Carpet Blanket Mast

We are approaching our big boat shipping day .... from Atlanta to Savannah. Our Gemini will be put on the back of a truck and transported to its new home marina. With all the bridges between here and there, the mast will obviously have to be stepped.

Once we step the mast, it will be put on the back of the truck horizontally to go along with the boat. How do we protect the aluminium mast from getting all dinged up? Carpet!

While doing our research on how to ship our boat, it was recommended to us to wrap our mast in carpet for protection. With this, Val began her search for some free carpet.

Val talked to our apartment manager about this, and the apartment manager told Val that she could have all the carpet she wanted from the next apartment refresh cycle. Well, there was an apartment refresh cycle this past weekend! So Val was able to secure some free carpet! We loaded enough carpet for our mast in our car, and took it out to the boat.

Now we have our carpet mast blanket!

Does It Float?

During car rides, a lot of family time is spent on mentally walking through various scenarios that we will face as we live on the boat. Recent discussions were on our water strategy and the mechanics of ferrying water back and forth to the boat.

"What happens to a full water can when it falls into the water?" was a question that came up. It will probably sink. Val then chimed in, "I've read that some folks purposefully don't fill their water cans to the top thereby leaving some space at the top of the cans so that they will float." Brilliant! Such a simple solution.

My maximize space mentality would certainly have filled each Jerrycan full of water, but the "work smart" part of my brain sees that leaving some space at the top of the can will provide a certain amount of insurance just in case a water can falls overboard. There is also the added benefit of a lighter can. My back will like that!

Water cans going overboard isn't just a concern when ferrying them via dinghy, but also as they sit on the boat in the cockpit. One good rouge wave could send one overboard, and it would be nice to have the option of retrieving it if the conditions allow.

Lots of little details out there, and the mental scenario exercises really help flesh them out.