OUR ANNUAL CANADA DAY FLOTILLA (CRUISE)

Well, we had pretty good participation in our Canada Day Flotilla.  It could have been better, but we will work on that.  We need more boats for next year, so, everyone work on your dock mates to get them excited and involved.  We can't have a great club if we don't get involved.  It is what WE make it. 

 

Evelyn and Paul Mearon and their Daughter Karen joined us on our boat for our Canada Day cruise this year.   

 

 

 

As we exited the harbour a number of boats were already out there, so we bobbed around snapping pictures of each other until the appointed time.  

 

 

Boyd and Gayle Halliwell of Solitude VI

 

 

Jeff and Les Arnason of Enlesun

 

 

Bob and Susan Inkster of Sommerset

 

 

 Art and Gaye Wilkes of Misprint    

Derek Debets and Guest on Double D  

 

 



Then we fell into line and headed for the water tower. 

 

 

 

 

 

From there we made a slow pass along the beach.  Flags flying and horns blaring.

 

 

Once back at the harbour enterance we dispersed to our personal cruising plans.

 

Our personal plans included a cruise to Gimli harbour with our guests.  But, that's another Blog, for another day. 

 

I am including all the pictures we took, but I'm hoping someone will supply me with a picture that includes my boat.  (Just saying)

 

 

HAPPY CANADA DAY EVERYONE

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

MORE DECORATING AND CELEBRATING

More boats are getting their Canada on. 
 

 

 

 

 

And the celebrating continued with fireworks on Sunday night.   

I apologize in advance for the poor picture quality as I have no expertise in taking these kind of photos.  I can assure you that the fireworks display was much better than my photos would indicate. 

A special "Thank You" goes out to Scott and Jan of "Whiskey Jack",  for not only supplying all those wonderful fireworks, but for sacrificing themselves to the hoards of mosquitoes that came out for the show.       



And the Celebrating continues today with our Canada Day Boat Parade.  We hope to see a lot of boats out, and taking part. 



HAPPY CANADA DAY!!




 

A SUCCESSFUL WEINER ROAST

 

There is nothing like a Weeny Roast to gather everyone together.

 

 

 

To catch up with old friends

 

And make new ones

 

There are a lot of new faces in the Marina this year, I hope everyone will make them welcome.

 

They will be the old friends we are catching up with next year.

 

 

 

SO THE CELEBRATIONS CONTINUE

 

 

 



DECORATING DAY AND BOAT RE-NAMING CEREMONY

Well, the boat decorating has begun, and off to a good start, now lets see some more. 

This morning we had a great turn out for the boat re-naming ceremony.

 

 

 

The Captain and Mate ceremoniously discarded the previous name, into the Seas. 

 

 

 

 

And everyone in attendance toasted the new name from shore. 

 

"Here's to 3 D at Sea"   

 

Even the Marina puppy dogs were well represented. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SO, THE LONG WEEKEND IS OFF TO A GREAT START.   

 

 

 

 

 

 

BOAT CHORES

There are two Boat Chores that every boater absolutely hates to face.  But these chores inevitably have to be faced. 

Filling up -  And the saying goes "It's a Wealthy/Happy boater that can fill his Fuel Tank and his Bar on the same weekend."  

And Emptying out - And just like an RV these big boats have holding tanks, that have to be emptied as well.  Only with our RVs it is all accomplished with gravity.  With the boats there are pumps involved.  Enough said. 
 

THANK GOODNESS THAT CHORES DONE 

 

 

  

IS EVERYONE READY FOR CANADA DAY?

IT'S THE LONG WEEKEND

It's Canada Day on Monday!

 

Is everyone ready?

Has everyone collected up as many flags as they can fly?  Well, lets get busy decorating and partying!  Fly your flags and celebrate our wonderful country. 

 

 

A Weeny Roast on the Island Saturday night
1$ for a Hot Dog and Marshmallows

 

 

Fireworks on Sunday night in Gimli Harbour.

 

Be sure to join us, in the Floatilla that we are planning for Monday noon.  It's a good excuse to take the boats out. 

HAPPY CANADA DAY. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

DIY: CAPTAIN'S QUARTERS HAVE BEEN TOTALLY REBUILT

When we purchased the Thunderbird she had a small V shaped berth deep down in the hull at the bow of the boat.  It went from wall to wall and you had to crawl across it, to lay down.  If you slept with your head toward the bow, your heads were crowded together, and if you slept across it, you had room for your head but, one of you always had to crawl over the other to get out of bed.  And that was usually me, becuase Dan need to be on the outside, because he was the tallest.  The only other thing in that area, was a small water tank under the berth and a very large vanity and sink.  Plus there was a large storage area, under what was the helm above in the Pilot house. 

After spending our first summer aboard we decided we needed to improve this area.  After taking many, many measurements, ( I even measured Dan from a sitting position to the top of his head, so that I knew how high up we could make the top of the bed, so that he could sit up in bed without him hitting his head on the ceiling.)  Like I say I looked at all the possibilities .  

I knew that a standard double bed is 54" wide and 72" long.   I also knew that the higher up we came, in that area, the wider the hull got, which would give us more width in the finished room.  So I made a wish list.  I wanted to be able to walk up each side of the bed to make it.  I wanted a second toilet and sink down there.  We also wanted some cloths storage areas and a larger water tank.  That was my wish list.  I sat down to re-work this sleeping area and I came up with a design. 

Now, having a design was one thing being able to translate it to Dan was something else.  I can come up with the design, and I knew it would work, size and shape wise, but he is the one that has to make it work structurally and mechanically.  He has to figure out where each piece of board is going to go and what he is going to attach it to and make it solid enough so it will all hold together even in rough seas.



So we plunged ahead.  And in the fall of 2004 we started ripping everything out of the entire area forward of the windshield and helm.  We stripped everything back to the steel ribs of the hull, except for the ceiling and 18"of paneling that came down from the ceiling.  When we opened up under the helm we realized there was such a huge space there that we could add a huge black water holding tank to the boat.  We had already taken the measurements for a new much larger water tank that we were having custom made, to fit down into the V of the hull, so we measured this other large area and decided to maximize our holding tank as well.  So we ordered two custom made tanks at the end of our fall work season. 

When we arrived back the following spring with two new tanks, we really had our work cut out for us.  The hardest thing to do in the nose of a boat is to set the levels we wanted for the floor and the bed.  OK if that is the level at which I want the floor, where do I tie that to?  And if the bed is going to be at that height what do I attach that to.  Of all the building and house renovations we have ever tackled, over the years, that was the toughest job we have ever had to do. 



In the hull of a boat there are no straight walls, nothing to use a square against.  Even the laser level, we purchased for this job, didn't prove to be the help we thought it would.  The only thing that proved to be of some help was a plumb line. 

It was a lot of work, with a lot of cursing and swearing, but we got it roughed in with a quick coat of primer in time for our launch that spring. 

We even managed to pick up our new custom built mattress just prior to having guests arrive for the Canada Day long weekend.  It wasn't all that pretty, but it was functional. 











The following year we put in all the finishing touches.  My Mahogany, my trellis dividers, my tiny sink, new flooring on the bathroom walls, etc. etc. 





We put a shower curtain up to enclose the en Suite if you felt the need for privacy. 









We even installed a drop down DVD player on the ceiling for watching movies in bed at night.








I had to get an interior decorator to pick the paint colour for me.    ( I painted this area twice and hated it both times, then turned to a professional to pick the three different beiges I have on the boat. )  Now the colours are perfect. 




So now I have everything on my wish list.  I can walk up each side of the bed to make it.   I have my en Suite toilet and sink.  I have a huge storage area under the top half of the mattress, open compartments under each side of the bed and two drawers and a cabinet in the foot of the bed, as well as a small hanging closet, behind the bathroom wall.  I even have a small vanity shelf below a large mirror for hair and make up.

THE CAPTAIN'S QUARTERS ARE NOW PERFECT