The Last Bottle, The First Cart

As soon as the mechanics finally arrived, things started getting real for the family. Once our engine started getting fixed and when running, we need to be moved off the boat. So, no better time to start than now. This is the first story of that new adventure.
Quincy Dane & Sailing Kitty: Adjusting To Changes

Quincy the Great Dane and Sailing Kitty took a last long look at the boat, before they had to go separate ways…off the boat. Quincy Dane has gone to her luxury spa kennel in Panama City and Sailing Kitty has gone with us. We took the animals off the boat to speed up the engine […]
The Game: Waiting On Parts
With a patient buyer waiting on Tulum and different adventures dangling ever so tantalizingly in front of us….we’re ready for Tulum’s big diesel heart to roar to life again.
Out With The Old, In With The New – 2023 Here We Come! By The HelmsMistress
The last article by the HelmsMistress on the last day of the year….but more to come in 2023.
12 Months To Failure: Why We’re Changing Tulum’s Exhaust System, AGAIN

Changing out a sailboat exhaust system is not usually easy or cheap and not done on a whim. Why would Tulum have (3) three different exhaust systems in less than 12 months? Read on to find out how we arrived at our final solution.
Multiple Projects While Waiting On Our Engine Install

Just like the other times we had to stay for extended periods of time in marinas, we’re using this time to improve, modernize and update our beloved sailboat, Tulum-5. Here’s some of our concurrent projects, happening right now.
Shelter Bay Marina And The History Of Fort Sherman By The HelmsMistress

Part of the reason we travel is to explore different landscapes from home and to experience history up close. For us, this place has it all within a short walking distance of the marina! If your travels find you at Shelter Bay Marina, take the time to learn a bit about the historic grounds you walk upon.
The Panama Canal – What NOT To Expect, By The HelmsMistress

From the time I envisioned taking our floating home through the Panama Canal, I began to hear warnings and horror stories of dramatic transits from other boats that were damaged enroute, experienced significant delays in transit or had to deal with something else entirely unexpected. What I found was that there was a lot of […]
Extended Maintenance and Major Repairs: The Continuing Price For An Experienced Sailboat

I’m of the opinion that delaying or ignoring major repairs could lead to cascade failure that we may not be able to handle, especially with my limited mechanical knowledge. So, we try very hard to do major repairs before they go from urgent to emergent and often welcome professional + experienced opinions to add to our own experience….but we always put it on ourselves to make final repair decisions.
Panama City And Prepping For The Canal By The HelmsMistress

Before transiting the canal, Panama City was beckoning us to indulge with its modern skyline. Hitting the big city was a serious culture shock – huge skyscrapers, gigantic malls, and…..a sloth crawling on a powerline?