Another 48 Hours.....

Multiple projects this weekend have been accomplished here at BeBop Around The World. I had hopes that I would be able to start painting the interior on Sunday but things didn't work out that way. We ARE talking about a boat refit of course. As a rule of thumb from now on, whatever timetable I say it will take to finish a project, just triple it ok? lol.

The shelves are almost done; I've been working on them everyday after work. They just require one more coat of paint and they can be installed after the interior painting is done. Friday afternoon I finished bonding in the front part of the new V-berth locker. With a bit of luck it will be finished by the end of next weekend and I'll have some pictures for everybody. (Please remember to refer to the new time table rule ^_^)

The chemical head was delivered this week so I could test fit where the old marine head used to be. Turns out the stock base installed were too small so I had to fabricate an extension for it. The first thing I had to do was bond in the supports for the platform extension. You can see them in this picture here. Uh, I would like to add that brown stuff is fiberglass mixed in with 404 not poo poo lol. (I know you were thinking it, for shame, for shame) Note that I'm keeping the through hulls in case I change my mind in the future and put a conventional head back in.


This is with the platform now mounted on top of the newly bonded in supports.


And this is with the new chemical head on the new platform. I've yet to decide how I'm going to secure it to the platform but that's easy compared to the fabrication of the platform itself. I'm not going to worry about it. Of course I still need to do some sanding and paint everything over the next couple of weeks.


That little project took a lot of time this weekend believe it or not. While I was busy doing that, Rich completed 3 other projects. The first was creating a bilge water level alarm. My boat, being a bilge keel design doesn't have a traditional bilge. There is a tiny one in the hollow rear keel that water could collect in but should normally be totally dry, as I don't have a stuffing box. I don't plan on installing a automatic pump because if anything manages to actually puncture the hull on BeBop I figure she's going down in a hurry and a tiny 500gph pump ain't gonna cut it...But I do want to be alerted to a problem. Hence the poor man's Bilge detector. Using a regular house smoke alarm you can solder on two wires to the test circuit. Then place the wires about 1/2 cm apart from each other and mount them on a suitable device with a bit of lead weight. Place it in the bilge and if the water level covers the exposed wires it completes the circuit and the alarm goes off. Cost? About $15 bucks vs $50 bucks for the cheapest model at West Marine. Cool factor: 9 out of 10. Here is a picture of the alarm with the wires soldered on and the wire ends with lead weight.


The second project completed is the engine mount that Rich has been working on. The wood on the old mount was totally rotted out and in need of replacement. Rather than buy a piece of 4x4 he laminated up 21 layers of 1/4" marine grade plywood using fiberglass. As you could imagine it took some time lol. He painted it to not only help protect it from the saltwater environment but it matches the boat trim as well. The stainless steel nuts and bolts on the old one were in such bad shape they broke when disassembling the old mount and have been replaced with new ones. Here are the before and afters. Yes the first pic is the old mount on the living room table. (Don’t ask)


The last project was fabricating a new wooden dowel for the main bow cleat. A suitable piece of teak was bought for $2 at Don's Salvage Yard during lunchtime on Friday. Saturday Rich created the new one by using a rasp to whittle the diameter down by about a 1/4" because it was too big. And here are the before and afters. Looks just like brand new for $2 bucks!



This about covers what was done this weekend and I feel a good amount was accomplished. I'm especially impressed with the bilge alarm because electronics is certainly not my area of expertise. I'm hoping to learn more from Rich when it comes time to redo the electrical panel onboard BeBop. Everything currently works but it's quite a mess. Next weekend I'm hoping to get serious about painting the interior. I can't rule out that I might be able to put up the headliner in the head or shelf areas too. We'll see how it goes. It's just 4 months till I launch her and still tons to do. Until next time, Fair Winds...

And the Sanding Never Stops....

This will be a quick update as there isn't' much in the way of pictures to share with you since I've just been doing tear down and fabrication work.

For the past two weeks I've been doing lots of different projects for BeBop. I've been working on the shelves during the week after work. They have their first coat of primer on them and with luck, will be ready for installation when the interior is ready for them in a couple of weeks

The main project this weekend was to tear out the old headliner and sand anything inside that needs it before I paint and put in the new headliner, hopefully in about two weeks. I'll say this was about the 2nd worse thing I've had to do since I started the refit, only beat by sanding the bottom. The headliner was put up with some sort of superhero adhesive. The foam under the cloth did NOT want to come off easy, so Rich and I ended up taking paint scrapers to get most of it off then sand the rest. Well, here is where the world of hurt comes in because your also sanding fiberglass off too.....over your head in a very enclosed space. Have I mentioned that I am SO sick of sanding recently? ;-) By the end of Saturday I was itching like crazy and it drove Rich off the boat totally to take a shower. It should however be prepped enough to receive the new headliner (indoor/outdoor carpet) I purchased at Home Depot last week. Oh btw, use rubbing alcohol before you get in the shower and then once again afterwards to help with the itching if you ever have to do this sorta work. (thanks Rich) Follow this up with liberal doses of the real stuff and you should be ok lol.

Here are the pictures of the old headliner and with it taken off and partially sanded....****be warned**** it looks totally messed up but give me a couple of weeks and it will be like new again. ^_^


It's hard to see what's wrong with the old headliner in the first picture but you can see a little of brown around the edges and water stains. The camera hides the rest of the flaws...but rest assured it really needed to be replaced. There are also a couple pieces of deck hardware that I'm going to rebed while the headliner is down since water is leaking just a tiny bit in two places. The cam cleat on starboard side hatch is seized up too so while I have easy access to it (the nuts) while the headliner is out, I'm gong to replace it, probably with a jam cleat for the main halyard. I've also used 404 to fill in the screw holes where the old shelves used to be.

While I spent the better part of today cleaning out all the debris from tearing the headliner out and sanding it Rich fabricated the wooden pieces that go inbetween the mast and the mast mount on the deck. Like all things on a sailboat, there is probably a better name for it but eh...wooden pieces works for me. He'll probably have them coated in resin and painted ready for installation by the end of the week.


So as you can see there are lots of projects going on right now and none of them really photograph well. I'm in that inbetween projects stage just like when we worked on the outside. Give me a couple weeks and I can do before and after's of the interior with the new headliner in, paint, head, v-berth etc. I really hate the tear down phase off a project because it looks worse than what you started with. It's the same feeling I had when I stripped the outside of BeBop...sorta like putting a knife in your gut ya know? But I know it's required and in the end it will look better. Just give me some time.

The goals for next weekend are going to be to fabricate the base for the new chemical head I'm putting in because the old one is too small, finish lightly sanding the areas that I filled in with 404, rebed any hardware that needs it before the headliner goes back in and install the V-berth locker.

Well that turned out to be longer that I thought, but still a rather flat blog entry I think. Have to forgive me guys, sometimes the refit is just tedious and boring work, but it all has to be done. Doesn't make writing about it very easy or exciting but I try and keep you all informed about what's going on. Until next time....Fair Winds....

Nothing but the FAQ.....(Part 2)

Continued from Part 1.....

16. Where do you plan to visit?

Working under the assumption that your referring to outside the United States, I don't have firm plans set yet. I'’m still in the refitting BeBop stage. I figure my first stop will either be Mexico or Jamaica as they are both places that I'’m interested in going. I might get to see South America if I can'’t find a way through the Panama Canal that costs less then $2,000. I just can'’t plan out any further than this right now.

17. How long will you be staying at various destinations?

Hmmmm. That'’s a tuff question to answer. It will depend upon many factors such as the amount of time I'm permitted to stay, the amount of money I have, the weather, how expensive it is and most importantly, how much fun I'm having.

18. Have you ever done anything like this before?

You mean sell everything I own, swear off materialism, consumerism, any type of financial security and become a wandering nomad of the sea? Heh, that would be a big no.

19. What does your family think of your plans?

My family is very dysfunctional and I don't communication with any of them on a regular basis except my mom. It's hard to speak for her, but I get the impression she's not happy with my plans. She doesn'’t understand my motivations or my view of how the world works. This is not to say I'’m right and she is wrong, it's just that we have different goals in life.

20. What will you do if you get sick?

It's a calculated risk, but I used to be a medic in the Air Force so I know how to take care of myself pretty good. If we are talking about a multiple open compound fracture etc, then I will be forced to seek out medical care the best I can depending upon where I am in the world. Typically speaking, medical care is cheaper in other countries than it is here.

21. Do you get seasick?

Never have been on a small boat, but on large ships the very slow rolling motion has gotten me queasy.

22. Will you be doing this alone?

That's the plan unless Angelina Jolie wants to sign on as the 1st Mate.

23. Don't you think you will get lonely?

No. Besides for my blog and what I share, I'm a private person that doesn't require a lot of people interaction. I'm looking forward to being alone for long periods of time while sailing between destinations.

24. How will you update your Webpage/Blog?

The same way I do right now, through the internet. I don't expect to have any issues finding a connection in most places these days. If I can'’t get online, I'’m making other plans to keep the site up to date with my whereabouts. Just keep in mind after I leave I doubt I'’ll be able to make weekly updates. It will be more like a major update once a month or two.

25. When are you planning to depart?

I'd like to leave by March 1st, 2007 but I have set a *“hard* date of November 1st, 2007. I think it'’s important to set a firm date or there is a chance you'll never leave because your still saving, or your boat needs something. Eventually something will come up and it will never happen. One way or another by November next year I'’m outta here.

26. Won't you get bored?

I highly doubt it. Between sailing to the destination, maintaining the boat, (a suprising amount of time) cooking and exploring new shores, there will be fishing, reading, swiming and diving, listening to music (favorite pastime) writing entries for my blog (maybe a novel?)and I'm hoping to take perhaps a soprano saxophone and learn to play another instrument. Rather have a Bass but they are too big and require power that I don't have. I think I'll have too much to do and not enough time!

27. How will you bathe, wash clothes and use the bathroom?

The bathroom has been briefly covered in another entry but I'm going to use a chemical toliet. It's cheap, smell free and easy to maintain. Underway it's the bucket and chuck it routine. Washing clothes will be with Joy and Saltwater in a bucket, agitate and rinse with freshwater. I'll take a shower using a high pressure pump up weed sprayer. I'm sure you've seen them. Fill it with hot water and presto! Instant 2 gallon pressurized hot water shower. I'll stand in a small plastic container with a shower curtain in the area between the quarterberths or in the cockpit if nobody is around. At the marina of course I'll use their facilites.

28. When is BeBop going back into the water?

Between late July and early September this summer. It costs money to keep her at a dock. I want to put her in the water as soon as I can, but for financial reasons it's better to wait as long as possible. I still need to purchase new running rigging, clovis pins, bottom paint....(list continues) Trust me, nobody wants to see her floating again more than I do. I dream about sailing her quite often. July would be tight, August is probably how it will work out.

29. Why did you name your boat BeBop?

I'm not sure exactly how it happened, it just did. I had a list of names that I really liked and BeBop was *not* on that list lol. She didn't have a official name when I bought her and somewhere between Georgia and Florida on the way back the day I got her, it just popped into my head. I said something like she looks like a bebopper, Rich concurred and it was settled in about 10 seconds flat. I love Jazz and music in general, All my basses, amps etc were sold to provide money to buy her. I really miss my basses dearly. Let's just say the name fits for more than one reason.

30. How long will it take to BeBop Around The World?

As long as it takes mon. (Jamacian accent) Seriously, I'm not sure. 2 or 3 years at a minimum, probably longer because I suspect at some point I'll have to stop and earn money to continue on. I have hopes I will be able to write articles for magazines underway and earn a few bucks. Perhaps write a book once I go all the way around. I'm not sure if either is realistic. I'm sorta new at this writing stuff ya know?

That's it for this Q and A, I had a lot of fun writing this and I hope you all enjoyed reading it! ^_^ I suspect that I'll write another one at some point in the future to answer more questions or maybe a 50 things about me post. I'm open to ideas, let me know what you want to hear about the project or me and I'll see what I can do hehe. Until next time.....Fair Winds.....

Nothing but the FAQ.....(Part 1)

1. How can you live in such a small boat?

To borrow a phrase from the Martin family, "size is a mental game." I've lived in giant houses all the way down to driving a 18 wheeler across the country for a year. That really was small. BeBop has enough space to stand up in which I think is the big requirement for comfort. I guess what it comes down to is that small spaces don't bother me too much.

2. How big is your boat?

BeBop is a 1968 Westerly Nomad, Length Overall 22' 3" Waterline Length 18' 4" Beam 7' 5" Draft 2' 3" Mast Height 25' with VHF antenna approx 30' Weight is 3,150 pounds empty. She has a capsize screening ratio of 2.01 which should be good for offshore work.

3.Why are you doing this?

There are many reasons not just one. Some of it is boredom from day to day living. I feel the life slowly being sucked out of me by The Corporate American Slave Machine. It chews human beings up at one end and spits out broken minds, bodies, dreams and spirit at the other. It is slowly driving me insane and I aim to escape from it. A smaller part is my beliefs about resource depletion and how it's going to affect our future.

4. Since you are obviously crazy, is your psychiatrist aware of your plan?

They kicked me out of the mental ward. Said something about me antagonizing the other patients. (for the more literally minded among you....that was a joke.)

5. Aren'’t you afraid of storms?

Yes. It is a unknown factor and something that cannot be controlled, but the weather patterns are well established. There are plenty of guides written on the best times to sail from point A to point B to minimize the risk of severe storms. I don't want that much excitement in my life!

6. Are you afraid of pirates?

Not really. I'm planning my routes to avoid the worst areas of piracy. The odds of me getting into a automobile accident before I leave are much higher than the odds of having a run in with pirates.

7. Will you have a gun onboard?

No. The risk of running into issues with the different governments of the world is too great. Some countries will confiscate your weapons, toss you in jail *then* maybe if your lucky ask questions later. I will have other, innovative means of self defense in the unlikely event it's required. MacGyver is my hero.

8. How much food/water can you carry?

BeBop can carry 54 gallons of water if fully loaded plus whatever alcoho.....er beverages I wish to carry. ^_^ She should be able to carry from 4 to 6 months of the core staples like rice and pasta. I plan to "eat native" along the way. I mean why travel halfway around the world to eat at Burger King?

9. How long have you been sailing?

My sailing experience is with small craft, I learned to sail in a small open hulled dory as a teenager. A few years later I learned more from sailing hobie cats. I have no real time on any boat bigger than 20 feet, BeBop is the biggest boat I've sailed to date. I plan on doing plenty of overnight "practice" voyages into the Gulf of Mexico before heading south.

10. Do you speak more than one language?

I speak Computer as well as English. I used to know Spanish and about 500 words in broken Japanese, but as they say, "if you don't use it you lose it." I'm thinking of spending a month in Puerto Rico to see if I can't recover some of my Spanish. When I crashed a motorcycle, the concussion managed to literally erase the Japanese stored in my short term memory.

11. How can you afford to do this?

I can't, but for my own sake I can't afford not to. James Baldwin says "It costs as much as you have" and I agree with that. If you leave with $1,000 that's what it will cost. If you have a million, that too is cost.

12. How much was BeBop?

I paid $3,500 for her, about $600 for the trip to Georgia, haul out and back home. The trailer was about $1,400 partially paid for by my friend Rich. It was not a gift, a private agreement was reached for it. All this basically represents my entire net worth considering I sold everything I own of value (sans computers) to buy her.

13. How much do you have budgeted to outfit BeBop?

Heh, there is no budget so to speak. I spend what I have available on her refit as I get paid. I try to use all the tips and tricks I can to lower the cost of the refit, but some items just plain require a lot money like new running rigging and bottom paint. Sweat equity has been the highest cost paid. Less than $1,500 has been spent on the refit so far.

14. How much will you budget for traveling?

Whatever I have before the departure date is what I have. It has been said "the less money you have the greater the adventure." I'll be putting it to the test.

15. How long will you be gone?

Gone? BeBop is my home so it's not like I will be coming "back."wherever I am will be home. If I don't like it there, I'll move (sail) on. If your referring to the idea of coming back to the United States, it depends upon what I find out there in the big world. I might not ever come back.

To be continued in Part 2.....

Interior Work Has Begun.....

Hello once again and welcome back to my blog covering the refit of my sailboat, BeBop. This weekend I've started to do the major woodworking projects to the interior. I also put the 1st coat of Brightsides on the mast with Rich's help. I wanted to get the 2nd coat done today but daylight savings time plus a tad bit too much wind later on prevented me from doing it. But now with light in the afternoon I can work on things I normally would not be able to. Lets start by taking a look overall look at the interior.


Smallish and in ok shape but needs some help. The headliner needs to be replaced and she needs paint. Everything is also removed to make life easier during the refit. I wanted to add in a bit more storage space where the shelves go and somebody I talk to via email gave me a great idea for a new locker. Here is the before of what the hanging shelves looked like.


It worked ok I'm sure but wow, what a lot of wasted space....cubic feet of it that I need to take advantage of. So out they went and I'm building in hard shelves to take their place. I'm keeping the really small hanging ones as I think it will come in handy for smallish random type items. Here is what I've done so far.


The plywood has been measured and cut but still needs to be sanded, painted and installed. I'm also planning on putting a small lip on the shelves edges so items cannot fall out so easy. I know it doesn't look great at the moment but use a bit of imagination and picture it all finished painted white. I could of bought a interior grade of wood (ie prettier) for the shelves but that would be a lot more money (that I don't have) where as a 4x8 piece of exterior grade pressure treated plywood was $26 bucks for the sheet. That's enough to do everything I want to for the interior. It will just require more sanding to get a acceptable finish. Sigh...Sanding...story of my life. >_<

This is the new V berth locker that I'm installing. It will probably be used for the ground tackle since it's easy enough to hoist it through the forward hatch located directly above it. It supports about double my weight so I can stand on it and it makes getting out of the hatch easier too. This picture is very rough. I have just cut the pieces out and am test fitting them. They too will be sanded, painted, etc. I would like to add that this locker was not my brainstorm but of a fellow Nomad owner in the UK, Derek Todd of the S/V "Rolean." I would like to thank you again for the photo, idea and the information you have given me so far. Stay in touch sir.



So it's not as exciting as launching my dory but it's work that needs to be done. This is about it without telling you the size and quantity of the stainless steel bolts that I'm using to secure all the new pieces in with. Detail I doubt many of you wish to read. I am getting lots of questions about what I'm doing and why so I'm putting together a couple of entries that will answer them. I hope to have the first part up by the middle of this week so keep checking back from time to time. Until next time...Fair Winds...