Who has not seen pictures of glamorous people lounging around on a yacht in crystal blue waters with a cold margarita in hand? The pristine deck and flawless teak are all too inviting and hide the fact that many hours of manual labor are required to get the boat to that point and keep her that way. Granted, most of these people have hired help who work diligently behind the scenes to accomplish this, but as I have painfully learned, this is not the norm at all. Having toiled away for countless hours to make our boat our HOME, it is still a work in progress.
My name is Diana and, for the better and worst of it all, the First Mate and sidekick to Captain Duane who runs a tight ship. Note to self…do not use the Magic Eraser on the hull of the boat…well not anymore.
As we prepare to depart on the Great Loop on our “yacht” which is a 33 foot cabin cruiser, Bella Donna, I have a new appreciation of all the work that goes into every aspect of making her seaworthy and “our palace on the water” for 365 days or more. Even as we speak, Duane is putting a coating on the solar panels to prevent glass from shattering on us in the event the panel breaks and has moved on to sawing a piece of wood to secure the anchor winch to the bow while the panel coating dries. Before being introduced to the world of boating, the term anchor winch was not a part of my daily vocabulary. But, as I have been made aware, since this piece of machinery will aid me in pulling the anchor up more times than I can fathom over the next year, I welcome the new addition with open arms.
I, on the other hand, do not have clearance to use any heavy machinery other than the handheld sander for fear of distraction resulting in the loss of a limb. So…in the next few minutes I have been assigned the task of scrapping the paint off the engine parts (for those who really care–the elbow and risers which attach to the manifold). Why in the world would you need to paint a piece of metal which only has to be removed before bolting to the engine to prevent catastrophic failure is beyond me. It must be a guy thing…
While most of my jobs getting BD (short for Bella Donna) ready to depart include scrubbing, scrapping and using acetone on any stubborn residue, I would like to think these tasks are as invaluable as wiring the above mentioned solar panels to the battery and bolting my new friend, the anchor winch, to the bow. I am, in essence, the set designer and Duane the stage technician. So let the show begin…
With all that said, we are planning to depart on our new adventure on or about August 5th. We may be delayed a little if I can not scrub the purple paint off various body parts…Yes, the bottom of the boat is purple which adds to her unique charm.
I will check back shortly with updates and maybe Captain Duane will even add his two cents once he gets over the trauma of the Magic Eraser incident…
Safe travels 🎈❤️😎🎈😎
Fair winds and safe travels!
Safe travels! So excited to watch as this adventure begins! Love you!
Fair winds! Have a wonderful adventure!
Can’t wait to follow you through your adventure. Post lots of pictures!!!
Much love and luck. An extraordinary adventure for an extraordinary couple! Bon voyage! Come home safe!
Thank you so much! We are headed to NYC this morning. Sorry we didn’t get to see you. Love you. Talk to you soon.
Safe travels to you both, have a great trip.
Safe travels . It Sounds amazing.
Safe travels! Hope it’s a fabulous adventure!
That is awesome! Safe travels!
Wow!! Safe travels on your amazing adventures at sea!
This is great! I’ll be checking in for updates! Safe travels!
Sorry we didn’t get to send you our best wishes before you left but, hopefully, the good wishes still work a week into the trip. Enjoy it all — it should be a great experience!! Love
Hope you are doing well! Can’t wait to hear all the adventures you have!
What an amazing adventure! Looking forward to reading about your trip! Be safe. xo
Best of luck!☘️☘️☘️☘️
This is great! I’ll be checking in for updates! Safe travels!
Excited to read all about your adventures and findings along the way
OMG! This is so amazing!! Have the best time!!!
Just signing in to wish you all the best on this ‘Epic’ adventure ahead of you.
Aunt
Hi Duane and Diana! Was nice to meet you yesterday on the Trent! Did you make it to lake Simcoe yesterday? It was pretty rough. Vince and Tracy (the Prowler).
Morning! So nice to meet both of you. We hope you had a nice day on the water…We are actually crossing Simcoe now. We tied up after the swing bridge yesterday afternoon right before the rain and figured we wait to cross until this morning when it was supposed to be calmer. Not bad at all right now…really no wind.
wow! how cool is this. Enjoy the travels, I’ll definitely follow along!
Love reading about your trip!
So happy for both of you!
Thank you so much! And thanks for all the maps and notes…they have been great guiding us along. Xoxo
Thanks for sharing your dream, love the blog. May you always have a sheltering Angel to protect you and may the Stars always light your path and guide you safely from port to port.
Love your favorite admirer,
Mom
Thank you!! Love you! Can’t wait for you to come visit ♥️♥️♥️
Can’t wait for your next blog update! You guys have made a lot of progress since the last update.
Miss you Di!!
Miss you too!
I know you guys left a while ago and this msg is late, but I wish you both the best trip, safe and secure adventure! Holla when you’re in the kets, maybe I will meet you there!
Thank you xoxo! We will definitely keep you posted
Hysterical 😂 Dying on “the note to self” Magic Eraser On The Hull
I definitely wasn’t a boater when this trip started lol