Back aboard

It is always a more difficult process to transition back into living aboard full time after a stretch of time in a larger space. We came down yesterday with our truck load of stuff and the inevitable compression back down into 33' is always stressful. When we go elsewhere to house-sit, it's the opposite: our relative paucity of stuff is released into a huge environment where it all flows out and is hardly noticeable. Here, it piles up quickly and all the habits of getting things packed and keeping them stowed have not yet kicked in so it is constantly cramped and untidy.

This year, just about the time we re-learn all those habits and things start to get ship-shape again, we're going to be off house-sitting again... the bad habits that come with living in huge spaces will only be reinforced.

At least yesterday was a pleasant spring day and we got to go for a walk and enjoy the benefits of being back in the marina. We have a fairly easy month ahead. We decided we did not ultimately have time to take any trips up to Canada in between now and our next house-sitting engagement, so we are just going to stick around Puget Sound. We might take some short trips to the South Sound, or to a weekend yacht club event or two, but otherwise we'll hang out at Shilshole until we go back up to Port Townsend in mid-June. We'll be back again in mid-August and have no idea at all what we'll do after that. August itself is pretty well booked up with events in Seattle or Idaho, so we won't be going anywhere then. After that, we're really up in the air. Gas prices being what they are, it's an open question whether or not my parents will need anyone to look after their place next winter. The RV is a thirsty beast! We almost certainly won't find a new boat by then, and there are some business opportunities that may be coming up for Mandy in the Seattle area anyway, so I guess the odds are that we will stick around here for fall and winter, at least. We may take some short trips but fall is not the time to be heading north.

I managed, eventually, to get the starter problem fixed with the truck. It turned out not to be the contacts at all, but the gear assembly, so I did end up replacing the whole thing. The new one was a little quirky at first but it seems to be functioning smoothly now. Next up: a vacuum leak (I suspect) that is messing with my idle speeds.

As far as the boat itself goes, it's in pretty good shape except for the head seal leak that needs fixing. The head is all cleared out and ready for me to get started, but I have not been eager to dive into it and it may be mandatory to wait for a day that is nice enough that I can have all the portholes and vents open before I start cracking it apart. Looking at the forecast, I am hard pressed to find anything of that sort coming up.