Highs and Lows Sailing Our Ticon 30 on Lake Superior

Hubby and I launched our new-to-us Ticon 30 sailboat a lot later than we expected, largely because there was so much work to do!  A sailboat is a lot like a house: there's always something to repair or tinker with, and so we spent much of the summer in our boat on land, which made us laugh.  It still had a waterfront view, I guess.  The reason we finally did launch was not because we felt ready, but because the boat launch was getting a new concrete pad poured.  Because it would be unusable for the rest of the summer, it was either launch when we did or not at all.  Secretly I'm happy we had that extra push because I think part of the delay was just a little bit of nervousness.  Although we had a boat inspection, for all we knew the boat didn't even float!  Both of us envisioned hopping in and promptly sinking to the bottom of Lake Superior.

Luckily everything went as planned!  The launch went pretty smoothly and we knew what we were in for because we had seen the process while boat shopping:

A huge boat travel lift came to our storage spot and moved the sailboat to the water.  I wanted to cheer when the engine turned on and the boat floated, but I played it cool.  Some fellow Yacht Club members were kind enough to help us launch, with only a minimal amount of heckling.

I might have failed to mention that, from the outside, our boat is an ugly little thing.  Beige fiberglass, brown hull, forest green late 80s bimini... We've already given the inside a makeover and we'll get to the outside at some point - we both love the idea of a black hull and black sails.  But most nights I repeatedly whisper "turquoise boat, turquoise boat" while Hubby sleeps.  I'm wondering how much longer I have to do this until he wakes up one morning, unable to shake the idea of a turquoise hull.

After the boat was in the water it was up to us to get the mast on, which took my Mom, Dad, Grandpa, Hubs and I the better part of an afternoon.  I got to operate the hoist (which is a lot less impressive than it seems - just a toggle switch for up and down):

It was grueling getting that mast up!  At one point my Mom was steadying the mast by hanging onto a rope to keep it from swinging as Hubby and my Dad tried to position it.  As I lifted the mast with the hoist, Mom's length of rope shortened but she didn't let go or ask for help.  At one point I saw her sort of leap and swing by in front of me, frantically gripping the last four inches of rope, toes barely hitting the gravel.  She's tenacious, that's for sure (Mandelbaum Mom I call her).

The rigging took another day as we tried to figure out what goes where.  This is our second sailboat, but our first - a 16 foot Fireball - was much smaller and we were already accustomed to it.  Luckily Hubby's Grandpa (the same one who painted our art) was an avid sailor so Hubby knows his way around a boat - that makes one of us.

Our first sail made us wonder why the heck we had waited so long to launch because it was just perfectly idyllic!  It was dusk, the weather was beautiful, the sailing was amazing, and we were just beaming at one another.  It was so peaceful and so much more comfortable than our last sailboat, which was tiny so we always got totally soaked and spent most of the time crouch uncomfortably.

Everything was beautiful - even the industrial area near the Yacht Club looked amazing from the water at dusk.

This is the life, I thought, feeling a lot of gratitude for essentially living in one of those smarmy motivational posters I always pin on Pinterest.

But, alas, Lake Superior is not always so nice to unsuspecting sailors like us.

Cue the ominous music in the Lifetime movie of my life.

We never sailed our boat home to the lakehouse as planned, because the day we planned to sail was AWFUL!  Our tow line for the inflatable dinghy got caught in the engine but we didn't know that, so we were frantically trying to figure out why the heck we were dead in the water.  (Lesson learned: the dinghy line should always be of the floating variety.)

The channel was super windy and wavy and we were about to crash our new boat into the docks.  An older gentleman was sitting on his boat, shouting instructions but we couldn't hear him so he was just a huge distraction - until he finally communicated the problem to us (thanks!).  Before we got it, Hubby went sprinting to the bow to drop the anchor - which we'd never used, so it was a nightmare to release and we missed a collision by inches.  I was trying to steer the boat but it was my first time and I had two people yelling competing instructions at me.  I was certain I'd crash a tear a big hole in the side.  We finally sorted out the problem, got out of the channel and hoisted the sails, only to find ourselves trapped in 28km/hr gusting winds and giant swells which almost engulfed us.  It was fun at first but then the sailing became really terrifying as it felt nearly impossible to stay in the cockpit.  I was certain one of us would be thrown out.  We tightened our life jackets and white-knuckled it for an hour or so before turning around and heading back to the Yacht Club, where strong winds kept pushing us around.  We were sort of close to the slip when Hubby hollered at me to run and jump off the bow of the boat with the dock line as the boat lurched wildly.  I looked at the slip, which seemed too far to jump to, and yelled back, "you want me to what now?"  I paused, terrified of missing the slip and cracking my coconut open.  All of a sudden, out of the corner of my eye, I see Hubby, previously manning the steering wheel, race by me and leap off the boat himself.

I seriously love this guy. (He's wearing an "Arrrbucks" pirate shirt - "bilge brewed").

After we collected ourselves, surveyed the minor damage (she needs a new paint job anyway - turquooooiiisssseeee) and grabbed a hot coffee, I think we were both thinking, "well sh*t."  Neither of us were looking forward to the 5 to 7 hour journey home, having just had our asses handed to us. 

Happily, we were lucky enough to be able to rent a slip for the rest of the season!

I think the club pitied us newbies because there's usually a waiting list - years long - for slips.  When we were "initiated" into the club there was an agonizingly long 45 minute lecture about how we wouldn't get a slip and I was all, "yeah, yeah we don't need one we're mooring on our bay" so I really had to eat crow but it was worth it.  Am I ever happy that Hubby thought my "buy a boat in Toronto and sail it home" idea was ridiculous.  "Too epic," he called it (that was putting it nicely).

But subsequent sailing adventures have been a lot of fun!  

I wish the sailing season wasn't winding down already because I feel like we're only just getting the hang of it.  We'll be ready for next year though, and we'll be able to launch a lot earlier because shopping for, buying, and fixing up the boat consumed a lot of our spring and summer.  I'm excited to actually bring the boat home to our bay next year.  A neighbor made us a really cool mooring anchor that screws into the ground.  To get prepared, we're thinking about signing up for sailing lessons but in the meantime we've been taking the Ticon out in inclement weather so the next time we end up in huge swells, we won't be caught off guard.  Hubby always tries to aim for nice days but I tell him that while we're sailing from the club and have the luxury of staying close to shore, we should sail in any weather so we learn how to handle the boat no matter what Lake Superior throws at us.

P.S.  How adorable is the Yacht Club?  There's a washroom with shower facilities and a kitchen (not pictured) that is seriously nicer than mine.  They literally had to remove the couches because some dudes were just living here.

It has tulip tables, tulip tables. 

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Ahoy! Tour Our Updated Ticon 30 Sailboat Interior

Decorating a sailboat can be a little tricky because there are not a lot of opportunities for accessorizing - much to my disappointment.  For one, there's no room - this is kind of like tiny house living, so minimalism seems key.  More importantly, things can go flying when Lake Superior pummels us, so pottery, potpourri, and anything else we can't shove in a latched drawer is a firm "no," it turns out. 

But there are still many ways to update a 1980s boat interior because upholstery and other textiles can go a long way.  When I shared the first tour of our Ticon 30 sailboat, you got a glimpse of the all-beige interior: beige headliner, beige fiberglass, accented with beige upholstery!  I really find myself warming up to beige, cream, and off-white these days though, so I decided to embrace the beige and find inspiration in a moodier palette, with lots of rich blues.  The cushions were shot - in such terrible shape, that the seller actually knocked a bunch of money off the asking price so we could get them replaced.  I had a lot of fun choosing upholstery fabric and, after much deliberation, Hubby and I decided on a deep blue upholstery (Sunbrella Loft Indigo) which you saw a sneak peek of on Instagram.  Most colors made the beige headliner look dirty, but this rich blue made it look lighter and we figured it would hide dirt and muck well too.  I turned down teal - TEAL - but I like the classic, nautical feel of this blue.  It's such a gorgeous, rich shade and it really changes color when you look at it from different angles, which I love!

Here's quick trip down memory lane - for more photos of the "before," check out this post.  The "before" photos were snapped with Hubby's phone when the boat was still tarped, so the quality is different but it's also shinier and gleamier now because I went through a bottle and a half of teak oil and removed about 16 garbage bags of stuff. 

BEFORE

BEFORE

When you first clamber down the companionway into our boat, this is the view now:

We were both surprised by how much stuff was left behind by the former owner - some of it useful, some of it not.  We spent weeks just sorting, emptying, cleaning; I vacuumed the headliner, scrubbed surfaces, sorted through drawers, oiled teak.  Meanwhile, Hubby worked on the engine and tackled various repairs.  The unexpected de-cluttering set us back a little and it's part of the reason we launched so late in the season, but it was necessary - and oddly satisfying!

On the port side (I've gotta learn this!), is a settee with fold down table and also a neat bed extender - plus the galley (kitchen).  I changed the design of the settees a little, asking the upholsterers to remove the tufting and square off the corners for a cleaner, more modern look.

I didn't show you the teak table when it's open in the first tour - it folds down and another section slides out to reach the other settee.  Such a clever design!  I like that it can fold completely out of the way. 

The little galley is adorably tiny and I absolutely cannot picture whipping up anything more than a sandwich in there right now, but I'm sure I'll get used to it.  I'd love to find a cute vintage stove and maybe replace the sink and faucet at some point.  But for now, a good clean and some irresistible (clearance) melamine bowls from HomeSense do the trick!





On the starboard side, there's another longer settee, the navigation station, and quarter berth:

Beyond the little door is a bank of tiny drawers, hanging storage, a teeny tiny bathroom (the "head") and the v-berth with more drawers.  Fun fact: if I need to, I can scramble up the hatch in the v-berth onto the deck surprisingly nimbly.   

This is the view looking toward the stern (back):

I love the new upholstery fabric and fresh new mattress-grade foam (so comfy!).  My DIY ice dyed pillows look perfect in here and really brighten up the space!  Now that it's clean and we're using the boat, I'm assessing what else we can do to spruce it up.  I have a secret Pinterest board just brimming with nautical crafts and projects...




There is some terrible wall covering in the head and little storage area that I'd love to cover up, but I need to figure out what can withstand the moisture.  We're eyeing a cute nautical wall sconce for more light - plus we'd like to upgrade the existing interior lights.  I'd love to make some DIY fitted sheets and some sturdy, washable, cozy blankets - maybe a quilt?  That would be fun - and daunting.  I have pinned some cute macrame projects too because a woven hanging fruit basket would be adorable.

Any ideas?

A huge thanks to Sunbrella for providing the Loft Indigo fabric.  I am absolutely thrilled with the quality of the fabric and the gorgeous, deep shade of blue.  I'm already eyeing up some other nautical fabrics to have our forest green bimini re-done...   

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Tour Our Ticon 30 Sailboat

Happy Canada Day, friends!  I consider myself very fortunate to call a beautiful country like Canada home.  I don't have any red and white themed recipes or crafts for today, but I did want to pay homage to one of the many wonders of this country (which we share with our neighbours to the south!):  Lake Superior.

Because we live on a small, shallow bay of Lake Superior, I often forget the powerful force behind this body of water.  When we were driving back from the Toronto area after a week of sailboat shopping, we stopped at Katherine's Cove for a break.  While breathing in the fresh Northwestern Ontario air we had missed so deeply, we spotted a boat.  It didn't look tied up, and I started to think the worst.  Hubby and I ran as quickly as we could through the sand but, to our relief, the boat looked as though it had simply been stolen from a dock by the powerful waves.  We reported it and hopefully it was reunited with its owner after being tossed around like a pop can by Lake Superior.

When I announced our plan to buy a boat in Toronto and my desire sail it home over the Great Lakes, everyone thought I had lost my mind and I was inundated with intimidating - at times contradictory - Lake Superior facts.  Did you know that Lake Superior is the largest of the Great Lakes and, if you're considering surface area, is the largest freshwater lake in the world?  By volume, it's the third largest.  The deepest point is 1300 feet and it holds enough water to flood all of North and South America with a foot of water.  Waves taller than 40 feet have been recorded on Lake Superior - 51 feet is reportedly the highest!  That's incredibly scary!  Perhaps the saddest fact:  I've read that more than 10,000 lives have been lost, with more than 350 recorded shipwrecks.  

Okay, okay, it's probably a good thing we ended up buying our Ticon 30 from a local sailor because I don't think we were quite ready for that epic a journey.  But I'm excited to get out on Lake Superior and explore it more!  In our last sailboat, a small Fireball, we never ventured very far from shore but with the Ticon 30, who knows how far we'll sail?

We've been working on the boat and we're hoping to launch soon.  The tired and torn cushions are already with a local upholster (I chose Loft Indigo by Sunbrella for the new cushions - I'm definitely going for a different look, design-wise!).  I snapped some photos the day we purchased the boat and already it's looking so much cleaner.  While Hubby has been tinkering with the engine, I've been scrubbing, decluttering and oiling wood.  On one particularly frigid day, soaking wet from the rain and wearing five layers of old coats I stole from my parents' basement, I had shimmied into the quarter birth and was oiling the teak.  I shouted to Hubby, "this sucks!"  But then I thought for a moment and yelled again, "this is what sailing is going to be like, isn't it?  Cold, wet, and oiling teak".

We laughed because while we know that's partly true, we also know it's going to be amazing!  We even bought an aerial camera so I can bring you all along for the ride - minus the motion sickness and endless teak oiling.  For now, here's a tour of the "before" - with better photos and a video tour coming once the sailboat is looking a little more...shipshape ;)

When you first enter the companionway, this is what you see:

Actually, this is what I saw first:



I can't wait to polish up those beautiful wood floors!  The steps are really gorgeous too (and they remove to reveal access to the engine - so clever!):

To the left when you first clamber down is the little galley.  I've got my eyes peeled for a retro stove, but they can be super pricey!

Beside the galley is a seating area that slides out to form a double bed.  Our new cushions will have a really high end mattress-grade foam and we'll be able to sleep six people!  On the wall is my favorite feature, a table that swings down.  When I snapped these photos the cabin was full of sails and the former owner's stuff so I couldn't easily pop it into place (there were also three of us in here), but for the "after" tour I will - it's gorgeous!

On the right is the quarter berth (with panels that slide out to reveal more engine access), navigation table, and more seating.  I still need to read through a book, no fewer than a million pages long, and pass a test to get my operator's certificate to operate the marine radio.  Don't they know I'm too busy thinking about how to decorate my boat?

Beyond where Hubby is standing in the first photo, toward the v-berth, is our toilet and shower on the left, with the tiniest bi-fold door you've ever seen.  You may not refer to this as the washroom, it's called the "head".  Don't worry - the bucket does not serve a functional purpose in this space.  Near as I can tell, it's decorative.

To the right is hanging storage and teeny tiny drawers: 

Beyond that is the v-berth, with bunk beds and drawers - and a hatch above, for staring at the night sky...

It looks a little rough in these photos - they're just cellphone snaps and there was still a tarp covering the hatches and portholes, making it seem much more dim.  It already looks so different because we removed bags and bags of stuff left behind, plus I've been scrubbing, cleaning, and teak oiling my heart out.  But I love these photos because they show exactly what our Ticon 30 looked like when we bought it and it will be exciting to see it transform with the new upholstery and a few decorative accents.  I already bought some insanely gorgeous linen for some throw pillows.

If I had the budget and time, I'd be tempted to do a major reno on this sailboat but, for this year at least, the most important goal is to just get this beast on the water and sail it home!

Happy Canada Day to all of my Canadian friends, and an early Happy Fourth of July to my friends a little more South.  I hope everyone has time to get out to explore these beautiful countries of ours this long weekend. 

I will be celebrating by oiling some teak. 

But I'll keep my fingers crossed for beautiful weather for us all!  Have a great weekend!

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