Boat Build Update: So Close, And So Far Away…
We’re back at the HH factory and wow, we are sooo close to splash time…yet so far away. Or so it feels. The final decisions must be made, and this is our last chance for any final negotiations on changes. It’s an overwhelming and exciting time. Which is why for this boat update, we’re taking you behind the scenes on what our days really look like here at the factory.
Why Aren’t We Sailing Yet? Boat Delays?
Our original contract delivery date was July. But it’s rare for any boat manufacturer (or service yard) to deliver on time. Just ask any boat owner. Why the manufactures don’t just give a more realistic time frame from the get-go is beyond me. Because I don’t know anyone that would be upset about something being completed early. But I know lots of people that get very upset about delays.🤷🏻♀️
Yes, there have been some delays over the past year due to Covid and typhoons and just general supply or production delays. We thought we would be cruising by now, but so goes it.
I snapped a photo of this sign at a Mexican restaurant in California a year ago. I have kept it as a reminder for these kinds of moments.
When it comes to our boat, good is what we care about most. And we know Paul Hakes (the builder of HH Catamarans) won’t sacrifice good for fast or cheap (cheap isn’t in his vocabulary, as is reflected in the price of our Variation Orders 🙀). His stubborn reputation for quality above all else is why we wanted an HH in the first place. So, we wait. Sometimes patiently…sometimes not.
According to the production team we are only about 30 days away. And assuming mother nature plays nice, and nothing catastrophic happens, I think that’s a fair estimate. Which means it’s time for us to get serious about outfitting our new home. Safety gear, medical kits, spares, basic housewares, food and all the other things we’ll need to make our first ocean crossing. 💸💸💸 If I get any good advice from my therapist on how not to stress about all the money flying out to sea, I’ll let you know.
Will Jason Get A Dishwasher
This is the million-dollar question. I have found (yes, I have been the one pushing for this one, because happy husband, happy life) a dishwasher that is good quality, fits our unique space requirements and HH is willing to install. But now the question is, can we negotiate a reasonable installation cost? Because this falls into the “variation order” category. And anything that is a VO comes with a very high price tag. Because it’s not a part of their standard options and will take them more time than something that is. And anyone who has owned a boat (new or used), knows that things get quoted in thousands, not in hundreds. We must make a decision soon or it will be too late. So, stay tuned… 🙈
Drama Minimizing Headsets
Wireless headsets are often called “Marriage Savers” for a reason. I don’t know how we survived without them our first 6 years of sailing. For CURIOSITY 2 we’re going all in, trying to make things as easy as possible, and not yelling at each other is a good start.
Hand signals are great when things are calm (no wind) and you have at least one hand free. But this is rare…and rarely when communication matters the most. Because there are so many times when your head is down and your hands are full when mooring, anchoring or tackling a sail. This is why we now have headsets.
We experienced the calming effect of headsets on TTR, the HH55 we sailed in the Tuamotus. They had the Eartec Brand, which we heavily considered purchasing: https://amzn.to/3sNoDHm The upside is you can flip the mic up and it mutes the microphone. The downsides: They are bulky and they’re not waterproof (or even water resistant). The downsides became evident when a line hit the headset and threw it into the water. Even though I jumped in to rescue the headset, it was toast!
We chose the SENA Bluetooth Expand https://amzn.to/45HXnbX These are made for active situations like biking, horse riding, climbing, etc, so it’s a stable and secure fit. Plus they are water resistant (unfortunately they don’t provide an IP rating), but at least they claim “rain or shine”. It also has advanced noise control to reduce ambient noise and rumble from wind. The only downside I see is if you want to grumble something under your breath you’re partner will definitely be able to hear…so remember be kind when you’re wired up 😊.
🎥 CAMERA GEAR USED TO FILM THIS VIDEO
🎶 MUSIC IN THIS VIDEO
- We Use Artlist: Get 2 Months for FREE with this link: https://bit.ly/artlist-GWTW
- Artists – Lance Conrad, LUMINAR
🎨 CREATIVE ASSETS IN THIS VIDEO (SFX, TEMPLATES & PRESETS)
🙏 WE COULDN’T MAKE THESE VIDS WITHOUT YOU!
Thank you for watching! Ups, downs, and all around, we share it all. If you like what you see, there are lots of ways you can show your support.
Osvaldo Rodriguez Rosario
I love washing all your videos, so far, I think I have seen them all, I envy you at the are having like a free live, I know that it includes long night without sleep’s been at the helm doing those long passages, I also know that is a lot of work on a boat (Catamaran), I love to be there doing the same with my wife, but we are getting old and with a lot of health problems to do what you do every day on the boat, may be in my next live I will do what you gays do and enjoin traveling around the world.
I love your new Catamaran, make sure to have plenty of lighting under the boats, like on the outside and inside Bituin of the two pantones. Enjoy live, and GOD bless you all the time.
Theo
Something to consider is the white mesh exterior window shades and not black. We have both solid and mesh window coverings for our boat and have friends who have the black mesh on a sister boat to ours. The black mesh does not do any better at cutting down the light and does not help with the heat as the black gets warm and heats the glass. Our boat will me significantly cooler then our friends sister boat with the black windows coverings. We also had a set of solid white Stamoid fabric window covers made as well which keeps even more heat out. We tend to use the solid ones when we are at the dock or when its very hot or sunny, and the mesh when we are at anchor. We do not use them ever when under way. I understand your concern about the additional holes in your fiberglass for the snaps, but we are going on year 7 with the snaps for our sun shades that are not under an overhang, like would be on your boat. I have a moisture meter and check the boat yearly and have found no signs of water intrusion. Like any fiberglass penetration, they do require maintenance and every 5-6 years, I loosen all my deck fittings, and anything that is screwed into the fiberglass of the boat, scrap out the old caulk and apply new caulk (not silicone) and re-tighten.
FYI – we would never own a boat without cockpit windshield / window shades for the outside now that we have them.
Martin Deresky
Make sure you get a bunch of spare suction cups. The plastic used in China deteriorates with sun and heat exposure and the edges give up the flexibility they need to stick. Also keep them clean, they don’t work with salt residue which builds up over time.
Pam
I just love your videos and adventures. Thank you.
Tom M
Have you guys decided on where to Flag the boat? Given the insurance market for US-flagged vessels, I have to imagine you are giving it a close thought. We are US citizens in the process of building a Vision 444 and giving very close considerations to flagging in a Red Ensign country but still assessing potential downfalls.
Theo
The rendering photos of their new logo shows Bimini as the home port so I assume they will be registered out of the Bahama’s
Curious Minion
Better get your glasses out Theo – that actually says “Bikini”, which is the Marshall Islands. They’ve said that more info on the registry choice is coming, so stay tuned!
Curious Minion
Joel
Wonder if strong magnets would be better than suction cups that might not stick with dirt algae etc with time
Congratulations on the dishwasher
I have friend sailor that keeps bragging about his dishwasher on his old boat
Keep up the great work
Paul
So excited that your countdown can now be done in weeks or days, instead of months!! You mentioned being out on 8801 (Crazy Love) during their sea trials.(Nice drone footage, flying by Nikki and recapture by Jason, by the way!!!)
On their YT they showed the 8801 launch… And I noticed the area where it occurred in the pic in your video when you showed the drone shot of the HH facility. Will your boat launch the same way down the ramp?? Looking forward to that video!!!
No offense to Crazy Love, but I think your HH44 choice will much more easily become “home”. And be much easier to sail just the two of you. I’ll never be out to sea, so looking forward to your new adventures!! All the best wishes I can send to help dispell some of the stress!!
Jim
Hate to ask but how much is this boat??
Paula
I hope you chose the window covers! We had them on our RV and they were a game changer for reducing the inside temp. I too was sceptical about whether they would obstruct the view and they absolutely don’t when you’re in the sunlight (rather than inside a factory); they just reduce the glare and keep out the heat. Btw, spit is great for securing suction cups! Happy sailing and thank you for the wonderful videos!
Alistair Swatridge
Great video, good luck for getting afloat again soon
Alan Solomon
Oh my God. What a great and informative video this is, in the sense of what you are going through with your new boat. Thank you so much for making this busy and crazy video. From this video I sensed your stress and unsureness’ if you have unsureness with Molly and all the other incredible human help you have in your corner and working on your boat. I never realized it could be like this.
Luckily you have and make use of today’s sponsor, Better Help. I actually will look into it for myself to see if it meets my needs.
I loved the scene with you guys in the office setting and the next frame you are walking in pouring rain using umbrellas. I love storms, rain, thunder and wet weather. Surprisingly enough we just had a lost or mis-directed hurricane in southern California for a day and a half. Stay strong. Keep sane. Don’t leave any thought that bothers you inside. It is great you have each other to talk things out and through. Enjoy this time as best you can! 👍🙂
Jess
OMG, I’m feeling all the feels of the stress. We started working on a house build in November 2021. We have been living in RV life since 2020; that initial foray was supposed to be for adventure.. it just turned into something else.
Anyway, we got all the way to having the house completely designed and after almost 2 years of that, the monkey’s butt of a builder essentially walked away with our down payment and all our plans, so lucky us, we got to start all over again. (but with less money) We couldn’t stomach going with another contractor so we decided on a tiny manufactured just to get on the property, and maybe build down the road, though the thought is highly unappealing.
So in the span of two years we have had to go through this whole process for two different houses. At this point we basically said I don’t care, just throw something in there and we’ll deal with it later. 🤣🤣🙄.. I guess we can be thankful it wasn’t a boat.
We are so excited to see your boat on the water, and see Jason happily putting dishes in his dishwasher.
Hang in there! You are so close!
WE ARE ALL SO DANG CLOSE!!
All the best juju and good vibes with no monkey butt-ery going on for you!
– The stress is real –
Curious Minion
Oh man! Not cool. I know someone else who had a contractor walk out mid-build with the rest of the money. So they had to buy plans & hire another contractor to finish what they’d already paid for. I hope karma gets all the unscrupulous builders.
Curious Minion
Jack and Sarah’s World Adventures
We use Sena bike helmets and they are terrific. Great comms.
Lisa
★ℒℴѵℯ★ℒℴѵℯ ℒℴѵℯ ℒℴѵℯ★ℒℴѵℯ★ ℒℴѵℯ★
Sooooo happy for you guys! 😎🥰
YES!! On the dishwasher… ‘Looks like it might be a drop in the bucket $$ compared to the overall price for the boat.
A d/w can be dual purpose and serve as extra kitchen storage if you want to temporarily organize around another project, too. 😉
(Just in case you need help justifying that decision. 🤣)
Cheryl Gordon
I just have to add my 2-cents to the dishwasher dilemma. I cook and clean for two. We do have a full-size dishwasher but I rarely use it because I can’t justify running it only a quarter full. Two people just don’t use that many dishes. A few plates, some silverware, and a pot/pan or two…no big deal. I just wash them by hand. $700 will buy a lot of sponges.
Jennifer
So excited for you both! Nikki – let me know if you ever want free yoga/mindful meditation classes over facetime etc. with me. Been teaching for over 10 years and would love to help you out. 🙂
Captin Bill
Hi guys…what’s your choice for a dinghy?
We’re enjoying your adventures 😊
Carol
I hope there’s a vote in favor of a dish washer. I hate doing dishes myself so I can relate to Jase! Actually I hate cooking too. I’m hooked on frozen sliced strawberries and a bowl of them (probably still frozen) is plenty dinner.
Boyd
Impressive factory. Such hard working people. Love your colour choices.
Boyd
Such a beautiful boat. Jason deserves a dish washer regardless of cost. You can buy happiness.
mary van
Love the new logo!
I was stressing a little with you guys. I can’t imagine how many things you need to remember/write down. It seams like I do this daily and still miss things.
It is so exciting you only have another month +. I look forward to seeing more.
Going to Venmo $25 in case not everyone sends $.05.
Roger Brekas
Okay, then we will not tell you. You would never be able to climb Mount Everest.
Nicolas
The suction cups will fail with time, have backups
Dennis Aston
Cardo systems might have a solution for you. I can confirm that sena systems are not waterproof and I have gone through two of them finding this out the hard way (rain on a motorcycle? What a concept). Regardless, the Cardo stuff (I bought a Packtalk Black edition) is IP67 rated. I ended up buying a new helmet with it integrated so I don’t use it anymore but it’s great while it lasted. Only one flaw that doesn’t apply here
Doug Walton
I had a Manta 44 Power Catamaran built in 2005. It took a good year and a half to complete. I know what you’re going through. I loved the boat, and kept it about 12 years, did the Loop, and lived in the Bahamas for months. Most people didn’t know what it was! Good luck!