One of the things we have learned during our years of cruising (and anything else we have done for that matter) is the importance of having the proper equipment. Most of our acquisitions for Gratitude have had a strong safety component – in other words, if it helps make our cruising safer, it moves up on the list of things to have aboard.
With that in mind, we have examined our equipment. Compass? Check. Radar? Check. VHF Radio? Check. Automatic Information System? Check. Liferaft? Check. GPS/Chartplotter? Check. Microwave oven? Check. Microwave? Yup, we have one of those on board as well as a refrigerator and freezer and gas stove with oven. How is that a safety feature? Have you never heard the maxim “if Momma ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy”?
Gratitude came with a microwave when we bought her and we have used it fairly frequently to heat meals (now, that’s a safety item) or beverages. The other night it was downright cold (for Florida) and Lauren needed her cozies warmed up. For the uninitiated, those are sock like creations full of rice that one puts in a microwave and heats, then wraps around one’s feet or neck to take the chill off when going to bed. (Think of it as an updated heated rock or hotwater bottle.) When Lauren put hers in the microwave, she noted that it took exceptionally long for them to warm up and the microwave made “strange noises”. Van insisted (briefly) that a microwave was not an essential aboard a cruising vessel, but he soon found his way to the nearest appliance store for a replacement. Amidst all the other chores to get Gratitude ready to go sailing, we added “installing a new microwave” to the list, and it got done. Now, Momma is happy.
Wrapped around that project (which required some surgical carpentry), Van installed a new “kill switch” for the diesel (we could get it started, but not stop it – the old switch was bad), replenished the LP gas (for the aforesaid gas stove), filled the water tanks, installed the enclosure (for cool nights and rainy occasions so the cockpit – and each aboard – stays dry), rechecked the diesel engine, and generally put things in their proper places (until the next time they are hauled out for a project). At last, it seems we may be about ready to pull away from the boat yard and – get this – go sailing! Yes, the sails have been fitted so they are ready to fly. Stay tuned!