In search of a good nights sleep

 

Everyone enjoys a good nights sleep; but sleeping on a sailboat can be uncomfortable depending on the size of the boat and the layout of the berths. Our Catalina is no exception. It's rated to sleep 5 and I guess people were smaller in 1983 when our boat was made or they at least had shorter legs. Now I am not a tall person, a large one, yes, but average in height and 3 out of 5 sleeping berths aboard Aquilon are too short for me.

After spending a few nights on the boat in either the stuffy v-berth or in a modified fetal position on one if the salon cushions, I decided to re-engineer the sleeping arrangement in the boat.

I decided that I wanted a full length double bed but to achieve that I had to get creative.

I looked at all kinds of boats on- line and decided what I needed was a folding bed that would fit between the seats in the salon. The bed could be folded and stored in the quarter berth during the day and set up in minutes when ready for bed.

I took all of the measurements, sat down created a drawing of what I had in mind, visited the local lumber stores and purchased wood and hinges, and set about building my bed.

For those of you that know me, I am an amateur woodworker and have made several pieces of furniture: So, I have all the tools and just enough know- how to be dangerous.  I first made the wings of the bed and screwed the hinges on so it folded. The bed would need some supports underneath to hold the weight of 2 adults so I made 2 folding legs but quickly realized that because of the way it folded (with the seam pointed up) that I couldn't attach the leg and have to table still fold. After pondering a solution for a day or 2, it finally dawned on me how to make it work. I added a strip of wood between the halves of the bed that was the same thickness as the folded support legs, and repositioned the hinges on either side of the strip of wood.

 The bottom of the bed from the bottom






                                                                  The assembly folded

With the wooden bed base constructed my next stumbling block was cushions. Upholstery is expensive. It costs several thousand dollars to re-upholster the cushions on a boat. With that in mind, I wanted my cushions to be comfortable, look nice, and match the existing cushions as close as possible. I didn't want to spend a lot of money for this project, so I decided to make my own.

 I found a sewing machine on Craigslist that was decent (and cheap), watched several videos on YouTube demonstrating how cushions are made, purchased foam, an electric knife to cut said foam, sailrite marine grade fabric and set about making cushions.

             Cutting the material to size.

                                                      After the side panels were attached.

                                                                                                                 The finished product.

I am pretty proud of how they turned out considering I have never used a sewing machine or made a cushion before. The most rewarding fact, besides how they look, is the amount of money I saved, just over $150 including the sewing machine.

With a few minor adjustments and attaching the piano hinges for the rail to the sides of the boat, William (my son) and I, laid the bed in place and checked the fit. Now, I have been making things out of wood for a number of years and its been my experience that nothing fits perfect, but this bed assembly surprised even me and fit like a glove. We arranged the cushions and added a comforter that Martina (my wife) and I picked out purchased for the new bed.

                                                                 The bed frame installed

Another view installed

                                                           William adjusting the cushions

It turned out better than I expected and is very comfortable. Now I look forward to having a good nights sleep aboard Aquilon. With many years to go before we purchase our live aboard retirement boat, we now have the sleeping arrangements of a large boat on our little cruiser.

It's Raining

This is the time of year that I love to hate. One day it is sunny and 70 degrees and the next it is 40 and raining. I am anxious, of course, to get my sailboat in the water, but with rainy, windy days, her launch has been steadily pushed back. It is still very early in the season and many boat still pack the dry storage area of the marina, but, as I said "I am anxious". I have lots of projects to accomplish before she ever sets sail. All of these tasks have to be performed with the boat in the water.

Aquilon will be getting lazy jacks and with that, the new sail cover has to be modified to accommodate the lines for them. She is also getting a new blue Bimini boot to replace the ugly red weathered one she once sported. All of these newbies have to wait until the top side is power washed and waxed, and that requires her to be floating. I could take care of the washing and waxing on the cradle but I don't like the idea and standing on a slippery deck while it's 10 feet off the ground.

I am one of those people that has to constantly be adding or upgrading or redoing something on their boat. For me, maintaining and working on the boat is almost as rewarding as sailing her. We spent Saturday a week ago power washing her side and bottom, then removed any stains and gave her a coat of wax. She is sitting pretty on the cradle waiting for a weather window to be launched.

I miss being able to go to the marina and just walk in my boat and relax, have a hot cup of coffee or a drink or two. I also miss the feel of Aquilon gliding across the water, only the breeze propelling her. Relaxing, listening to the wind moving in the rigging, the ruffle of the sails when they luff and the snap when they fill again. Sounds that any sailor would associate with. I know that one day very soon she will be in the water and we will also be sailing, but after months of winter, I am a bit anxious.

Time Marches Forward

Time is one of those love- hate relationships that everyone has: There is either not enough time or things take too long. I remember when I was a kid during summer vacation; days seemed longer, and it took a lifetime before the next school year started. It felt so long, that even friends changed over the summer, with new hair styles, clothes and some even grew taller. As I have aged, time seems to have accelerated. Every year time goes by faster and faster, children grow into adults, and even though we want to slow things down and enjoy the moments, time slips away like water through our fingers.

As I sit and reflect on time and its relentless march forward, I know that I am on the back side of life and the downhill slide moves faster than the climb. I also know that my retirement will also be closing in. My wife and I, as many of you know, have plans to retire on a sailboat and cruise the Mediterranean, visiting many of the sites from antiquity . My only wish is that time slows back down after we retire so we can enjoy those moments that we have worked so hard to achieve.

February is the heart of winter, even though our thoughts are turning to spring, with the sun setting later in the day and the air, crisp and clean. My thoughts, however, turn to sailing this time every year, and time for me, becomes a hate-only relationship. I cant wait to get my boat back in the water! Every warm days makes me want April to hurry up and get here. I count the days to get things done on the boat so that when we launch, we can enjoy her right away.

Memories

Memories fade with time: The once vivid thoughts that accompany pain or pleasure dull over time, like the white wash on a weathered fence, leaving behind only a fragment of the rage or passion. Memories of loved ones lost also fade with time. I remember my Grandparents, even my Great Grandparents, but as the slow march of time rolls ever forward, the memories that I have change. A memory that I hated at the time, might make me laugh today, or possibly even cry.

Today is my Fathers Birthday, he passed away in 1984, he would have been 75 years old. Many of the memories that I carry about him are not pleasant, but some are. We never had a close relationship, and I regret that today, we were like two Bulls circling in a pin that was too small.

As a child growing up I was afraid of him. I was afraid to raise his anger because it usually ended with a beating for me. Many nights I went to bed with welts on the back of my legs, butt, and lower back, too painful to move and unable to sleep. Its not surprising that I avoided him at all times. Its hard for me to write this and I am sure many people will be shocked to read it, not knowing or thinking that my Father would be like that.

Even after all of the abuse, mental and physical, I still loved my father. When I was 18 he tried to fight me over some insignificant event, I cant even remember why now, I was strong and grown by then, but I wouldn't fight my Father, instead, I held him in a bear hug and spoke to him in a calm voice and told him that the time for beatings had come to an end. I felt the rage and fight leave him and he actually relaxed in my arms. He walked away and never laid hands on me again.

I left for college and then the Army shortly after that incident. My Fathers health steadily declined in the next few years, but we became closer, I guess I had finally earned his respect when I joined the Army. When I reflect back and try to understand his reasoning and methods, I realize that he wanted to prepare me for a life without him.

It may come as a surprise to some, but I don't hate him, not anymore at least. I don't agree with his methods at all, and I made a promise to myself years ago that I wouldn't treat my own children that way. I kept that promise and I am close to both of my kids. He was a hard man with hard ways and I always tried to measure up. I never gave up trying to earn his respect, even today I wonder what he would think about me and the path my life took. I like to think he is up there looking down on me with a smile on his face.

Happy Birthday Dad.

Our Rights at Risk

Generations of my family have carried the torch of liberty. All, including myself, were volunteers that defended our nation from the very people that would take our rights and liberties away. My father and I were the lucky ones, we served but were never called to fight. Others fought in wars, both foreign and domestic. One of my distant relatives has likely been in every conflict of our great nation back to the beginning.  My family, like many of yours, spans the history of this nation. English, German, Scottish, and Irish blood flow through my veins, but that blend is what makes me, and you, uniquely American.

Today, the very reasons that we fight are being challenged; not by some evil foreign power, but our own government. Tragedies and terror attacks are being used as an excuse to subjugate the people and remove the rights handed down by our forefathers; rights paid for and defended by the blood of our people.

Many people ask why we should be allowed to have military style weapons and not just hunting rifles. The answer is simple: The second amendment gives us the right to form militias and the weapons for that purpose. The founding fathers, having lived under the tyrannical rule of Briton, wanted to insure that we would have a method to protect ourselves from any such rule in the future.The militias are for the "people" to protect themselves from the tyranny of government; there is nothing about hunting in the constitution. The police in this country have become a military force, with armored vehicles and automatic weapons. Does it really take a military tactical response to protect us from one armed person barricaded in their own home?

A gun, just like a brick, is just a inanimate object until it is picked up and used by someone. If that someone has evil intentions, they can kill you with either one. It is true that the rate of fire and amount of ammunition of an assault rifle makes it easier for a crazed individual to kill more people more rapidly but the real issue is the crazed individual, not the tool he or her uses. When did we change from blaming the person responsible to the tools they used? Passing the blame is one of the fundamental problems in our society today.

I ask each and everyone of you to stand for your rights and ask your Representatives to protect the rights that our forefathers fought and died to protect. If enough peoples voices join the call, they will hear us.

Maybe the world should end.

I watched a debate this weekend between a Palestinian and a Israeli; during their exchange I realized that nothing will ever change in that part of the world. Watching the madness unfold in our own country, with Black Friday, and stores opening even sooner, until Thursday is the new Friday; the constant bickering of our elected officials, every religious group and organization trying to force their agenda down our throats; constant pharmaceutical company commercials trying to further medicate an already over medicated population. It all makes me sick. Makes me think this planet needs a good purge to flush out a good part of the population and get everyone to focus what is really important in life.

Christmas is a farce; a day that Jesus himself would loathe. He preached for people to turn away from greed and consumption; the very things we now embrace in his name. I am not a religious person, in fact, I dont believe in many of the things that the religious institutions of our world indoctrinate into us from birth. But I have read the Bible and even I can see that we are on a very different path than the authors intended.

A lot of people think the world will end on December 21st, 2012 because a Mayan calendar ends on that day. I say, if the Mayans were so smart, why did they make a calendar that included days five hundred years past their collapse. If they knew about the end of the world, wouldnt they also have known the end date of their own civilization?

Almost every prediction is proven false in the end. Just like the rapture a year ago: Some nutjob claims to have had a vision, everybody jumps aboard, and throws logic right out the window. The last time the world was supposed to end was in 2000, because the bible claims that Jesus said his reign would last a thousand years but not thousands before his return: Well its 2012 and he didnt show up. Most of the stuff in the new testament was made years after Jesus died and it would be really hard for something he said to be remembered verbatem after so long. I am sure like most of the Bible, it was embellished to add dramatic effect, after all, controlling the populus is its main function.

What I am trying to convey here is that people should use the one thing that we know came from God; our brain and our ability to reason. Dont be that guy or gal, pushing little kids out of the way to save a buck on something that good advertising made you think you have to have. Take a good look around you at what you do have that matters: Your health, your family (and their health), a home, food to eat because there are a lot of people in this world that have a lot less.

Division of a Nation

I know a lot of people will disagree with me when I say that the United States is about to change in a way that no one really likes. There is a rift between ideologies in this country and I am not sure compromise can be found. On one side are the living constitution crowd, liberals if you will, that feel that the constitution should change with the times. On the other side are the traditionalist, conservatives, that feel the founding fathers had it right, and the constitution should be taken literally, as written, and never changed.

Any time changes are made, there are repercussions that ripple out like a stone dropped in the water, and they get bigger with time. A good example is welfare: people that receive open ended assistance have no motivation to go back to work. That is why the number of people on welfare is at an all time high. What motivation do people have to go to work and pay for their own health care if the government is willing to provide it to them for free?

The liberals would argue that it works in European countries; why cant it work here? Well, the answer is simple. Europeans pay about half of their income in taxes and their health care system is government owned. Greece and Spain are on the edge of financial collapse right now and could pull the entire European Union down with them because their social programs, the same social programs that the liberals want to impose on our country, are draining their resources and crippling their economies.

Every Democratic country that has ever existed has ultimately failed because of entitlements. The ancient Greeks have seen this before. They were the founders of democracy and voted themselves into financial ruin by giving themselves entitlements. The Roman democracy ended when they could no longer find compromise and a dictatorship was established. Even the Roman emperors couldn't afford to keep the populous satisfied with free food and entertainment in the end, because when you start to give things to people, they always want more. They say that history repeats itself and maybe it does; if it does, we are in big trouble.

There are good arguments in both sides. Many liberal causes that protect individual rights and freedoms are a must, as well as keeping a watchful eye on government and business. Conservatives see themselves taking the moral high ground and that is good too, as long as they don't force their religious beliefs on others. We need both the fiscal responsibility, low tax, conservative stance of the right and the social, protectiveness of the left, in this country to be successful.

Right now each side has gathered behind their banners, pulled to the far side of their philosophy, and are prepared to do battle with each other. But the victims that fall in this battle will be all of us, the American people. We will pay that price in higher taxes, costly failed programs, higher debt, and a good possibility of another bad recession.