Monday, November 7, 2011

New Cushions

We have been waiting a year for this.  The cushions weren't as much an issue to me as they were to Kerry.  I was more focused on the systems.  She is more focused on comfort and beauty. I like comfort and beauty so, this is a good match.

The original cushions were pretty beat.  Not only were they less than beautiful, they were also very worn.  The foam was completely bottomed out.  The best recipe for an ass that is completely asleep is to sit on the salon cushions for about thirty minutes.

The old beige cushions.

As you can see, they weren't that bad, but they look better than they are.

It was a long process.  The first company we called ended up being this distracted (took a phone call from another customer while measuring our boat) guy who blew us away with his estimate.

It was $8,000.

What?

Oh, oops, he made a math mistake.  It's really $6,700 instead.

And does that include the 15% materials discount.

Oh, he forgot that too.

Sorry, see ya.  Mistakes or trying to take us on the cost; it's the same difference to us.

So we called Pam at Vashon Portage Canvas.  We saw her work at the Boats Afloat show back in September.  Pam came out, measured the boat and provided us with a real reasonable estimate.  We had a lot of discussion on the right foam and fabric.  Bob Perry, the designer of the boat suggested we go with different colors for the base and the back.  We decided to try that out and found a combination that we liked.  Kerry loves rich colors and I see no reason not to indulge her.

First she stopped by with just the foam, to make sure it all fit.

Kerry is very happy...new foam!

Then we waited for her to complete the fabric.  It arrived today.

We chose a burgandy faux leather for the bases and a red/orange/gold material for the backs.  We ended up spending quite a bit on the fabric to get the hightest quality (durability/stain resistance) we could.  We think it's worth it.

The starboard sette in the main salon.
The port sette.

Note the buttons.  We decided to use the base fabric for the buttons on the backs.  It turned out great.

The chart table.

All in all I think we are going to be very happy with this.  The foam is perfect.  It doesn't bottom out at all. It's very comfy.  While the fabric is not your usual beige/blue we have seen on so many boats, it really works in the teak interior of Brigadoon.

Thanks to Bob Perry for his suggestions, to Pam for the work, and to Kerry for her inspiration and drive around this project.  Now we feel like we can really entertain in comfort and style.

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

One Year with my Princess on Brigadoon

My princess moved onto a boat with me one year ago.

I call her my princess as our little joke because, in very many ways, she is very comfort oriented. She is not into camping, hiking, etc.

Yet, one year ago, we closed on Brigadoon.

A few days later, we spent out first night aboard.

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All I had to do was figure out how to keep things comfy and cozy.

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Since then, Brigadoon has been our only home. Kerry has taken sailing lessons on her own and learned to pilot Brigadoon.  She's darn good at it too.  Best first mate evah!

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She's helped me work on systems, upgrade the upholstery (it comes this week, we think) and order new sails. She has been through a few challenging things, here and there but, for a princess, she's pretty damn happy on this boat.

And, it makes a great prop for Halloween.  May I introduce Granwel O'Malley, the pirate queen of Ireland.

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I couldn't be more fortunate or more happy.

Life does not suck on a boat. 

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

One Year (Kerry's view)


Most of the time Donn writes about our adventures and his musings on our life on the boat.  Today I feel like chiming in a bit.

One year ago today, we closed on Brigadoon, were handed the keys and motored the short distance from the broker's dock to our new home.  Life since then has been nothing short of amazing.  Let me list the ways...

  1. Simplifying and purging my belongings down to what I *really* need and want has helped me get really clearheaded about my spending habits and shunning clutter.
  2. I thought I would miss some of the creature comforts of a land-based home more than I do.
  3. Adventure on a boat can be found anywhere from sailing through 6 foot waves in Puget Sound, to losing our engine a little too close to the shipping lanes, to simply waking up in the middle of a windstorm at the "safety" of our own dock.
  4. I truly think our boat is one of the most beautiful environments I've ever lived in.
  5. I have been learning - and will continue to learn how to be the best sailing crew I possibly can.
  6. Entertaining guests in such a small cozy space yields wonderful conversations and fellowship.
  7. I am constantly in awe of our amazing view and the nature that surrounds us, even in the heart of our city.
  8. I am also constantly in awe of the skills Donn has and continues to collect around fixing and maintaining our boat.  I know Brigadoon will be well cared for and become even more beautiful over time as he and I continue to update her and keep her running smoothly.
  9. Since selling most of my physical library of books, I am slowly adding to my new digital library on my Kindle.  I love my evenings reading on the boat!
  10. As Tom Petty would say... "the future is wide open".

That last one is in some ways the most important.  This past year we have started forming and discussing our future.  A future made possible because of Brigadoon and what she can offer us in terms of travel and adventure.  I feel like my focus has gotten really specific, my priorities have subtly shifted, and my objectives are clear and bright.  It's a really good and satisfying feeling.

I'm looking forward to what year two has in store for us.  More trips and adventures, more upgrades, and continuing to value and cherish this life I get to share with my incredible Captain and Love.