The weather has been simply awful these first few days in February with small craft advisory on the Sound. I’ve been praying and pleading for calm seas as today, February 7^th, is the first day my father-in-law could tow our boat from Shilshole to the Port of Everett.

Our prayers were answered!!! Though blessedly cold and rainy a bit, the Sound was as smooth as glass!

We hauled out our boat and moved her to the repair yard where Ryan and I will gut her and breath new life into her. We always dreamed of building our own home one day. This home has an added bonus of being able to move! We were pleasantly surprised to see very little growth on her haul. Again, we were told she hadn’t moved from Lake Union in 20 years.

We spent four days in the repair yard in February. February 9^th, 10^th and 15^th, we demoed her to her skeleton. We wanted to get rid of all rot and potential problems and begin with a clean slate.

Ryan and Jacy Cruise-a-home remodel

Cruise-a-home remodel

Cruise-a-home remodel

Cruise-a-home remodel

Cruise-a-home remodel

Cruise-a-home remodel

Cruise-a-home remodel

Ryan and I were thrilled her interior is built like a house! 2×2 stick frame construction and floor joists intersecting her wooden hull compartments. We could totally work with this! Construction, rebuilding, dreaming, problem solving, and working together have always made our marriage stronger.  How could this be? I read some very wise advice when I was a young bride, which has strengthened our marriage immeasurably!

“Studying your mate should include a willingness to participate, at least occasionally, in activities that interest him (or her) more than they interest you. Some domestically oriented women never learn to do this. Their husbands may be ardent golfers, or gardeners, or bowlers, or bridge players, but the women they have married make no effort to join them in the areas where they are happiest and where in most cases they would welcome the companionship of a wife.”

The Adventure of Being a Wife by Mrs. Norman Vincent Peale pg. 34

Ryan and Jacy

Ryan and Jacy

Ryan and I are high school sweethearts. We married young, at 19 and 20, after an eleven month engagement. We have been best friends since we were 15. Literally growing up together, we grew toward each other and established our hobbies and interests, together. Thus, we face all of life’s challenges, together. This was a huge challenge! But we had previous experience remodeling kitchens and bathrooms in the two homes we had owned. Though an enormous task laid outstretched ahead of us, we were certain and determined to accomplish it…by April.

February 11^th, we had our trusted mechanic come take a peek at her motors. We were told they were seized and would most likely need to be replaced.

They work!!!! With fresh gas and juice from a new battery, both Port and Starboard motors started right up! They sound amazing!! Ultimately we needed to rebuild the carburetor for the starboard motor, replace some plugs and give her new fluid.

March was upon us. Between engagement sessions, a wedding in northern California, Photobooth events, attending our home school co-op weekly, and driving our girls to ballet classes at Pacific Northwest Ballet three times a week, we began putting our boat back together.

Ryan and Jacy