More Chores in Palma

This morning the wind had pretty much died and the marina was, for the most part, calm. Praise the Lord! We slept great and woke up full of energy, determined to get a lot done to make up for all the wasted days last week when we were too lethargic from the rocking to do much. It was ominously gray and cloudy all day, but it never really rained.

Eric set out to find a gasket and shaft packing tool. He went to two chandleries. The second chandlery sent him to a machine shop to have a gasket made. Eric arrived at the shop holding his home made gasket and the leftover gasket material we had gotten in Greece. The machine shop guys dropped what they were doing to make a gasket for him right then and there. And they only charged him $12 USD! Eric gave them Continue reading

Chore Day in Mallorca

We awoke to more heavy wind and rain. It was unbearably rocky. If we were in an anchorage, we’d for sure have the paravanes out. Since we didn’t get our chores done on the days the technicians came, we had allotted this morning as a chore day. We were overwhelmingly lethargic from the rocking in the marina, and we knew our standard chores would require considerable more effort today. That made us kind of grouchy. Strike One.

Normally, we don’t send our laundry out to be done. Christi likes to Continue reading

Chores and Day 1 of Passage to Mallorca, Spain

Yesterday was yet another chore day. Sometimes we feel like the boat chores are cumbersome and we wish we were traveling like a regular tourist, where every day is a sightseeing day and you never have to take time away from sightseeing to clean and do maintenance. But our trip to Paris was a reminder of why we chose to travel by boat. Going to and from Paris we schlepped our bag on several trains, busses and subways, and up and down at least a million stairs. Our bag was small and light, but it was still a hassle, especially on the tightly packed subways. How much of a hassle would it be with the big, heavy bags we would have for long term traveling? And it is so nice to have your own bed and your own bathroom, never having to wonder if your hotel is going to be up to your preferred standards. Another bonus of traveling via private boat is not having to pack up your stuff every time you move on to the next place. And, we have figured out that no matter how you travel, whether plane, train, or boat, traveling for many hours wears you out exactly the same. We prefer the privacy and comfort of our own home as we travel, instead of in an uncomfortable, public medium.

Eric was busy all day. He Continue reading