!

San Gimignano, a walled hilltop city from the 13 century

Local restaurant in San Gimignano

Typical Tuscany Meal, meat and salad

San Gimignano meal, Tuscany, meat and beans….. and you thought it was all pasta in Italy

San Gimignano Piazza, center of town

Our little town, Loro Cuiffenna where we spent a week

Our little town, Loro Cuiffenna looking down the river

Our little town, Loro Cuiffenna and the BROOM MAKER….look close (see next pic)

Our little town, Loro Cuiffenna broom shop

Olive Trees are every where

Typical Tuscany Driving view

Overlook view from a hilltop town

Beautiful architectural details

Oldest wine cellar in Montepulciano: Cantine Redi 1200 years old!

ahhhhh   Montepulciano: Cantine Redi

Walking the streets of Montepulciano

The view from Montepulciano

Montepulciano the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta, 1594-1680 A.D.

Montepulciano the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta, 1594-1680 A.D.

The street of LOVE 🙂

Departing our little town….our stay has ended.. We are sad to leave Italy 🙁

This has been a wonderful 24 day adventure. We shot 3,000 photos and shared our best 25 or more. We hope you have enjoyed the photos. Thank you for traveling along with us.

We are home from our Italy 2013 tour, reflecting on our wonderful visit and discovery of this fabulous country. Here are 25 photos that progress in the order of our trip. Thank you for traveling along with us and sharing in this adventure.

We flew using Frequent Flyer Miles and they routed us… Phil – Chicago – Berlin – Rome ! At least it was FREE

Once in Europe, we rode the high speed train to Naples

Walking the streets in Naples is really great

Our first excitement discovering Naples….FUN

Roof top breakfast in Naples

A drive down the Amalfi Coast to Positano

Touring Pompeii

The beautiful domes inside St. Peter’s Basilica

St. Mark’s Square in Vatican City

The Pantheon in Rome is spiritual

The FORUM in ROME, 312 A.D.

The Colosseum

The Colosseum had stages that lifted and dropped into the floor!

The Trevi Fountain, 1762 A.D., a must stop location

Trevi Fountain Italian Model

Wine Cellar for our first wine tasting

Hayden and Radeen enjoying a wine tasting

Florence….wonderful….Florence

Siena and the Palio, a colorful sight to enjoy

The Palio in Siena with the parade and horse race. Every contrada or neighborhood participates

The canals of Venice, so romantic

The island of Burano north of Venice, a fishing village

Runing around Venice on a private high speed taxi….FUN

On the water at night….Venice

Lake Como, Northern Italy