First Night Aboard

Well I can honestly say that the first night aboard even your third boat is not an easy nights sleep. Mary and I spent our first night aboard La Tempestad (Nordhavn 3522) Tuesday and it was as restless a night as we experienced with our previous two Nordhavn's. I found myself playing with the heater settings, checking power draw on the amp meter, playing with cable TV settings and listening to every sound as I tried to familiarize myself with the boat. Even our small dog who we let sleep at the foot of the bed made it known she missed her real bed at home. I don't think any of us got any real sleep.
Then we had the interior crew showing up at 1000hrs to take measurements (very bad planning on my part and Mary let me know it). We made it through the morning though it was not easy. We even took the boat out for a couple of hours. Again I found myself nervously listening, feeling and smelling everything as we motored around the bay. Stuffing box was running a little hot so we made the outing short as I kept trying to loosen up the coupling and get some water to drip which appears I did once we back at the dock. One nice thing about a smaller boat is how easy it is to wash and dry the hull after being out on the water.

Last night we had dinner at an old favorite Mexican restaurant along with a couple of margaritas and slept much better! Waking up on the water is sure a great feeling. I think we made the right choice returning to boating.

John T.

Those first few nights can be uneasy indeed.

N4061 said:

Well I can honestly say that the first night aboard even your third boat is not an easy nights sleep. Mary and I spent our first night aboard La Tempestad (Nordhavn 3522) Tuesday and it was as restless a night as we experienced with our previous two Nordhavn's. I found myself playing with the heater settings, checking power draw on the amp meter, playing with cable TV settings and listening to every sound as I tried to familiarize myself with the boat. Even our small dog who we let sleep at the foot of the bed made it known she missed her real bed at home. I don't think any of us got any real sleep. Then we had the interior crew showing up at 1000hrs to take measurements (very bad planning on my part and Mary let me know it). We made it through the morning though it was not easy. We even took the boat out for a couple of hours. Again I found myself nervously listening, feeling and smelling everything as we motored around the bay. Stuffing box was running a little hot so we made the outing short as I kept trying to loosen up the coupling and get some water to drip which appears I did once we back at the dock. One nice thing about a smaller boat is how easy it is to wash and dry the hull after being out on the water. Last night we had dinner at an old favorite Mexican restaurant along with a couple of margaritas and slept much better! Waking up on the water is sure a great feeling. I think we made the right choice returning to boating. John T.

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Glad to hear the second night you got real sleep! Any pics for us ?

Look at the bright side....from here it can only get better!

Don't try to chase a stuffing box.

Adjust as needed underway. Expect it to leak for a short time after you come dockside. It will cool and relax and the drips will slow. When it's cool, tighten down to about 6-8 drips a minute when not running.

Why are all the little sounds appear so loud. What is that noise. Oh, its my dog snoring. Another noise. A water pump. just get to sleep and the vacu flush runs up pressure..Finally in a deep sleep. Oh no, here comes the sun light. Maybe Gortex stuffing would solve your leak.

Hats off to new experiences. After a month or so it will be sounds to put you to sleep.

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So, you slept better the second night. Excellent. Dos mas margaritas, por favor!

We're into year 4 with the old Uni. The wife snores. The cat snores. I snore, or so I'm told. Our home moorage is close to a freeway. We wear ear plugs! Only at the dock! When we're on the hook, I'm always on Worry Watch...

...I will start that operation in April, God wish

IntervaleII said:

After a month or so it will be sounds to put you to sleep.

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How true. Becoming familiar with how often, how long, and how loud each sound is eventually comforting. The hull of a boat is like the bell of a guitar that resonates everything you need to know. Soon, it'll be music.

What worries me is when there are NO sounds! That gets me right up out of bed

healhustler said:

How true. Becoming familiar with how often, how long, and how loud each sound is eventually comforting. The hull of a boat is like the bell of a guitar that resonates everything you need to know. Soon, it'll be music.

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Amen!
I sleep better aboard than I do ashore, as soon as I get used to the sounds.