3 WEEKS BOAT-SOBER! (but we still have the itch...)

Keith and Renee of Sailing Zatara step into sub-freezing Montana temperatures, greeted by 5 to 6 inches of fresh snow after returning stateside from French Polynesia. Three weeks after parting with their vessel, the crew faces an entirely different landscape while inspecting an enclosed barn and planning interior living quarters ahead of a severe cold snap.

With winter weather setting in, the focus shifts to outfitting the workshop mezzanine with radiant floor heating and timber framing before sub-zero conditions halt construction. While their former catamaran remains moored in French Polynesia under new custodians, the couple begins adjusting to daily routines away from the ocean.

Early Montana Snowfall and Enclosing the Shop

Stepping outside the morning after arrival, Keith surveys 5 to 6 inches of fresh powder that blanketed the property overnight. Having joked about sleeping pills dropping him into the North Pole, he inspects the barn exterior to confirm that the structure is completely enclosed against the elements. Enclosing the perimeter before the first major storm allows construction on the interior living spaces to proceed throughout the winter months.

Before framing can accelerate, heating remains the immediate operational hurdle. Keith notes that radiant floor heating must be activated to keep the concrete slab functional during sub-freezing weather. Securing a boiler or commercial water heater is scheduled next, ensuring the workshop interior remains workable while blizzard warnings develop across the region.

Boat Ownership Transition and Dispatches from Tahiti

Keith and Renee officially confirm that their tenure aboard Zatara has concluded. The Privilege 585 catamaran now belongs to Derek and Annie Halford, who took over ownership while the vessel remained in French Polynesia. Derek and Kasey are maintaining the yacht in Tahiti through December, after which the extended Halford family plans to cruise French Polynesia for an entire year.

Far from quiet handover formalities, Derek sends back comedic video dispatches playfully roasting Keith’s strict operational rules. In one segment, Derek films himself standing before the generator control panel, threatening to press switches Keith repeatedly placed off-limits. In another clip, Derek mocks onboard music restrictions, questioning Keith’s concern about upsetting anchorage neighbors while blasting an 8-foot audio speaker.

The comedic ribbing extends across everyday vessel management. Derek demonstrates tying arbitrary knots on deck, announces he has turned off the climate control in cabin number 5, and inspects Keith’s former master cabin workstation. In the galley, Derek jokingly installs a centralized Dustbuster wired directly into the automatic bilge pump circuit breaker, claiming a gimbal mount will keep breadcrumbs contained in heavy seas. He caps off his message with a mock request for assistance: “I still need your help parking this boat.”

Boat Withdrawal and Lingering Maritime Habits

Adjusting to stationary living ashore reveals subtle psychological habits accumulated over years of cruising. Keith and Renee stage a humorous support meeting addressing vessel withdrawal three weeks after stepping off the catamaran. Renee describes involuntary shipboard reflexes surfacing during routine household errands: “And I’ve been boatless for about 3 weeks now. And sometimes I still call the kitchen the galley.”

Provisioning ashore highlights the contrast between remote cruising and suburban convenience. Accustomed to purchasing supplies for multi-week ocean passages, Renee finds herself stocking excessive quantities: “Yesterday I went grocery shopping and I bought five of everything.” Along with hoarding and hand-washing plastic storage bags, she catches herself preparing to discard organic kitchen scraps out the window directly onto the lawn.

Keith shares his own persistent anxieties during the confessional: “Hello. My name’s Keith and I’m an addict. I sold my boat 3 weeks ago and I’m having problems.” Away from coastal weather stations, he finds himself tracking distant Pacific low-pressure systems impacting French Polynesia: “I check the weather every day. And that’s not quite true. I check the weather every day and night.” These persistent habits also interrupt sleep, from mistaking nighttime noises for slipping anchor chain to sitting upright in bed shouting commands at his son Jack to trim a flogging mainsail.

Between construction tasks, the couple highlights upcoming offshore gatherings for the cruising community. The final Sailing Zatara episode will premiere at the Bluewater Summit in Key West, scheduled from January 6 to 10, with an official farewell celebration on January 9 offering a 20% ticket discount under promotional code ZATARA20.

Mezzanine Timber Framing and Family Quarters

Upstairs inside the shop, construction centers on the elevated mezzanine. Keith completes installation of the plywood subfloor, creating a sturdy structural platform for second-story living quarters. Independent building contractors inspect the floor assembly and timber wall framing, affirming that the self-performed framing meets professional building standards.

The mezzanine floor plan accommodates extended family ahead of personal milestones, including the June wedding of daughter Miss Kate and Remi. Keith frames out a primary suite for Jack, complete with perimeter walls squared to exact tolerances. Additional bedrooms line the corridor opposite a shared Jack-and-Jill bathroom, while a central loft area is designated for shared family space and media viewing.

Precise alignment proves challenging when squaring stud walls beneath preexisting windows. Keith notes that a bubble variance of a single millimeter on a level across a 6-foot window span can produce noticeable framing shifts. Despite small visual variations around window trim, Keith confirms every partition wall is true and square. With timber walls positioned, the schedule focuses on roughing in electrical conduit, water supply lines, and drainage before Christmas.

Following days of continuous carpentry, Keith and Renee step away from the workbench to inspect their snow-covered acreage. Renee reflects on the enduring influence of blue-water voyaging: “Turns out you can leave the boat, but leaving boat life isn’t quite as simple, at least for us.”

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