Newport October 2010

Newport October 2010

Friday, April 1, 2011

A much needed UPDATE!

Hello all!
Well, it has been several months since an update and a lot has happened ....
We were able to spend several weeks at the sailboat over Christmas and New Years.  Family and Friends came and stayed with us.  It rained, rained and rained some more.  Oh, and did I mention that it rained.  But everyone had fun playing games and enjoying our time spent together.  We ate alot of crab and went swimming in the pool. 

We were able to find a wood worker that would help us out on a few projects that we had on the boat.  He put in bunk beds for the girls, another small folding table for the sofa, and shelves in the closet.  He did an awesome job!

Then the Oregon winter got to cold for Jeremy so we headed to Hawaii.  We got to spend February and March in Hawaii.  YAH!!!!

Now it is April and we rented out the house, put the remainder of our "stuff" in storage, took the last load of personal items to the boat.  That was a crazy trip!  Jeremy and Elise went to Newport to drop off a truck full of stuff at the boat.  It took us 5 trips with 2 carts.  We laughed all the way down the boat ramp.  We did not have time to put anything away, so we tossed it in and headed out.  Jeremy was on his way to Portland to leave on a work and witness trip to put in a computer lab in a church/school in Dominica.  The girls and I will be spending the next week or so putting everything away in the boat.  We have officially started the beginning of living on our sailboat.  Words can not describe how excited we all are to embark on this journey.

Monday, December 6, 2010

Battery issues ...

We were able to completely move the sailboat to the new Embarcadero slip back on November 13, 2010.  On our way to the new slip we decided to go over to SouthBeach to empty the tanks and then top off the water tank and the diesel.  We had been having trouble with the batteries holding a charge since we got the boat.  We thought we had charged them enough to make it to the next dock, but when we turned off the engine to empty/fill the tanks we could not get the batteries to give the engine enough juice to turn over, so we had to borrow an extension cord to try and get a quick charge on the batteries so that the motor would start.  It did not take long before the batteries had enough charge and we were off again.  We made it to the new slip and got the sailboat checked in and tied down.  So the battery issue that was on the back burner is now needing addressed.

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

MATSU is on the move

After too many attempts to count we finally secured a spot at the Embarcadero in Newport, Oregon.  We get to move the boat to her new slip around the beginning of November.  In all the excitement we asked if we could use the facilities before the boat arrives.  They said yes! and we have already been using the pool and yes the HOT showers.  The girls are already talking about how much they will love staying on the boat at the Embarcadero.  We have the slip until September 2011.  We are planning on moving MATSU to the San Juan Islands around April 2010 or May 2010 when the weather and winds are just right, but if the girls aren't ready then we may need to delay things a bit. 

Yah! we have found a Dinghy

Well after an endless search for the perfect dinghy ... Jeremy is finally satisfied with a Zodiac type that has a raised hard floor and an 8 horse power motor.  He already has plans to add a fish finder on it and he wished that he had it on the boat this last weekend so we could of done some fishing up river.  But there was no room this time in the van to get it to the boat so we hope to have room in the next trip.  We are so excited to get it to the boat and start using it.  

We are so amazed that everything is coming together so smoothly!
-The Buhrs

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

The start of our next adventure ...

Well were to begin? 
Several years ago Jeremy went on a weekend sailing trip around the San Juan Islands area with my dad, brother and a family friend.  He loved it and could not stop thinking about how much he enjoyed sailing and what it had to offer us as a family.  So we started researching sailboats.  We were feeling a little overwhelmed.  Well I should say that Jeremy was feeling overwhelmed that all the sailboats that we loved as a family were 40+ feet long :)  That is alot of boat for new sailors with no experience.  So we settled on the idea that we would get a smaller trailer able sailboat to take to the lakes in our area and give it a try before we upgraded to a live aboard sailboat.  We found a 24' Balboa sailboat with trailer in Ashland, Oregon in July 2010.  Jeremy immediately called up the family friend that he had sailed with before and asked if he would come down and help take the sailboat out on the lake for its 1st time with its new owners.  He said yes and they were off to the lake.  They had a fun weekend making sure everything was in order and testing her out.  We then went as a family for a long weekend in July 2010.  We had a wonderful time despite the record breaking heat wave that came through.  We sailed around the lake in 90+ degree heat with no clouds and no shade.  The girls swam in the water every chance they could get.  Finally after 4 days straight in the direct sun light we had to call it quits for fear of heat stroke or severe sun burn.
During all this we never stopped searching for a larger live aboard sailboat.  We loved the look of a sailboat that was listed for sale in Newport, Oregon and so when we went over to Waldport, Oregon for a family reunion in August 2010 we decided that we should look at it since we were in the neighborhood.  We met up with the owner of the 34' Columbia sailboat named MATSU.  Had a walk through and really fell in love.  We called him later that night and discussed purchasing the sailboat.  He agreed and we set the date to come back to Newport and finalize the deal.  Part of the arrangements was that we were trading him our 24' sailboat.  We are now in the process of going back and forth to do some finishing touches to MATSU.  She was immediately hauled out and cleaned, given new bottom paint and new zincs.  She is now clean and back in the water.  New rigging was delivered and will be installed.  Well I think that brings you up to speed on our new adventure .....