Toews ‘r Us — a family sailing adventure

We finally put one on the boat.

I haven’t really been trolling much since Cape Cod. All my trolling rigs were lost to fish there, or maybe it was to the lobster buoys. But I’m pretty sure the fish were just too big for me to reel in.

Today I put together a new rig, re-lined my big rod, and threw it behind the boat. Trolling is always a waiting game, so find something else to do while you’re waiting. I was soldering some terminals on a cockpit speaker when I heard the rod go off.

FISH ON!

My first tuna ever. YEEEESSSS! “Debi you better get the rice started for the Sushi.”

Debi belongs to a mom’s group, All About Moms, at our church. They were having
a silent auction to raise some money to keep the joining fee reasonable and for scholarships for moms who can’t afford to join the group. We donated a day of sailing on Los GATOews.

A great family ended up winning the auction. Larry, Julia, and Colin Yost came aboard last week and we took off. It was a fantastic day for a sail - Sky…Clear, Winds…15 knots - Sailing…Priceless. We took off to the Isles of Shoals, grabbed a mooring, and ate lunch aboard. From there we set out to circumnavigate the Shoals and then back into Portsmouth.

It was a beautifully relaxing day. We got to use our boat for God’s glory, the Mom’s group got some financial benefit and the Yosts got a great day of sailing.

Overall - Not bad!

The old trampolines were in terrible shape. So bad in fact that the week prior to putting on the second one, Cassidy fell through it and right into the water. I was right there, but she got soaked, scared and cold.

Making your own trampolines is a rather large project. Homemade items that are too large to be laid out in the living room are hard to work with. It was a real exercise in patience for both Debi and I, but we got through it just fine. What is it they say? “Whatever doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.”

We used a ¼” mesh that we got at Sailrite. Our tramps are rather large so two sections of the fabric needed to be sewn together. We used their vinyl glue prior to sewing, making the job of keeping it aligned much easier.

We used Tenera Thread made by Gore. It’s basically teflon . It’s supposed to last for nearly ever, at least it will outlast the rest of the trampoline. This is good because I don’t want to put that much effort into RE-sewing a project. We used the double strand type, it’s twisted together and has a 15 pound break strength. We needed to use a #20 needle in order for it to work properly without getting bunched. Use the directions on the Sailrite site to set the machine up. We found the best price at Southern Textile Group.

Our broken down sewing machine was stretched to the limit, frustrating both Debi and I. After completing the first one at a cost of over 10 needles, a base plate, and a couple of other plates, I realized that the arm of the machine needed a slight adjustment. We completed the second tramp with only 2 needles and no other broken parts.

On edges we put in a 3″ fold and sewed it 5 times. We then put Shelter-Rite truck tarp material as a border, more for looks, but I’m sure it added some strength. We put in grommets just under every 4 inches or so and laced it in. I used a 3/16″ rope and cut it to lengths that would lace up ½ of a side. This way if a line were to break, it would only be a short section that would be affected, averting a complete failure.

It sounds pretty easy looking back on it, but the first one was a real bear. Once we got that one complete the second one was put together in no time.

Mike has been bugging me to write a post.  I thought it was time as well, I haven’t written one since last September. 

I really didn’t have much to write about until now.  It’s been a pretty quiet winter for the Toews girls.  Marah and Cassidy are doing excellent in school, Calen is nearly two and talking all the time and I have been puttering along making our little winter rental a home.  But alas, the time has come to move back again to our beautiful boat. 

I have procrastinated getting started on some of our sewing projects.   Mike is more confident in my sewing skills than I am.  We have started on our big sewing project, the trampolines for our catamaran.  We have finished one and have started on the other and I have to say, with all humility, I am quite impressed with how it turned out.  Who knew we had it in us?!   I thought we had bitten off more than we could chew with that project but Mike thought differently.   Making them ourselves is a tremendous savings.  I’ve also started mending the sail cover and making hanging bags for Mike’s tools and sailing instrument covers.  I still have to finish the second tramploine, mend and wash the sails, a grill cover for our new grill, and pack  up the winter rental before moving day.  

As much as we have going on, we are all excited about moving aboard Los GATOews.  She is a disaster area right now.  Mike has worked on her all winter with little projects here and there, making improvements.  I’ve helped here and there, whenever he needed a strong back for the job.  There are tools screwn about, dust, dirt and grime but nothing a little cleanser and elbow grease couldn’t fix.  I’m anxious to get started on her and get us moved on.

The excitement is building again and the Toews household is busy, busy , busy. 

Things have been incredibly busy. Big projects have been completed, new ones started and time has been slipping away.
It’s amazing how fast time creeps up. One minute it’s sub-zero, New Hampshire frozen winter, the next it’s May and 70 degrees (70 is long-john weather to my best friend, Kenny, in Florida).

We need to be out of our winter rental in just over a month, so it’s onto the boat then. We’ll be in great shape. Most of the major projects that we wanted completed are done. The other big ones, like new trampolines, are almost complete.

I’ve been pushing Debi to finish the small sewing items. The last major item that NEEDS completing is the engine maintenance. The injectors and heat exchangers went out to be cleaned - they need to be put back in. There are some other items that need to get done before we fire them up for the spring.

The Los GATOews Clean and Green Energy Project is complete. Although, I think that I’m going to make some minor improvements. I’ll catch you up on the details shortly.

The girls and I did some flight time in the simulator - they had a blast, so did I.

Debi, why don’t you start a canvas shop? I don’t know Mike, why don’t you start a sewing machine repair shop?  

We’ve got some projects that involve sewing: new trampolines sail repair, bosun’s chair, etc. Debi’s household machine just wasn’t going to be up to the task so we started looking at some sturdier machines this past summer.

We fell in love with the new Sailrite machines. I just couldn’t bring myself to spending $800 on a new machine. I’m not saying they’re not worth it; I’m just not sure they’re worth it to us, yet.

I started looking on EBay and my usual discussion board’s (Cruiser’s Forum, SSCA) classified ads for used machines. Bingo! In just a few days, I found a used Sailrite for just $200. I had the seller email some pictures - they looked great so we went for it.

I had a Parcel Shop box it up and send it DHL. When the box showed up it was destroyed. The shipper had done a horrendous job at packaging this 50 pound piece of delicate machinery. We were furious and distraught. How could they be so incompetent?

This thing is pretty weighty; I couldn’t lift it with my back’s restrictions, so Debi carried into the repair shop. I can picture the technician now, “what a deadbeat dude, letting his wife carry this monstrous machine.” The machine was deemed “not worth repairing” according to All Makes Sew & Vac Center. (The estimate was free and the people nice.) The arm was twisted and the needle was hitting the table. Debi wasn’t there to do my dirty work for me, so that same technician had to carry it out and put it in the car for me. I’m sure he was pleased.

So great! We don’t have a sewing machine, I’ve got to battle with DHL and a shipper in Florida to get my money back, what am I going to do with this hunk of metal now? Anchor? Wait just a minute, I seem to remember being slightly mechanical, maybe I could figure it out. I wasn’t doing much anyway, as a matter of fact; I’m pretty bored and could use a project.

I found that the arm was bolted on to the table (now forgive me if my sewing machine terminology isn’t correct). Loosen a couple of bolts, have Debi hit it with a hammer and TADA! It works, slightly. Debi and I worked together, I needed her to move the hunk of metal as well as show me how to sew. Working only a little at a time, It only took several days and several hours to get everything adjusted and repaired. Now I know how this machine works, inside and out. I still can’t lift the sucker, but I can make it go.

Two things are amazing: First, we got this mechanical nightmare in working order. Second, Debi and I worked nicely together to complete a project.

Oh, I figured we spent a minimum of 15 hours, probably closer to 20 on this machine (learning and fixing), not to mention some new parts. We filed for DHL insurance anyway, the check finally came 3 ½ months later. That’s less than $13 an hour. This wasn’t a money maker, I should have insured it for the cost of a new machine, we’d have one now.

We did a line inventory; leaving Los GATOews in the water for the winter made me want to check the quality and quantity of our lines. I’m thinking that I’d like her in the same place next spring as she is right now. The inventory turned out just as I thought - get new lines.It seems like I’ve really gotten into some cultic self-sufficiency, so we bought the rope and made our own dock-lines. I was going to make the rope myself, but I’m just too lazy. We were looking for roughly 40 foot lines for our boat in 5/8 inch nylon line. I looked at the double braided lines, approx a $100 a piece, wow. I moved on to the three strand dock lines, roughly $60. I ended up buying some bulk line and making our own - cost: about $30 each and a little time. We made four 40 footers, and two 60 footers. I’ve since cut down one of the 40’s into two 20’s. I’m such a cheapskate (thanks Debi - she made me this way, now she’s regretting it).

List’n ‘ere swabbies, you’ve gotta earn yar keep!

We’ve got a lot to do before it gets cold,

you can see from the pictures that it’s not warm -

so I guess that means we have a lot to do before it gets too, too cold.

Just look at them all cleaning the deck

These girls are troopers, I’m so proud of our crew!

I started a list of the things I’d like to do to the boat over the next 8 months or so.  The list is only 118 items long.  We’ve completed 9 so far.

Some things are easy, some are hard, but there’s a lot that I just can’t do.  I tried to do some this last weekend and now am flat on my back.  I’m comfortable in this position but sitting, walking, moving are all painfull.  The doctor has me on four hour days; thankfully I get to lay down for a few hours every afternoon and just take it easy.

Debi’s been a huge help.  She doesn’t want to do everything but is really a trooper and always comes through.  I think I’m the luckiest man alive to have her!  No that’s a lie, I know I am.  She has carried 63 pound batteries down the dock ramps and put them in the dinghy.  She’s carried most everything that’s on the boat.  The girls have done the rest, I’ve carried the least.

Due to my slow healing, I’ve been planning to hire out more than I’d like to.  Right now I have the solar panels ordered, the wind generators ordered and a mounting arch being built for them.

I’ll have to prioritize my list a little better.

I had planned that we’d be leaving New Hampshire this month. I was through with my tour with the Air Force last weekend, on September 30th, but things just didn’t go as planned.I’m still having problems with my back - mostly pain in my legs. The Air Force has put me on “Medical Hold.” For now, they’ve held me on active duty until December 1st, at least. We’ll see what they do from there.

I promised the girls that if they started school here, we’d let them finish the year. We got a winter rental in Rye again and it looks like we’re here until next June.

We’re planning a summer time trip for next year and a bunch of maintenance over the winter.

First things first, what do we do with the boat for the winter?