Woke up this morning at 6:30AM for my first full day as a liveaboard onboard an Ariel. That's kind of late for me to sleep onboard, but dawn broke behind the clouds, and it stayed a bit darker than usual. Last night, I got the starboard settee bunk to myself, while the CrewDogs took the V-berth (although Buffett came down sometime in the night for a while - I remember a wet nose in the face early in the AM). They like the new boat, although they need helping up and down the companionway.

It was kind of chilly last night, so I had both hatchboards in while I slept, leaving the sliding hatch cracked back 8 or 10 inches for a light breeze. This morning, I stuffed a drink coozee in between the boards, and it opened up a slit about 4" wide right at eye level. Standing at the companionway, coffee cup in hand, peering out and down the length of Winyah Bay, I felt right at home, and I smiled at my new boat.

Thank you, Mr. Alberg. Your ideas live on, as part of my Dream.

After coffee, I started on The Work. I made up a list of things that needed doing more or less right away, staring into space, down towards the cabin sole, inbetween jotting my tasks down. That's when I realized what I'd do first. I broke out a sheet of 100 grit, got down on hands and knees, and gave the sole a good abrasive cleaning, followed by a couple thick coats of teak oil. While I had the oil out, I went ahead and wiped down all the other teak and mahogany in the main cabin, and now she's just a little bit prettier belowdecks, and I've accomplished my first task in her restoration.

I've some things I'll be asking about soon, I need to take some pics to show you all what it is I'm going to be asking about. Katie's in great shape for a somewhat aged lady, but there is a lot I can do to make her even better. I'm looking forward to it, to seeing her sparkle and shine again, and to feel her come alive under the pull of full sails. Ain't it great?