Long time, no post....

Yes, it's been quite a while since my last post. I do apologize. However... (rationale to follow -- skip to the next paragraph if you wish)

I took the job offer from Consona CRM and have basically been training for the past month... reading, looking at old specs and re-implementing/engineering, trying to learn and get ramped up on the Onyx product... trying to get my name out there and get involved as much as I can... and getting to know everyone and the new town.

So, I need backup a bit to cover all the pictures that I've taken between accepting Consona's offer and now! So, grab some popcorn and a beer for this one.

So, after we got the boat back in the water we noticed that the mooring buoy to which Phil ties up had a bit of a 'growth' :) probably a 20' or more string of kelp attached!


I decided to spend the 4th (July) with Kat and Phil, my sister and brother in law and on the drive back from Kirkland, WA I saw a few hydroplanes.. turns out this is a pretty huge sport in the area. Seafair is a HUGE event... they actually close the I90 bridge that connects Seattle and Kirkland for nearly 3 hours so that the Blue Angels can do their thing feet over the water w/o endangering any travelers!



We saw the fireworks from Boston Harbor on an old navy PT boat, converted into a work and dive boat...


A shot showing the 'surface supply' lines... they provide the O2 for divers.


These guys are all over the sound in the summer -- make it kinda hard to just 'jump in' whenever you get too warm!


The experience was something else... turns out that the PT boat we were on was hired out that night to help bring the fireworks barge into the harbor and get it positioned and moored! So, we got a first hand look at it before the show! (no pics unfortunately -- I was actually engaged most of that time trying to 'catch' the mooring buoy with a long spear!)

There was some pretty awesome looking sea sea anemone growth on the docks out there...


Well, lets see... moving to Kirkland. Unfortunately I didn't have much time between accepting the offer, and finding a place to live. Not that it would have mattered much, because I didn't really know what I wanted at the time... but I managed to find a decent little condo, just outside downtown and about 5 minutes drive from work with GREAT VIEWS of the sunset...


Kirkland also has some really sweet parks and houses along Lake Washington.

Here's a shot from Juanita Bay Park. I've never seen so many lilly pads!


The places along the waterfront downtown are just immaculately landscaped...


It's kinda hard to see from this angle, but the whole garden was lined by fountains (which were in service that day).


So, on to the condo! I truly thought that I was going to break my lease here. I got moved in and soon realized that the fella upstairs from me, while a great guy, walks with a purpose and is up EVERY MORNING at 4AM!!!!! So, I have been trying to get adjusted to waking up at 4am, getting back to sleep, then getting up at 7am... not the schedule I'd imagined.

But, Mom and Dad talked me out of it while they were here to visit last week... basically they were right. I need to get settled in this job first, then I can look for another place if I'm still waking up at 4am.

Other than that complaint, the place is really awesome! I mean it's got bloody everything! So, here's the tour.

Outside, my place is 2nd floor w/ the bay window :)


My bike finally has a decent home!!!


Everything fits... bike, trailer (tied up vertically) and truck!


We'll start inside w/ the living room...


A shot toward the eating area....


The eating area (which will be a computer / music area since I almost never eat at home)


A shot from the eating area in the kitchen, which is huge btw... pantry, cabinets all 'round, bar.. all brand new appliances... waaaaaaaaaaay too much kitchen for me, but heh, it came w/ the place :)


Bedroom -- bayview window (blinds closed b/c the folks were sleeping there during their visit... I'm not shy!


Beautiful things to have in your place... everyone should have a set of these!


Last but not least... the pic that everyone I rode w/ back east pitched in to get for me.. should be hung today, just above where it sits now on the mantlepiece!

That's all for now folks! I'll try to be more diligent about this blog thing.. I know I got slack for a while there!

Couple of Quick Vids

of the boat being dry docked, shortly after she was raised from the water.

Back on the Water

She was put back into the water yesterday after almost 2 weeks of hard work. The finish coat looked GREAT! It looks so good in-fact, that I'm thinking it will probably motivate Kat and Phil to start on the deck paint sooner rather than later :)

I took quite a few pics of the put-in. We would have had the traditional bottle of champagne, but they hadn't painted the name on her yet -- so it didn't seem appropriate just yet.

Here's a walk around her while she's still on the stands, showing off the new finish coat.








Shiny!






Outboard mounted...


Here comes the TraveLift to pick her up!


This time they had to wrap the 'straps' up with wax paper so as not to 'pull' the bottom paint, making it sag or stretch. Bottom paint, as it turns out, contains two very important ingredients for salt-water craft.
1. A chemical cuprous oxide that helps to prevent bottom growth. (barnacles, sea anemones, sea-weed and various types of algae)
2. A 'sloughing' agent. This basically refers to the ability of the bottom coat to 'slough' off in layers, exposing a fresh layer with more of #1, cuprous oxide, to allow for continued protection from the sea.

You can see the 'slings' wrapped in that white wax paper.


They slowly raise them and the ground crew verifies that they are in good position before lifting.


An initial test, to make sure the slings will hold the weight w/o slipping.


Then they start to lift.


And we now have a road worthy sailboat :)


Here's where she's heading...


as you can see :)


All the way out to the end of the ramp before dropping her...


Then I head down to the dockside to get a better vantage.


and watch for her keel to touch the water for the first time in nearly 2 weeks.


Down a bot more...


Touchdown!
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Well, not quite...


OK... touchdown!


Removing the slings is somewhat entertaining. Remember the 'keel' of the boat sits between them... so if the boat were to simply back up after hitting the water, it would catch the rear sling and pull it.

So, they have to lower the rear sling enough that the keel will clear it when they back the boat up. Notice in this shot...


After that, instead of powering up the boat's outdrive and hitting reverse, they just raise the front sling a bit, creating enough lift to drive the boat backward and over the rear sling.


Then they let go of the front sling, and that's all folks!


A couple of the happy couple (third wheel in the water).




Lenny was on hand to help us raise the mast into place and took a few shots himself.


It turned out sooo well!


Neat angle


The happy captain...


and the final resting place, back on the moorage at Boston Harbor marina after an EXCELLENT sail from the Swantown boatyard!

And she's SOOOOOOO much faster! We knew that a properly prepped and painted bottom can make a HUGE difference in speed, but we had NO IDEA!