Getting a routine with an infant

Sorry it had been awhile since my last post, kind of busy in the moment.

So back to topic, after we spent a nice holiday on Geronimo and did some small stays during the weekends, I finally find some time to post again. As said busy.

Chris loves new cabin. It gives all of us a little bit more freedom, when he sleeps. We now can use the main cabin also at the evening and I also sleep back in the main cabin. In addition with the cockpit coach roof it works out really fine. So nearly everything back to normal.
The sailing routine has changed a lot. A fact that I have to cope with.
You know as Chris was born, a sailing friend of mine said to me " You know Dom, every year of the life of a small child gives you one additional hour in sailing." I have to admit, he is right.
So no more sailing from dusk till dawn.
But finding a routine is from my point of view in the moment the most important thing, for your child and for you as a parent.
Finding our routine was little bit of luck. But it worked out perfect for the ongoing season.
After breakfast, we spent the time till lunch with Chris on the harbour playground, at the beach and going with him on a walk. Normally I return a little bit earlier in order to get Geronimo ready. Then we have our lunch. After that we put Chris in the aft cabin where he can have his afternoon sleep. As soon as I start the engine he quites down and normally sleeps when we turn out of the harbour. He normally do not notice when I pull up the sails.

We normally sail then in one direction, till he wakes up, normally after 1 to 1,5 hrs. Then we start with our journey back to the harbor.
He loves to be out at the sea, he looks at the waves, is fascinated by the sails, runs from one side to the other, especially during tacking. And laughs when he smashs with his body at one side of the boat. Seriously it gave us a heart attack, but he figured out, how to use his life jacket as an air bag. And due the fact that he doesn´t do it when he do not wear his life jacket, we get a little bit non nervous at that action. Meaning no more heart attacks, but still ready to jump between to catch him, before he hurts himself. So more or less a red aleart modus.
Anyway, he also loves to pull at ropes, especially when a winch is involved. We are still try to teach him, that during tacking his small hands should be out of the action. It put him all the time a little bit angry, but Dad pulls ropes with him  in the harbor the whole evening. I hope that make it up for him. It seems so.

We recognize that after one and a half hour, (he is 1,5 years old) he is running low on battery and he wants to have a little bit of rest and peace. Sometimes it seems that he is overloaded with the impressions after 1,5 hour. He then just want to cuddle up with Mom or spent some time in peace for himself. And then he is back to normal.
We once tried to sail further, but that did not work out. He started crying and was looking for a place where he could have his peace to work out the impressions of the sailing.
We try to be in the harbor within the 1,5hrs he is awake. That gave all of us the best of it. And the rest of the day we spent a nice afternoon / evening in the harbor.

So the it seems that "every year of the life of a small child gives you one additional hour in sailing", fits here.

In sum it gave us more or less 2-3 hours of sailing per day this season.

Ready for the season ! But infant safe ??

After a tough week of work on Geronimo nearly everything had been done.
Thanks to my Dad which gave me a hand with some work.
So here is the "Done" list:

• new engine is installed, a Yanmar 1GM10. It is settled on a stainless steel frame, which gave me a hard time. But it is in, running smoothly and sprang to life effortless.
• new exhaust system 
• the cabin for Chris is finished, new light, new inside coverage for the cabin hull etc. 
• new hand bilge pump with new separation system to the electrical bilge pump
• repaint of the walking area on the deck
• rebuilding of the keel paint (Thanks Dad), it was somehow damaged in the winter, through the lost of the anode 

Well Geronimo is back in the water and we stayed the first weekend on it. Chris was amazed on the ship, so much new things to see. But he was like a rubber ball and fast as hell. The first moment he was sitting on the cabin floor and Kathrin and I were looking in another direction and the next moment he was outside in the cockpit. Seconds later on the bench. Damm fast. So I installed a net around the cockpit. But is it infant safe ? We will see......

 What worked out pretty well, is the cockpit tent. It was rough weather outside and we were sitting below the tent quite comfortable.

What a spring storm "Hi Niklas"

A nice storm, called Niklas, hit central Europe last weekend and keep half Europe quite occupied.

Well I was at Geronimo to finish the new bed for Chris and the cupboard in the aft cabin as the storm hit the coast. It was rubbish weather since the morning that for sure. It was blowing with a force 6 to 7, straight west. Geronimo was with her nose right in the wind. The was tugging at her lines, besides the coverage from the harbour. The rain was falling quite heavy but I was working below deck and a canvas cover was spread. As long as would stay below it was somehow comfortable.
I was completlye drained while I put everything on board. But luckily my father gave me hand.
I just had to give him a hand 2 times at his boat, which left me complete drained again. But I won´t complain, I know what was coming, or had had a slightly idea.
By the way I love my new "New Zeeland Shepard Hat", it fits on my head in a Force 7 and keeps my head dry.
Anyway it was somehow around 2 o´clock. I just gave my father a hand. I was cowered down to take a measure, as I heard the wind raising. "Nice" I thought and moments later I flew around, hit my knee and shoulder and said "What the f**k". I crawled up to the hatch to have a look at the wind gauge. Geronimo was heeling in 20° angle without any noteworthy stuff above deck.
The wind gauge showed 34kn decreasing, it turned slightly south. "Pretty bastard" I said and went on with my measurement.
Some minutes later my father showed up. "Have you seen that?" "Yepp, I flew around a little bit" I said. "We should grap our stuff and should heading home, there is more coming, have a look".
I took a look at the horizon, it was pitch black. "Agreed, give me 20min, you need a hand with your cover". "Nope I took it away before the blow came by" my father said. "See you in 20 min"
 So I started to pick up my tools, closed down all hatches. The wind gauge showed 38kn, straight west again. And I got coverage from the dyke / harbour.
So that storm gave me some trouble to get my tool box off, I can tell. As I closed down everything the rain was starting again. You know with a little bit of hail and the wind..... I was soaking wet, as I reached the car. And it seams that the wind was still raising.

You remember Peter? Well he tried to apply his Sprayhood on his boat. Don´t know how this ended.

We were heading home and Niklas was giving us some punches during the ride. And showed off over central Europe for 2 more days.

        

Spring is coming, time to get the boat ready

It seems that the spring is finally coming to town. And so this ichty feeling start in the fingers to get the boat ready.
So what´s up for this year.
1. Chris will get his own cabin, in connection to the main cabin. For this I already started to change the star board side of Geronimo. I closed the starboard hatch, removed the locker and started to build a new bed in connection to the main cabin. In the aft cabin will be the new storage for the sails.
 Well that´s nearly finished as you can see.

2. The Yellow Bitch....... well I throw her out. Well she runs fine, but the way to running is rather long. I couldn´t get a clue one why. She had been repaired, but man 1-2 min for starting and draining the batteries, no more. I could have spent more time on that, but there another point which leads to the decision to throw her out, horse power. You know the power was fine, but if you just wanted to punch through a tide or storm, she was running at her maximum. And if there was something on the prop, well she was having her time. So long story short result, her is the new one:

A Yanmar 1GM10 engine. Lovely don´t you think. But it cost some time to get it in.

3. Some small paint repairs on the deck.

That it will be for this spring. Quite a bit. I keep you posted.