Guildive Cruises Blog

The forward cabin... looking aft

Finally the weather has turned nice and primer can start going on the cabin tops!  The first coat of white primer has gone on the forward and aft cabin to cover up the green.  The top coat will not be a bright white but more of an off white/ ivory color.  The hope was to remove the cover this weekend, however, with all the painting still left to do we decided to leave it up for another week…. I CANNOT wait till the cover comes off!!!

Not only has the paint been going on the boat but the cushions that are down below are getting new covers!  My mom and I have been cutting, pinning and sewing … I have been doing more of the cutting and pinning and she has been doing more of the sewing!  

Zander gets home this Wednesday and we will then be turning our attention to hauling the boat out to do some of the hull and shaft work, it will be really nice to see the boat all repainted!

The aft cabin... looking forward

With spring on the way and the weather getting nicer by the day, we are itching to take the cover off the boat. This will most likely happen this upcoming weekend depending on the weather.  The interior work has been going well, almost done oiling inside the wheelhouse… then I get to start painting on deck!!

Shadow dances in the South Pacific

Zander and I have been dreaming together for many years about starting a program on our own boat.  Zander grew up in Antigonish Nova Scotia and I grew up on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, both of us sailing-  just on different bodies of water.  When we met in LA working at Los Angeles Maritime Institute we were doing what we love most, sailing and working with kids!  From LA we both went in different directions but our dreams stayed ever present.  Zander spent some time working on the Tweedsmuir, and I continued sailing with students on the Lady Maryland.  With the time apart we found that we really wanted to be sailing together working toward the goal of owning our own boat.   That winter and the following one we sailed on the sailing cargo vessel Kwai together delivering Cargo to the South Pacific, an incredible opportunity sailing together and exploring the world.  This past year Zander and I once again found ourselves sailing on two different bodies of water; Zander on the Bluenose II and I again on the Lady Maryland.  During these many months by phone and e-mail we found and bought a boat and started a business!  From September when we started negotiations for the boat we have not been able to take the smiles off of our faces as we saw a way of sailing together on our own boat.  We just can’t wait till we get to Maine with passengers on board showing them our passion of sailing and teaching.  

Zander in Manihiki, Cook Islands

Kate and Lady Liberty

The 8 inches of snow that welcomed us back from our trip to Nova Scotia.

A beautiful weekend with a good friend visiting really was a nice taste of what is to come when the boat is full of good company and energy.  I cant thank Steve enough for coming down to visit from Connecticut to help with sanding and oiling of the wheelhouse.  The first bit of oil went onto the sanded wood on the interior of the wheelhouse and she sure does look good!  Here are some pictures of the interior!

The hatch going to the main salon. Thank you Steve for making the hatch beautiful!!!

Inside the wheelhouse before the oil was applied

The first coat of oil!

Zander and I have returned from a few week unplanned adventure in Nova Scotia to almost a foot of snow in Maryland!  The Tweedsmuir, a 1935 Newfoundland Fishing Schooner, hull was given to Zander a few years ago.  A beautiful boat but one that required a complete rebuild.  For the last few years she has been on a mooring in Lunenburg Harbor, however, this winter with the snow and leaky decks we got the call that she needed some much needed attention as she had sunk.  Fortunately for us she was not on the bottom of the harbor as she is a wooden boat with not much ballast but instead somewhat “popping a wheelie” with her bow sticking just barely out of the water.  So we packed up the car and drove up north!  We did rescue the boat by towing her to shore and getting water pumps on her as the tide was going down, and once she was dry she sat fine on the dock with minor pumping each day.  We transfered ownership to a good friend of both of us, and we wish him well in his goal to start a sail training program.

With the trip north we have not done any maintenance on the Guildive, but now are back to start getting into some big projects.  Our hope is to get the wheelhouse interior oiled with the same oil we have used on deck, a product called Decks Olje.  Many layers of varnish are coming off slowly but the bulk is done and the detailed hand sanding is what will fill the next few days!  The other goal is to paint the cabin tops that were sanded earlier this year.  The paint that was used was Epifanes and works great, but we will be changing the color.  If anyone has suggestions for paints that will adhere to epoxy and Epifanes paint please let us know.  We are also starting to plan for hauling the boat come April when we will be addressing some shaft work and repainting the boat.  

More pictures of the Guildive to come, but for now some pictures of the Tweedsmuir.   

Tweedsmuir floating in Lunenburg Harbor

Tweedsmuir as we found her half sunk in the harbor, with her bow icing over