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31 December 2018

Life In A Tree House, Or Stuck In The Boatyard With A Hole In Our Boat

We used to live on a sailboat in the water. Now, we live in a tree house. Well, not exactly a tree house. We still live on our sailboat, except now it's on land and you have to clamber up a ladder to get onto it. So it feels like a tree house, except it's a lot less fun.

My mom is going to have a heart attack when she sees this picture. Yes, mom, we climb up and down this several times a day. So far, no broken limbs.


We had always planned on hauling Tickety Boo out of the water and into the boatyard to do the bottom paint and take care of a few other things. But the plan was to do that after this season in the Bahamas. Not before.

We were busy getting ready to head off. Boat projects were coming along nicely, provisioning had begun in earnest, and I dug out my swimsuits. Then we discovered a crack in our hull. No bueno.

Could it be that my latest book, Bodies in the Boatyard, is coming to life? Finding a leak on their boat is exactly what happened to Mollie and Scooter. Let's just hope that's where the similarities end. I really don't want to stumble across any dead bodies behind our boat hidden under one of our dinghies.


So while we wait for the insurance process to sort itself out, we're stuck in the boatyard, living in our little tree house.

It's kind of an interesting way to live. When we want to fill up our water tanks, we have to tie the hose onto a line to pull it up on deck.


Our gray water from washing our dishes and brushing our teeth drains into a bucket which we have to empty regularly. Don't ask about the toilet arrangements. You really don't want to know.


In the meantime, while we're waiting to see what will happen with insurance, I've been working on the next book in my cozy mystery series, Poisoned by the Pier. Since the last book has started to come true, I'm thinking this one might end up being really boring and be all about a boat that nothing ever goes wrong with. That's the kind of story I'd like to come to life.


Did you have a tree house as a kid (or as an adult)? Does climbing up and down ladders make you nervous?

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26 comments:

  1. Hubby and I wouldn't be climbing up and down that ladder. We're old and ladders are very dangerous. I hope this gets fixed and you're back in the water soon.

    Have a fabulous New Years eve and may your 2019 be better than what you're going through right now. I'm sure it will be. ♥

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    1. They can be really dangerous, especially at night when you can't see what you're doing :-)

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  2. Oh no! Hope your boat gets fixed soon and that you have a great 2019.

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  3. Better to find it now rather than later. I wouldn't mind the climb, but those tiny sticks don't look like they would hold up your boat.

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    1. I never think those jackstands are up to the job either, but somehow they hold the weight of the boat.

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  4. I feel your pain. We're out on the hard and climbing up and down the ladder has lost it's novelty. Here's to sailing and new books in 2019!

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  5. Have you heard Eileen Quinn, "Life on the Hard"? So sorry you're not headed off to fun, and sun. Yes, I was nervous climbing in/out of the boat, last time we hauled out for projects, I had to do it anyway, right? The last time we had the diver come, and look at the bottom of the boat, in our slip, he said we have the cleanest prop of anyone in the marina. Yay for putting on the correct stuff! Happy New Year to you!

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    1. I haven't heard of Eileen Quinn - will have to look her up. Well done on winning cleanest prop of the year award!

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  6. Going on the hard in January, luckily we're going house sitting at the same time, good thing Donna said no way to the ladder thing

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  7. So sorry you're getting delayed but definitely better to find it now. I feel your pain when it comes to ladders. So glad to be done with one for now! Maybe now I'll finally have time too dig into your book. I deserve a reading break!!

    Deb
    SV Kintala
    www.theretirementproject.blogspot.com

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    1. Thanks, Deb. I knew you'd understand :-) Hope you enjoy the book.

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  8. We had a fabulous tree house, and i enjoyed climbing (still do, mostly). My hope is that you will have your boat fixed lickety split and you will still get to sail away and enjoy most of the winter elsewhere. Happy New Year!

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  9. Hello the Tickety Boo crew, Happy new year to you.
    I must say I'm impressed with the covering you have on the ground below your boat. I've never seen that done before. All that happened when I was living aboard, when a boat was hauled out, was a thorough washing down with a high pressure washer, everything went into the sea.
    As far as ladders are concerned, no they don't stress me out at all. We had quite large tidal rises and falls in the boatyard and on one occasion, when my brother came to visit, the tide dropped while he was aboard. He was so surprised when he came up on deck and there was a six foot wall he had to climb to get back onto the wharf, it was very funny.
    Blessings from Geoff in Johannesburg South Africa.

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    1. The tarps are really handy. It makes sweeping up paint chips and the like so much easier. If I was your brother, I might have waited until the tide changed rather than climb a 6 foot wall :-)

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  10. Climbing the ladder wouldn't faze me too much I'm not sure I'd trust the supporting framework though. Must be very stressful. Hope you get it sorted quickly.

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    1. I'm always surprised that those stands can hold the weight of the boat, but they manage to.

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  11. Hope you have a great new year. This seems stressful, and I hope you can fix the situation soon.

    www.ficklemillennial.blogspot.com

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  12. I would be telling Scooter, I mean Scott... ~grin~ To call me at the hotel once she got off those stilts. Yikes. I don't like to climb ladders one bit. How do you even get the rest of the way up there? Or do I want to know? Best wishes on speedy repairs. Oh, and since I'm being nosy (heh...), will you even get to go to the Bahamas now? Or is there a short window for departure?

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  13. A crack in your hull!!!
    Where did THAT come from???!!

    Well. Think of the great workouts you are getting hiking up and down that ladder 10 times a day.
    Let's pray that the insurance kicks in soon!

    - Lisa

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  14. So sorry about the crack. I hope you get something from your insurance company. It is nice to see Fever again as part of your crew.

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