Boston

20 August 2012

While we are waiting for the boat details to be finalized this week, we are enjoying the heck out of Massachusetts.  One of my best friends from Myrtle Beach happens to be in the same area for a few weeks working a job.  This is an awesome coincidence because I haven't seen her in two years.  We used this as a great excuse to go check out the Boston nightlife.

Easy Like Sunday Morning

19 August 2012

Bloody Marys all around for breakfast on this cool, beautiful Sunday morning at a dock bar in Quincy, Massachusetts.

...but guess what is so special about OUR Bloody Marys from this morning...

 They were raised up to drink to an accepted offer on a great boat.

We're Still Trippin'

17 August 2012

Our date with the pretty Irwin 34 went well.  She was a great boat for a great price, and her past owners had clearly taken very good care of her.  While she will make a fantastic coastal cruiser for someone, the boat does not seem like it would suit our needs as well as we had originally thought.  Because we have blue water plans in our near future we want a heavier boat.  The Irwin 34 Citation we looked at was only 12,000 pounds and therefore gets pushed around somewhat easily.  A few other things we have decided against were keel bolts and a center board- both of which are characteristic of this Irwin.  

So... the trip continued onto the next boat!

From the bridge over the Chesapeake

Underwater Tunnel "Bridge" in VA

New York, New York

We headed north out of Virginia, making our way through Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, New York, and tonight we are relaxing in a hotel room in connecticut making plans for Boston.

(More) Road Tripping

16 August 2012

Today was spent road tripping...

Our first stop was Beaufort, SC to see an old friend, with whom I was long overdue a visit.  While we caught up with him over lunch he informed us that today is National Rum Day... cheers!

Of course we walked the docks at the marina to window-shop and see what's changed over the last three and a half years since we had our first boat docked there.

We left Beaufort and headed north to Virginia, with an appointment in Norfolk to see an Irwin first thing in the morning.

There is the possibility of continuing the trip north to Massachusetts to see another boat on Sunday...

Food Day Tuesday: Fish Curry

14 August 2012

This weeks recipe choice is delicious, especially if you like to cook with spices.  I chose cod for this curry recipe because of this particular fish's awesome health benefits.  A very clean source of protein (and low on calories), it also rich in important nutrients including omega 3 fatty acid, vitamin B6, and vitamin B12, all of which serve very important functions within the body.  Making cod fish a regular food in your diet can help with cardiovascular health, improve heart function, aid in skin protection, and even boost your mood!  

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 teaspoon minced ginger (or ginger paste)
• 1 teaspoon garlic paste
• 2 teaspoons cumin
• 2 teaspoons coriander
• 1 teaspoon cardamom
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• Juice from half a lemon
• 4 cups diced tomatoes (keep ALL of the juice from the tomatoes)
• 1 pound of white fish, cut into cubes

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a skillet over medium-low heat.  Add onion to skillet, stirring constantly for about 15 minutes until browned. 
2. Mix in the garlic and ginger and cook for about a minute.  
3. Add in the spices and salt, mixing together.
4. Add cilantro, lemon juice, tomatoes, and tomato juice into the skillet and stir.  Bump up the heat to bring to a boil.
5. Once brought to a boil, reduce heat back to low and let it simmer while covered for about 20 to 25 minutes. 
6. Allow the sauce to set off the heat for about a half hour.
7. Return to a boil and add the fish to the skillet.  Reduce heat back to low and cook for 15 to 20 minutes- until the fish is tender and flakey.  

Good served with or over brown rice... enjoy!

Tourist: Charleston

14 August 2012

Angel Oak Tree

We took a few hours to be tourist in C's hometown. The Angel Oak is a huge Live Oak.  It is known as one of the oldest living things east of the Mississippi River. This tree is 1500 years old, give or take a few.

It is believed that these dominating perennials have magic powers, especially when the strong limbs grow down to touch the earth, then grow back up.

The tree is fenced in to protect it from people wishing to do it harm.  I am not talking about lumberjacks or beavers.  Can you believe that a few people at different times have tried to destroy this landmark? It is free to see and touch this vertical history book.

Do you know of any supernatural landmarks around your home? We would love to hear about them.

-G

Food Day Tuesday: Vegan Veggie Pasta

07 August 2012

Last night my sis and I decided to cook for the guys (our hubbies and her son).  She is a vegetarian who is also giving the gluten free diet a whirl.  This created the opportunity for her and me to make my favorite pasta dish.  The great part about this recipe is that you can add as many veggies as you want, or even throw some chicken or shrimp on top.  It is a healthy alternative to an alfredo pasta and just as filling.

Sis & me cooking dinner

Ingredients:

• 12 ounces brown rice pasta (penne or spiral pasta works best)
• 1 zucchini, cut into half-circles
• 1 squash, cut into half-circles
• 3/4 cup diced tomatoes
• Any other veggies you want to throw into the mix- red peppers, etc.
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 4 tablespoons brown rice flour
• 1/2 teaspoon dried dill
• Sea salt and pepper
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• Dash of parsley
• 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
• 2 tablespoons Earth Balance butter
• 2 1/2 cups almond milk
• 2 tablespoons raw almond butter

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C).
2. Bring large pot of water to a boil, and cook the pasta for a little over half the time instructed by the package. Drain and mix with a little olive oil.
3. Heat a skillet over medium heat, and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil.  Toss in minced garlic and veggies.  Season with dill, salt, and pepper.  Saute until tender-crisp, NOT soft.
4. In a sauce pan, heat remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-low heat.  Add the E.B. butter and let it melt.  
5. Add in flour, and stir with a fork or whisk to thicken into a paste.  
6. Add in almond milk and stir to combine.  
7. Mix in almond butter, garlic powder, teaspoon of salt, nutmeg, and vinegar.  
8. Pour noodles into an oiled baking dish.  Add in veggies and sauce into the dish and carefully mix until evenly distributed.
9. Cover with foil, and bake for 20 minutes.  
10. Sprinkle with tomatoes and parsley, and enjoy!

Mirror Mirror On The Wall...

05 August 2012


That boat don't look good after all.


We found an oh-so-DREAMY Endeavour online located in Florida, and immediately called the broker to set up a meeting for the next day.  With stars in our eyes we packed a cooler full of food and drinks, blankets, pillows, and Johnny into the truck and headed south on a nine hour drive to our "dream boat."  

Sleepy Head Johnny in the Truck

Well... apparently asking for extra pictures and more information beforehand is not enough to keep you from wasting your time traveling to look at something that isn't even close to what you want.  As soon as we stepped onto the boat our hearts sank in disappointment; the pictures we saw online were old and incredibly misleading.  Next time we will definitely ask when the pictures were taken before we make the decision to travel to see a boat.  

While we were in the area we took the time to check out a couple of other boats, but still headed back to South Carolina without one.  The trip was not in vain though; time spent looking around at other boats is always good for ideas and experience.  I know that we are being very picky at this point because we are ready for THE boat that will suit us for many years of comfortable living and cruising, but I believe that being picky now will make us happier with our decision in the long run.

Keep It Simple, Sweetheart

01 August 2012

My honey sippin' on a cold brewski while fixin' up the lawn

My mom is planning on selling her house in the near future in order to downsize, so in between boat research, talking to brokers, and looking at boats for sale we are helping her around the house with a few chores to get her market ready (can you call a house "her"?).  As we have worked on these chores, I've realized that owning a house is much like owning a boat in many ways.  You have to keep a constant watch for anything and everything that could possibly go wrong with the plumbing, electrical, electronics, leaks, wood integrity, bug invasions, mold, mildew, etc., and all of this while keeping up with the never-ending daily cleaning and maintenance.


Like us, she has put a lot of energy and time into her beautiful home, which she LOVES, but it has come time to downsize and simplify.  While on a smaller scale, I can so closely relate to her situation.  The work we put into The Hammer was a labor of love.  We made a ton of memories working on her, and the education was priceless.  She became a home more so than just an old boat, and the transition she made from "that old rusty steel boat" into a truly great boat was amazing.  However, no matter how much our emotions were in it, it was time to downsize and simplify.  We have many reasons for selling her, the main reason being that it was just time to move on to something simpler and more comfortable for living aboard and cruising.  Being that cruising and living aboard are the entire reason we want a boat in the first place, we decided it was time to find something better suited for us and our sailing future.


The search for Miss Right continues, and we have finally begun to narrow our search.  We are looking for something a little smaller than the last boat (Groupe Finot 42') but bigger than the first (Irwin 32').  Plan B Endeavour 37's have caught our eye the most, but we haven't ruled out the others we have been interested in just yet... Pearson, Irwin, and Morgan between 36 and 39 feet are all still in the running for now.  We have weighed the pros and cons of every type of boat, because every boat does in fact have her good and bad qualities.  Taking into consideration what characteristics we think are a must, and what compromises we are willing to make for those musts are helping us figure out which boat will meet our needs the best.  


Because Endeavours are in the lead as of now, we would love your input.  If you have experience with this type of boat, what are your thoughts, good and bad?

Food Day Tuesday: G.F. Zucchini Bread

31 July 2012

Zucchini bread was a favorite of the captain's growing up, and I've heard time and time again about how delicious his mom's Z-bread is.  My search for a way to make a tasty gluten-free zucchini loaf has been going on now for several weeks, and I believe I have finally figured it out.

G's mom and her boyfriend grow zucchini and squash in their yard in Indiana.  When we saw her last week in Tennessee she gave me a box full of the biggest squash and zucchinis I have ever seen in my life.  What better excuse to cook my honey's childhood favorite?

ENJOYING MY MOM'S AMAZING KITCHEN WHILE WE ARE VISITING

Ingredients:

• 1 cup grated zucchini
• 1 cup brown rice flour
• 1/2 cup tapioca flour
• 3/4 teaspoon xanthan gum
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon pumpkin spice
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup egg whites (somewhere close to 2 eggs worth)
• 1/4 cup coconut milk or almond milk
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract 

LOOK AT THIS BEAUTY

Directions:

1. Oil a bread pan, or line with parchment paper (I find parchment paper easier).  
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
3. In a large mixing bowl mix together brown rice flour, tapioca flour, baking powder, baking soda, xanthan gum, salt, cinnamon, and pumpkin spice.
4. Add in oil, egg whites, lemon juice, milk, and vanilla.  Beat to combine until smooth.
5. Add in the zucchini and stir in with a fork.
6. Evenly pour batter into prepared bread pan.  Bake for 55 minutes to an hour. 
7. Remove bread from pan onto a rack and allow to cool.  Very yummy with Earth Balance butter spread!

FRESH OUT THE OVEN

Give it a shot- it's pretty easy to make and actually really good.  Enjoy!

Kissing Frogs to Find the Princess

29 July 2012

Take a look at our new boat. . .

USS Yorktown docked in Charleston, SC

. . . Just kidding!

At this point we have looked at A LOT of boats, and several have caught our attention for another look.  We are still in Charleston, SC and have spent a couple of days looking at boats around the area.  Friday we spent the morning looking at a Westsail 32; the outside looked fantastic, but once we realized it was a kit boat we quickly lost interest.  If we do end up going with a Westsail, it will definitely be factory finished rather than a kit boat.  We continued our search today, but nothing that we looked at caught our attention.

It has surprised me how difficult it is to boat shop for the right boat.  Being that the last boat was bought as a project we weren't too picky since we were planning to re-do everything anyway.  Our first boat was an Irwin, and we actually keep finding ourselves comparing every boat we look at to her.  Although she was a bit small for our crew of three, it was a GREAT boat that we had a blast cruising on in a reasonable amount of comfort.

We have a very long list of things that would make the perfect boat for us, but after all of this "shopping" around it has occurred to us that it will be next to impossible to find every single quality and characteristic that we want in one boat.  Now that we have realized that, we have shortened the list to the most important things to us:

1. A wrap around galley with plenty of space.  
2. Comfortable cockpit that can accommodate entertaining plenty of friends and family.
3. Two comfortable sleeping quarters.
4. Enough deck space for me to practice yoga, store SUPs and bicycles, etc.  
5. No more than 5 foot draft.
6. Plenty of headroom- at least 6'1" (G is 6').
7. Several opening hatches and ports.
8. Sturdy, sea worthy, and comfortable.
9. Plenty of tankage for fresh water and fuel.
10. Good reputation for blue water cruising.  

What was most important to you when you bought your boat?

~ C

Duck Hunt

26 July 2012

Johnny chilln' with Spudz Mckenzie, Alex from Stroh's and Gidget the Taco Bell Dog

   We have made our way up to Charleston, SC.  C's family lives here and it's a great midway point to stop and relax from looking at boats.  So far we have looked at boats in Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina.  To be honest most of them have started looking the same.  A few cookie cutter boats without any personality have been scratched off of the list.  So far we have narrowed the list down to:

  (DRUM ROLL PLEASE)

Morgan O/I

Westsail 32 

Irwin

Endeavour 37

Gemini 105 

The last one was totally different we know, but was added just for spice and good measure.  Opinions are being solicited at this point.  Over the next couple of days we will be visiting with family, helping out with yard work, installing a ceiling fan, visiting some brothers, and living the dream!

-G

Food Day Tuesday: Moroccan Style Chicken

24 July 2012

It seems that I missed last week's food day Tuesday post, so I will owe you an extra one sometime later in the next week or so!  ;)  Even though we are not on a boat at the present moment, I went through some food pictures and dug up one of our favorites to share for today.  

I'm sure everyone knows how much I LOVE cooking with spices (especially my two favorites, Turmeric and Ginger), and if you like spices as much as I do then you will love this dish.  

Ingredients:

• 1/2 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into cubes
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
• 1 carrot, sliced
• 1 stalk celery, sliced
• 1 1/2 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 3/4 cup chicken broth
• 1/2 cup of fresh crushed grape tomatoes
• 1/2 cup cooked (or canned) chickpeas
• 1/2 zucchini, sliced
• 1 1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

Directions:

1. Sprinkle salt over chicken and brown in a large sauce pan over medium heat until almost cooked through.  Remove chicken from pan and set aside.
2. Saute onion, garlic, carrots, and celery in the same pan.
3. Once veggies are tender stir in ginger, and all of the spices.  Fry for about a minute, and then mix in the broth and tomatoes.
4. Return chicken to pan, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 10 to 12 minutes.
5. Add chickpeas and zucchini to pan and bring to a simmer again.  Cover pan with a well-fitted lid and cook for another 15 minutes, until zucchini is tender.  
6. Stir in lemon juice, and enjoy!

~ C

...and then she was gone

22 July 2012

It was a whirl-wind; it happened somewhat impulsively... and then she was gone.  Yesterday morning we sold our beautiful Gremlin's Hammer.  But no worries- we had only sensible, good, solid reasons for doing this. Our plan B has taken off much quicker than we had anticipated, which is a good thing.  There are still a few weeks left before we have to be back at work, so we are taking the next few weeks to do a little coastal traveling (UNLESS someone needs crew for a week or so?).  Yesterday evening we drove to the west coast of Florida to hang out for a day or two, and afterwards we plan to slowly drive north and play along the way.

We are most definitely NOT giving up the sailing dream, but simply taking our time to fully research a few boats and shop around to find the right cruising sailboat for us that will be our home for many years on the water.  And YES, we are going to keep the blog going so you guys can keep up with the upcoming boat plans and adventures!

~ G & C