This week I’m looking on the bright side of things otherwise this would be 3 Hate It’s and no Love it!!!! This is all boat related too so it’s the opposite side of all the nice wonderful boat life things I’ve talked about before.
Love It!
1. BOATUS Unlimited Towing! Yes if you have a boat I HIGHLY recommend getting this. Why you ask? Well when you find yourself stranded in the middle of the Potomac with an engine that won’t start and you have boat full of guests you will be happy that the $500 tow bill is not coming out of your pocket. Oh and that tow was only a couple miles!! Why Melissa you own a sailboat why couldn’t you just sail? Well we had dropped anchor and with an incoming storm we had gotten dragged and our anchor was in good and tight, plus I need horsepower to dock ;)!
2. Yacht Clubs! Or just the guys on the dock! Basically people that also love boats and have some clue as to how they work. Unlike me who has no idea. By enlisting some guys on the dock, my awesome Dad and of course David from half a world away we came up with some possible reasons why the boat wouldn’t start. Without these guys I was looking at just leaving the boat in the slip till Oct when David came home or paying LOTS of dough for a diesel mechanic to come out. Oh and I mean LOTS, seriously I wish I could bill that much for my hourly rate!!!! The yacht club reminds me of my dad’s old Model A club from when I was a kid. A bunch of guys standing around staring at an engine throwing out ideas till one works :)! Typically you’ll find someone in the group who has had the same problem or knows of someone who did and can at least point you in the right direction.
3. Cyber Research Skills! I have mad skillz when it comes to research on the Internet and finding online deals. Seriously ask my mother, I used to give her my xmas list with links to where she could find the best price! Hey that just meant I got more stuff within her budget! So I know nothing about engines, gas or diesel but I had a list of things that could be wrong. So it was….. off to the Internet Batman!!! I have now learned more then I ever planned about our little boat engine. I also have had to research parts and find replacements for 26 year old parts oh and not break the bank. Oh and today I’m taking off a heat exchanger to clean it out! All this because I have mad cyber skillz!
Hate It!
1. Broken Boat! Okay so that was easy. C’mon though the weather is gorgeous, I have my first Saturday off since April and my boat is currently broken. This is not how I planned the celebration weekend to go!!
So keep your fingers crossed that Dad and I get the parts replaced and the boat back in action just in time for the Father’s Day/Birthday celebration weekend!!
Melissa Arlena is an award winning lifestyle newborn photographer in Charlottesville and Richmond, Virginia who has earned her Master Photographer Certification from NAPCP in maternity, newborn and family photography. Her natural and simple work has been featured in magazines and online blogs worldwide. She has been named Best Maternity and Newborn Photographer in Richmond and Charlottesville, VA in 2024.