Bika

cruising around in a small boat

Boat renovation

We put the boat on land the first winter, and were glad to find no osmosis and no other major damages. Then we ground the hull completely, and used two- component epoxy primer below the waterline. We also used two- component paint for the free- board, which gave surprisingly positive results when mixed with the right amount of thinner. Few valves means less risk for unwanted water aboard, so we removed both the head and the sink before leaving Norway. Four years later, in a Texan boat yard, we removed the last remaining seacock, and raised the cockpit a few inches.

 

 





The kerosene burner went out and a gas oven went in. One of the cockpit lockers was made into self-draining gas storage. We built an icebox where the sink used to be. Made new mattresses and covers, and extra shelves wherever we found room. The old inboard engine was replaced with a second hand Mercury 4hp outboard.


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Living aboard

We lived aboard for one year before taking off. At the harbour we had the luxury of shore power, toilets, showers and a wash basin. We stored sails, dinghy and sailing stuff with Henrik's parents. The mast was removed and Bika wrapped up in tarpaulin before the first autumn storms kicked in, thus giving us a large, semi-dry space for storing clothes, shoes and other mess.

Condensation is a persistent winter companion. One can reduce it, but never get rid of it. The canvas mattress bottoms were replaced by wooden ribs, adding more airing and almost eliminating dampness. Cotton bed clothes had to go. Our sewed fleece bedding was an instant success.

We moved from a modern and comfortable flat with lots of space, hot running water and a washing machine, into a small and narrow boat, where we had to fetch cold water from a tap ashore, do our laundry by hand and go out in the rain to reach the toilet. After a few weeks we learned the hard way about mildew, rust and the famous boat smell. After a month Henrik figured out how to enter the cabin without knocking his shoulders. For those who wonder; Henrik is over six feet tall, while Nina is five feet one. Little by little Nina accepted that there wasn’t enough room for all the clothes, shoes and books she had brought along. As time passed, we got ever more de-materialized, and found that we really liked this boatie lifestyle. Bent over the world atlas, we dreamt of all the distant places we could visit. And after two glasses of red wine there was really nothing to stop us.