Many people have asked to see photos and learn more about our sailboat home. To help you visualize the backdrop for all of our adventures at sea, we invite you to join us for a virtual tour of the Kitty Hawk. This is the first installment in a series.
The Kitty Hawk anchored in the Bahamas in December of 2011.
Welcome aboard our family’s home, currently moored at Ashley Marina in Charleston, SC. As we go along with the tour, please feel free at any time to ask any questions you might have.
The Kitty Hawk is a 44-foot CSY WO (Walkover) sailboat with one mast, commissioned in April of 1979. She has a cockpit, forward and aft cabins, two heads, and a galley – don’t worry, more details on those will come later in the tour!
When we got married in September of 2008, the Kitty Hawk had been in storage in Honduras for about a year and a half and needed a lot of work to prepare for the life we had in mind – namely, traveling the world! We spent almost four months in early 2009 working long days to get her seaworthy. In that time we:
- gave the engine a complete tune-up
- replaced our main anchor and around 500 clamps and hoses
- made a whole new galley table and counter top and a new table for the cockpit
- stripped and re-varnished all the wood
- put in a washer
- re-built the fridge and freezer box and added insulation
Jack and me in front of the Kitty Hawk in Puerto Cortez, Honduras in early 2009.
We set sail together for the first time in late April 2009. Over the next couple of years we would also replace the oven and build an engine-driven de-salinator that makes up to 50 gallons of fresh water an hour, as well as many other improvements.
As you can see, the Kitty Hawk has many of the amenities of your average home, including a porch with a nice view of the backyard and neighbors:
View of the Ashley Marina in Charleston, SC from the Kitty Hawk’s aft deck (aka the poop deck)
It is of course complete with a grill for all those afternoon barbeques:
If you look up, you’ll notice we also have a pretty good view of the sky:
As well as several solar panels and a wind turbine to capture a lot of free extra power…
And a pretty great solar drying system set up for all of those diapers!
It’s our version of a Baby on Board sign.
So that’s an exterior look at the Kitty Hawk. This concludes the first stop in our virtual tour – I hope you have enjoyed it so far! To see more of what’s below deck, follow along and stay tuned!
Great photos! I must say, I’ve had some good chicken from that grill. My favorite part of the outside of the boat, is the hammock. That is one of the most relaxing places to spend an evening. Maybe I can get Josh to rig up a similar diaper drying system! Ha
OK, I’ve been thinking about it, we could put a little sailboat on your pond! We’ll rig it all up with great lifelines to dry your cute diapers. Whatcha think? You’ll save some $$ by not using your dryer but it’ll take a few hours on the boat to sun dry everything. You’ll be a sailor in no time!
Sounds like a plan!
Loved the tour. Can’t wait to see the rest.
Thanks Sandy! It was my sisters idea to do the virtual tour, she gets all the credit. Looking forward to seeing you in a couple weeks!
I was hoping for a tour, loved it!
Glad you enjoyed it, Kathy! Stay tuned for the next stop!
Nicole, I went to school with your mom and I love hearing about your adventures and I am full of questions. My first, is baby Jack considered an American citizen. Please keep the post coming and the pictures. You are a beautiful family and are in my prayers daily. A baby and a toddler on a boat is more than I can comprehend.
Hi Pamela,
Yes, baby Jack is an American citizen. We just received his birth certificate in the mail and are currently applying for his US passport.
Thanks for your prayers. Our lives are never boring!
So glad you decided to do a virtual tour. Soooo interesting, I can see a book or made for TV movie!!!!!!
Thanks for your comment! Maybe we will write a book one day, have to get the kids out of cloth diapers first then I”ll have some free time!
Thanks for the tour, it was very interesting. I would like to see the inside sometime. Be safe!
I’m glad you liked it – the next stop inside is coming soon!
I Think this was a great idea! Can’t wait to see the rest and see the kids soon.
Love you!
Thanks Sandy! We are having fun with the blog. We will be in IL in a couple weeks and would love to see you.