Turning a boat into a home

We left Akron with a truckload of stuff: bikes, at least 15 bins, boxes filled with boat stuff, and 2 cases of wine. 

The stuff had been staged in our Akron house but it still took a few hours to load that U-Haul! 

We overnighted in Waukegan IL then arrived in Sturgeon Bay around 10:30am Central time. .

I have to admit it was a little weird to climb onto this boat we’d only seen a few times and imagine this could be our home. 

The previous owner, Steve, decorated it beautifully then left everything to us. 

All the furniture, bedspreads and sheets, the lamps and furnishings. It was quite a generous gesture. I wouldn’t change a thing. 

 

However, when we loaded all our crap on it one bin at a time, this beautiful boat became a disaster, at least momentarily.

My sister Martha said we should unload the entire truck then take a picture of all the carts lined up on the dock. It would have been a great photo op but unfortunately we didn’t have the stamina for that and the marina doesn’t have that many dock carts!

From Friday mid-day to Tuesday mid-day we unloaded at least 4 carts or more per day. It seemed to never stop. Finally on Tuesday we just bit the bullet and finished. We had a logic to our process (of course we did!).

We piled the clothes bags in the guest bedroom, positioning them for the day when we could put the clothes away. That didn’t happen until Sunday when I got tired of wearing the same clothes because I couldn’t find anything in that big mess! Frustration is a wonderful motivator!

Then I put the sheets in the washer so I could make our bed. I figured correctly that we would be exhausted.

While I did that, Kermit met with the diesel guy, Steve, to do one more run through on the engines and generator. Everything is in tip top shape! He watched while we started the engines and the generator just to be sure we could do it ourselves when the time came.

Then we started on the kitchen, finding homes in little cubbies for all the non-perishables, dishes and equipment we brought with us and making a list of all the things we needed to buy.

On Saturday we made a huge purchase at the local grocery story of fresh and frozen foods as well as liquor. Crown Royal sells for $40 for the big bottle, quite a savings over the price at home, so Kermit bought a bunch. All that had to be put away.

This boat has a gazillion cubbies all over the place so everything has a home. The only thing on the countertop is the knife block, the cutting board and bins for potatoes and onions. These things can be tucked away so they won’t move around.

In the past I used my trusty label maker to note what was in cubbies, drawers and cabinets. The wood interior on this boat doesn’t lend itself to labels. I tried. The label left a mark. So we have to remember where everything is! All day long we say to each other, “Where is the toothpaste?” or “Where is the bread?” and rely on each other to remember. This might get complicated or at least tiring as time goes on.

Bathrooms were next. It was important to find a permanent place for medicine, toothbrushes and deodorant. The first few days were heck without that! We divided up the stuff and stocked up the guest and master bath with our supplies and towels. The forward head is now the preferred spot for daytime potty breaks. Someday we will personalize the bathrooms but for now they are utilitarian.

On Sunday we put the clothes away. The master cabin has 10 big drawers plus a nice sized closet. Kermit took an entire drawer for his hairdryer and nose clippers!! This is more space than we have at home! We keep finding bins brought from home that hold the stuff that makes the place look messy like power cords. The Good Luck Chicken from the first Good Karma makes its home in one of these baskets on the helm, watching the driver carefully.

On Wednesday I set up my office in the master cabin and set up the printer. I put my files in a bin on the closet floor. Every time I turned around I found another place to stow stuff. I put out decorative items with museum putty on the bottom so they won’t fall over. This makes it feel a bit more like home.

Kermit staged all his crap stuff in the sunroom. Imagine piles of cleaning equipment, dinghy supplies, life jackets and other boat detritus piled everywhere. We could hardly move. Kermit went through all that crap stuff, keeping what he wanted and creating a big pile of stuff for anyone to take that he put on a bench on the dock. For two days folks scavenged through that box until it was all gone!!

That was the last room to clean. We really need one of those resin boxes like we had on the 1^st Good Karma but until then Kermit stowed the stuff somewhere, don’t ask me where! The sun room is now cleaned up.

We had some boat maintenance to perform before leaving

One of the big antennas had a strange let down clamp that put the antenna down perpendicular to the boat. That meant the antenna would stick straight out away from the boat to the side. That wouldn’t do. So a nice fellow from the service department came out to climb over the side of the boat and undo the clamp so we could lay the antenna on the side of the boat for the trip down the rivers.

We had to figure out how to operate the water system. This boat has a really odd looking connection, one on each side of the boat. We knew that had to be the water system but we needed a special connection to make it work. We opened every drawer until we found a funny looking thingy. That one did the trick!! We shoved that thingy onto the water connection and finally we had water!

On Wednesday, a gang of guys from the service department came over to unhinge the radar arch. This boat is about 22’ tall. We need to slip under a 19’ bridge outside of Chicago. The math does not work. One of the many reasons why this boat is perfect is that the radar arch is hinged. Imagine being able to lay the radar arch on the back of the boat! That is what these fellows did. They took out the screw, loosened the electronics wires that are slung through the radar arch connecting the radar at the top of the arch to the radar display down below. Then they laid the radar arch down with the tall light laying on the bench in the back. They propped the arch on two sticks of wood to protect the light while we are driving.

We measured last night and the boat is now about 19’. We figure we can remove the sticks of wood to get a few more inches. Then we go slow and pray! We will report back on that when we go under the bridge in a few weeks.

Kermit removed the name, Knot a Fanta Sea, from the back of the boat using a heat gun. We installed the name boards that Jessica Bates made for us on each side of the boat but covered them with paper until we do the official naming ceremony when we get to Chicago.

Throughout all this unloading and putting away, we had a wonderful time chatting with Anita and Don Gulseth and their friends. We did the loop with Anita and Don in 2012/2013 until Anita got hurt and had to take a rehab sabbatical. It was great to see them again!!

We also took time to enjoy this beautiful marina, Quarterdeck Marina. There are trees (now changing color BTW), beautiful plantings and a covered patio with a wood burning fireplace and four fancy Weber gas grills. We grilled out twice, both times enjoying a fire to relax after a long day of packing. 

After six days on the boat, we have fallen in love. Everything is wonderful. The bed is great. The bathrooms are functional. The kitchen is a dream. The steps give us exercise. The fly bridge is a wonderful place for docktails. The living room is comfortable. And best of all it is fun to drive. More on that in the next post!