Looking at our earlier blogs, one might get the impression that all we do is work on the Moontide. Not at all! 
Well, it's what we MOSTLY do, but life on the boat, particularly life here in Pirate's Cove, does have its fun and relaxing moments.
For instance, last Saturday, we had a wedding on the dock, just a few slips down from us!
John and Char Redlich tied the knot on the bow of their new boat. Fortunately, Nature obliged with a with a beautiful Sunny day!

The weather was not as accommodating the following day, however, as we joined the crew of the pirate ship Royaliste for one last dash of the season up the channel to the Willamette. 
It was cold -- obvious, when you note how bundled everyone was -- but the rain let up, and the wind eased, and we were able to motor without difficulty south up the channel.  Kate and Shuhe, owners of the Royaliste,  led the crew in some sailing songs, and the raised voices seemed to chase the clouds off, as the afternoon warmed and turned beautiful for the voyage home.

Back on the dock, rum and music-making were the order as everyone joined in to bundle the Royaliste up in her togs for the winter.

Actually, in the summer, there are many dockside potlucks, BBQs and dinners here at Pirate's Cove.                                                                                               We celebrate birthdays and bon voyages, from TGIF to TGI-Wednesday- or if it's not raining, or if an eagle flew over, or if someone catches a fish, or -- any of a thousand good reasons to celebrate life.

In July, the dock had a going away brunch for our neighbors RaeAnn and Frank Haynes, as they cast off and began the voyage South to warmer waters on their sloop Luna Sea. (So jealous!!!)

We hope everyone keeps warm this Autumn as the weather and waters turn cold .  Til next time,
Fair Winds,
M&G

Building frames for a new design in the wheel well required head-aching math, contortions that people our age are loathe to do, and a good deal of trial and error to get a result with which we could live. 
But, as things were just beginning to fall into place, the first storms of Autumn came early... and with a vengeance, on the last days of September!

We stopped building on the boat, and devoted the next several days to creating our latest version of the Moontide "Conestoga."
Not only does it keep the rain out, it gives us room to keep working out of the elements on the deck.
By the first week in October, the rains had subsided , giving us moments of fair skies. We could crawl out of the tarp, run and cut a piece of wood on the table saw up in the parking lot, then run back down to the boat before the sky dropped another deluge on us.

Now, as mid October approaches, we can once again look through our main hatch, and see the general shape of a cockpit on Moontide's aft deck.
We still have filling, and grinding, and sanding, and epoxying, and fiberglassing, and more sanding and stuff to do, but we also have th satisfaction of knowing all our rotten wood is off the boat, and she is regaining her shape and beauty.
We'll share more as it happens.
Fair winds,
M&G