Fire destroys luxury yachts at Polish shipyard

Sad news today learning of a horrific fire at the Sunreef Shipyard that built our beautiful LuckyJack.  We are so thankful there were no injuries or loss of life.   It is a small setback for the company but they will continue and rebuild. Our thoughts are with everyone at Sunreef at this difficult time.

Fire destroys luxury yachts at Polish shipyard - Topix

Dear Lucky Jack team, it is Ewa from Sunreef Yachts. I'm posting you a short release on this unlucky event. Thank you for your support.

Sunreef Yachts: REACTIVATION
After a fire in one of the production halls at the Sunreef Yachts shipyard in the evening on 19 January 2012, the company has already started rebuilding lost units. Some yachts under construction have been destroyed but the key moulds have been saved which together with the determination and increased commitment of all the workers will help minimise delays in the construction process.
The shipyard has already begun adapting another production hall and moved the moulds to the new site. The production will be recommenced on Monday, 23 January. Francis Lapp, President of Sunreef Yachts, assures that all their employees will have a lot of work within the next few days. “We will even need to increase our production capacity to rebuild the lost units and start works for the recently signed contracts”. The shipyard will maintain all their previous contracts. The delay in delivery due to this unfortunate force majeure will not exceed 3 months.
“After so many tokens of support from our Clients, yacht owners, suppliers and many other friends of the Sunreef Yachts shipyard, we are highly motivated to action”, ensures Francis Lapp.
The shipyard continues its development strategy and will exhibit as always at all major boat shows and organise its prestigious events as usual. New Sunreef Yachts models will be shown at the 2012 Cannes International Boat Show according to plan.

See you on the Big Blue Watery Road,

Theresa, Mark and Sailor

Merry Christmas from the crew of Lucky Jack

Merry Christmas from all of us on Lucky Jack.  May 2012 be a very good year.

See you on the big blue watery road, Theresa, Mark and Sailor

Sneak Peek in the Renovated Master Bath of Lucky Jack

For all of you who are constantly asking what the new and improved Lucky Jack is going to look like...This one is for you.

A sneak peek in the Master Suite Bath.  Instead of a wet head we will have an enclosed private head.  Double vanity, using white carrara marble sinks and counter.  A separate shower with dual shower heads.  I really love the nautical mirrors and lighting.  As for the other improvements being made to Lucky Jack you will just have to wait a little longer.  I promise the wait will be worth it.

See you on the big blue watery road,

Theresa, Mark and Sailor

Georgia Peaches are in Season

Georgia Peaches in Season

Try out Peach Salsa

4 fresh peaches cut into 1/4" cubes

Juice of one lemon

2 tbsp of red wine vinegar

3 tbsp of sugar (optional, I like it without when using fresh Georgia peaches)

1/2 tsp sea salt

pinch of red pepper flakes or to taste

3 tbsp of fresh cilantro, or basil, or mint or a combination of all

if adding a combination use 2 tbsp of each herb

Combine peaches, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, sugar, salt, red pepper flakes, 2 tbsp each of fresh herbs.

Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour.  Sample and adjust salt and sugar to taste.  I personally like to add a little more lemon juice.  Serve with grilled meat and veggies.  I love fresh summer fruits.  Bon appetit'

See you on the big blue watery road,

Theresa, Mark and Sailor

New AB Dingy is delivered!!!

It looks like this is how we will spend time on the water until our refit is finished.  We are really looking forward to enjoying our new dingy as our old one was a royal pain.  Mark is very happy with the new dingy.

The guys at Gulfcoast Inflatables customized the dingy for Mark, Sailor and I.  I can't wait to take it out in Tampa Bay for a spin and maybe some fishing.

One of the things we are doing in our refit is adding Mastcoat Sound Control to the hulls, followed by Rockwell Thermafiber for superior insulation.  This should reduce the amount of hull slap that we experience when sailing.

This is our Master Suite with the Mastcoat applied and waiting on the Thermafiber to be installed next.  Soon it will be home sweet home again.

We took some time off over the weekend to see the historical landmark Sunken Gardens in St. Pete.  It is a six acre botanical paradise in the midst of a busy city.   As you can see Sailor really enjoyed his day.  He always dreams of fishing.

You feel transported by all the beauty.

We really enjoy St. Petersburg, FL.  There is always something to do here.  We look forward to sailing again aboard the new and improved Lucky Jack.  Home is where the boat is.

Hope to see you on the big blue watery road soon,

Theresa, Sailor and Mark

LUCKY JACK REFIT UPDATE.

Hello everyone.  The refit is moving along in a very positive manner.  I am so excited about the end result, as I am sure you are too. 

The galley is designed and built.  All galley appliances are in.  This will be a dream galley for anyone who loves to cook on the high seas.  Granite is picked out and ready for sink, faucet and such.  The ceiling in the main salon is going to be a work of art.  The main salon and console are designed and ready to be built. 

The master suite is designed and ready to be built.  It will include a King Size Temperpedic bed.  The master bath is going to allow Mark to move around without skinned elbows and such.  Sailboats are tough on Big Tall Guys. 

For all the guys out there, we are adding extra fuel tanks and added water tanks for the long voyage to the South Pacific.  Rebuilt the engines, adding better ventilation in the engine rooms, better sound dampening and insulation in the entire boat.  We are adding an enclosure to the fly bridge to make those passages in rough weather a little more comfortable.  In the past we were quite exposed to the elements good and bad. 

A lot of thought and planning has gone into our redesign.  We lived aboard over a year and over 4600 nautical miles, so we could make better decisions on the changes we would make to Lucky Jack.  I know a lot of you keep asking for pictures and I will add some soon.  I have been following another blog of world cruisers and they have inspired me to up my blog game.  Check them out at http://sailingaroundtheglobe.blogspot.com

Just want to say hello to our Mother's and to all our friends who we miss terribly.  It will be a few short months before we are back on the water.  Be sure and check back soon for some sneak peeks of Lucky Jack's new look.

Hope to see you all soon on the big blue watery road,
Theresa, Mark and Sailor

Refit is moving forward

Sometimes it gets worse before it gets better.  We really are making progress.

This is the foam mock up of the new Galley.  The Fridge is on the wall by the door, the under mount Franke sink is relocated to under the window, the Miele speed oven and steam oven are stacked in the corner.  The blacked out window will be removed for more light.  Against the window wall, under the window will be storage cabinets with pull out trays for easy access.  We chose an induction cook top and Granite counter tops.  One of my favorite parts is the huge uninterrupted work space that doubles for a space to layout the large navigation charts.

I am very excited to have the sink located under the window.  I have chosen a fabulous gourmet faucet .

This spacious corner will be our future dining area.

This corner will be our Salon and Mark's much wanted comfortable sofa.

You can't tell right now but this will be our spacious Master Suite.

Forward is our very spacious luxury shower.  To the left is our double vanity with vessel bowl sinks.  If you have ever wondered what is behind the walls of the boat, here it is.  We are installing a sound dampening material to reduce the wave slap sounds on the hull, then a layer of insulation for better thermal protection.  It is a very interesting and educational process to see the boat in the bare bones state.

Hope to see you on the big blue watery road soon,

Theresa, Mark and Sailor