Sailing lessons almost complete. Last day of ASA 103 starts in 6 hours. ASA 101 was quite a learning experience. We are taking lessons in Oriental, NC. At Bow to Stern.

We both really like the area. The instructors have been excellent! Taking these lessons at Bow to Stern has been a great experience.

Kelly has really done well. The end of day three has left me sunburned and tired. Kelly is also wore out.

We laughed about the struggle to keep from going to bed before the sun even set. But the sun did set before we did. Tomorrow is March 31st. The anniversary of me getting hurt. How ironic that it is the last day of our sailing lessons. It has been quite the battle to get to this place in my recovery. I am finally ready to start sailing Mary Lee....yay!!!

We are set to take sailing lessons at the end of the month. A.S.A.. Three levels available. We will take 101 and 103 this month. 104 in April.
   Mary Lee will come out of the water soon after. New bottom paint and some changes. Adding more batteries. Building the booth and finishing upholstery.
  Once back in the water....we are thinking of moving her to Oriental. We both like the area better. We will spend my "home time" sailing and wrapping up the little projects. Canvas being one of the necessary needs.
 

I have a partner in crime(so to speak). I have been dating Kelly for over 6 months

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She and I are going to tag team the rest of the preparations on Mary Lee.

I will continue driving truck. I will drive three weeks and have a week to work on boat projects each month. This is mostly unheard of in trucking. They usually want you to be out 30 days and take three days off.  We plan to head south at the end of this upcoming hurricane season.

It will be a very busy time.  As we get rolling on projects, I will try to post the upgrades as they are completed. Mary Lee will come out of the water soon

It has been a very busy time. Several very good things have happened in the last few months. I was on the fence about selling Mary Lee and buying another boat in Seattle.

I have been out seeing things. This is Oriental, NC. I am back in a semi truck full time. I was just salaried at a very good wage. I also have some part time driving jobs with the van that I am looking forward to.

The move back west is imminent. The boating adventure was never about the east coast. It was about the South Pacific. Also sailing the Alaskan inlets for a summer. I will be pulling Mary Lee out of the water soon. The end of next hurricane season will see everything done and she will be ready to travel. I am excited. I finally have recovered from the back injury enough to move forward with the original plan. The one I made when I first bought Mary Lee. FINALLY!!! So....there will be quite a bit of posting very soon. I will have to hire help to do some of the work....I will be too busy to do it all myself.

I have been meeting quite a few upholsterers with their own shops. I have been told over and over....You do not need that school. It is a waste of your time. I have taught myself how to sew well enough to undertake any job I am likely to get into. I think it is time to get set up and take the leap. I am going to go out in a semi again until spring. I am going to buy a pickup. Camper on top. Car hauler trailer set up as portable upholstery shop. I have a plan.

So. I have been out exploring the area around Hickory.

This is a place back up in the mountains that was interesting. That is all coffee cups.

This little lake. Lake Lure(near Ashville was used in a few movies.

Pretty small puddle. If you can read the sign. Used in Dirty Dancing and Last of the Mohicans.

That is a short update. I have been busy. I am going to be moved out of Hickory, NC. Before Oct. 1st. Going to drive up to Maine in the van for a few days. Then head out in a semi for the winter. Should be interesting. I have plans for Mary Lee this winter. She may very well end up on a trailer headed to Seattle and Puget sound. I want to cruise the Alaskan inlets for a summer. More on that later

Just a quick post.

   I have to take a day off upholstering. My back flared up. All good. I finished the second bucket seat yesterday. Seams are straight. No weird bulges. Everything lined up like it should be. I was going to pull the drivers seat out this morning. I need the van for class tomorrow. Guess I will start on passenger seat and save driver seat for next Friday.

   Here is the newest photo.

I like it. I will also be doing headliner and carpet when seats are done. Not sure if I mentioned that.

    We have not started doing any upholstery or sewing in school yet. But being in a town with several furniture manufacturers, There is remnants of fabrics left over from factories in all the second hand stores at $3.00 a yard. I decided to start reupholstering the van seats for practice. I may have $80 into everything needed to do four seats.

I have this neat sewing machine that I cannot keep my hands off of.
   The first obvious step was to get a seat out and take it all apart.

    Then start cutting the seams apart to make a pattern.

    seemed easy enough.   Pretty soon I had a mess going.

    So...It was time to cut out the new pieces. The new pieces needed to be cemented to the foam backing.

    Not horribly hard to do. First piece sewed together quite easily. Taking my time to get it right. The speed will come.


Next was the backrest. Many new things to consider here. Remember, I am teaching myself. I can be meticulous about making sure things look right as they go together...but I am just learning.

Got the pieces all taken apart. Seemed important to lay them out so the way they go together can be easily sorted out.

Sewing them together was interesting. I actually find the sewing easy.  Backrest went together fairly easy. Lots of extra things the seat never had, but okay.
    I ended up with this.

   I used some special bonding paint for changing the color of plastic.

   Ended up with this
Forgot to take pictures of headrest going together....It is a special little challenge of its own. Finally done. The following pictures are of the finished one. The next one in line to be done sitting next to it. Sort of a before and after. Then first one back in the van. Keep in mind that there were no rips or major stains in seats. I just wanted to get started doing upholstery.

   

   I will finish the seats and also replace carpet and headliner. It will be my rolling billboard.

I have a few more sets of seats to do for friends. I told them if they bought material, I would do it for the practice. Then I will start charging to do seats.  I am pleased with the visual this will create. The seat looks every bit as good in person as it does in the pictures. my seams are straight. I really like my new sewing machine.