If it wasn't for those darn croissants!

Posted by Liz

I thought I might have been losing a few LBS, between lots of walking, some hiking, swimming, a bit of snorkeling and 5000 trips every day up and down the companionway stairs…. But oh, Ed and I love the French islands WAY too much - - the people, the laid back attitudes, no harassment/hustle, and yes, the fantastic breads and croissants. Oh well!

We try to counter those indulgences with delightful late lunches comprised of some delicious salads (oh yes, and usually there is some French bread and cheese thrown in there too!)

My new favorite salad that I make for us:
Escarole (fluffy lettuce)
A few thin slices of onion
Some black olives or olive tapenade on the side
Fresh, ripe, juicy tomatoes sliced on top
Roasted red and yellow peppers (from the jar)
Some cubed beets if I have them on board
Fresh cracked pepper
Herbes du Provence sprinkled on
Drizzled with a citron vinaigrette salad dressing

I Feel Like a Lady Again

Posted by Liz
Date: January 24, 2010 (Sunday)

You’ve heard of “chick flicks” – well, this is probably a chick “post” – so guys, I won’t feel bad if you bail out. (But you may learn a lesson or two by reading!)

We're in Ste Anne Martinique - a GORGEOUS place - close second or maybe even topping our fave so far (Isles des Saintes)in terms of scenery and serenity. The only thing missing is the camaraderie of our cruising pals from the Saintes, although we did see our pals Leisha and Gregg (Australians on “Fine Gold”) and we gave them a send-off as they were heading out and south to Rodney Bay, St. Lucia.

After quite a few gyrations yesterday using my high school French - I was able to garner an appt at the exclusive and private Club Med here for a pedicure, which I had today at Noon (midi). OOOH,LA,LAH.

Ed asked if it was worth it (45 EU – equates to about $68 US) - - overwhelmingly, YES!! You guys out there might not get all of this, but it was unlike the pedicure we get back home where you sit in the chair with your feet in a tub of water and all that stuff. Here, I was escorted into a large, private, and AIR CONDITIONED room, with great aromatherapy and candles. She had me lay on a reclining bed which she adjusted. (I actually needed a blanket because my body is not used to AC anymore!)

My lady left the room and let me “chill” for about 15 minutes – where I immediately fell into a nice little nap. When she returned, she wrapped my feet in warm towels, massaged them (guys, you can take a lesson here!), cleaned off the old polish, cut the nails and filed.

Next, she exfoliated my calves and feet with a mixture of sea salt and like a sandalwood (nice smell) oil mixture. It was unusual – because I had to tell her to NOT exfoliate the bottom of my feet! After two months of living on the boat and being barefoot all the time, I’ve built up some good calluses, which actually help give me much better footing when running around on deck. Smooth feet don’t cut it on a boat!

I told her that “mon mari et je, nous habitons sur notre bateau” (My husband and I, we live on our boat) – and she completely understood. (“Je Comprends”). I'm actually getting a bit more comfortable using my French - not as insecure about it - and kind of having fun trying to pull meaningful sentences together!

After the exfoliation, she gently bathed the feet and the calves, all the while I’m still sacked out on that delightful bed. Then, she painted them and “Voila!” - I feel like a lady again!

I figure I can go about 6-8 more weeks before the next pedicure – and by then I’ll be in St. Barth’s – another perfect place for such an indulgence!

Anse Mitan, Martinique: Cheeseburger in Paradise

Anse Mitan is south of St. Pierre and north of Ste Anne, a good midway stop for us. We stayed for 2 nights. It’s a touristy little place, tight anchorage and a busy channel with ferries in and out quite a bit. A little bit “Disneyfied” as the cruising guide mentioned, but that’s OK. It is also billed as an ice cream mecca – and that it is – with about 3 ice cream places that we could find in town – and the ice cream was delicious.

We saw a beautiful rainbow on the first afternoon – with thick lines of color, and a blue that was actually purple.

On Day 2, we walked around town to get the lay of the land. First step was to find a dinghy dock. No such luck – at least we didn’t find the dock that was supposedly there according to Chris Doyle’s cruising guide (by the way, his guides are so outdated and not current – if you’re planning on cruising, borrow a copy from a friend instead of paying $39 for each edition, and then check the updates on his website – www.doyleguides.com)

The Meridian Hotel is no longer there and was in tatters. There is a “new” hotel called Hotel Bakoura, a pretty exclusive place. Ed and I found our way to their infinity pool, and with no guests in the vicinity, we had it all to ourselves – and took the opportunity to clean off and cool our sandy and hot feet as we sat down and dangled our legs in the water. Ten minutes later, Mr. Security Man was walking our way – so we promptly escorted ourselves out of the pool area before someone else grabbed a hold of us! (We have become such “boat people”!)

The other upside to lurking around the hotel was that we found their restaurant, and they had Cheeseburgers on their menu! I had not had meat since I left the states in late November – so I didn’t care that the burger cost 18 Euros ($27 US – EEK!!) - - it hit the spot – and let me tell you, even though it was a Cheeseburger in Paradise, nobody does burgers like the States. Somehow it just wasn’t as good a burger from O’Hara’s in Newton is, but what the heck, it was a BURGER. I thought I had my meat “fix” but I think it just whet my appetite. I found some good looking flank steak and boneless pork chops the other day which are sitting in the freezer.

Engine Trouble - Liz Gets Grease under her fingernails!

Posted by Ed

When cruising, it seems as though everyday is Saturday, no appointments, no schedules to keep. The biggest decision is based on the wind direction and what part of paradise do we want to visit next? Yes, everyday is Saturday until something goes wrong and you find your carefree schedule is now dependent on the schedules of others who live and work in an everyday world, even in the islands.

A few weeks ago in St. Pierre, Martinique while performing my usual engine pre-departure routines, I discovered what would be a serious problem in a matter of hours. I checked the engine oil and water levels checked the Racor filter for water and sediment in the Racor fuel sight bowl checked the engine drive belts for the refrigeration compressor, as well as the drive belts for the alternator and water pump.

Then for an instant, I was brought back to the days when I worked on automotive engines as a teenager and recalled what an engine’s fresh water circulating water pump looked like when the pump was kaput and decided to give the pump pulley a little tug. Much to my surprise the drive belt pulley began to wobble and was quite loose. This is more than a clear indicator that the bearings in the pump are shot and the pump needs to be replaced ASAP.

Usually the water pump will leak the coolant water and cause the engine to overheat and in the worst case situations, the overheating will cause the engine to seize-up. We were very fortunate to discover the faulty pump before it began to leak and any damage resulted.

The pump needed to be replaced in order for the engine to continue to keep working. The engine is like the heart of the boat, especially for us, because we currently do not have any alternative energy systems (wind generators and solar power – which we intend to employ very soon). Without the engine, you can’t recharge the battery bank, which means you have no refrigeration and water-making ability. And of course the obvious, you can’t go anywhere if you need to do it under power.

St. Pierre is a lovely water front community in Martinique but it does not have facilities for yachties to make repairs. Part of our trip preparation was to envision what may go wrong and try to prepare for these eventualities. We have two spare engine circulating pumps and a pump re-build kit. To rebuild the pump requires special tools to press the old bearings out of the pump and press the new bearings in, so rebuilding the pump was not an option today.

Of the two spare pumps one has a drive belt pulley already on the pump and the other does not, so the installation choice is easy: we’ll use the pump that is complete with the drive pulley already pressed onto the drive shaft. However, the drive pulley needs to be pressed onto the shaft an additional 10mm so it will line up with the pulley on the engine and the alternator, otherwise, it will chew up drive belts very quickly.

Now, back to everyday is Saturday! “Island time” is quite different than time schedules we had been used to in our business life. Most shops in the French islands close-up for lunch and perhaps a little siesta. They close from noon until three in the afternoon, so don’t expect to get anything done during this time of the day. My not having the ability to speak French and Liz working through her high school French, Liz was able to locate a machine shop that may be able press the drive pulley further onto the shaft to meet my specifications.

After waiting about an hour for the local bus, we arrived at the machine shop that could hopefully help us out. By the way, we later found out the machine shop was only about a 15 minute walk back to town. The gentleman in the machine shop was a little rough with the pump and I cringed when he dropped it on the cement floor but it was fine. After a lot of discussion on how to best press the pulley further onto the pump, the job was done.

With the needed tools laid out in orderly fashion, it was time to remove the old pump and install the new. Easy, right? It seems every job has one nut or bolt that is more stubborn than the others and will require an inordinate amount of time to disassemble it. Three bolts and one stud with a nut on it is all that secures the pump to the engine, looks easy. The nut on the stud was already partially stripped and it took a full 24 hours of penetrating oil (WD40) to allow any real movement of the nut.

With the pump now removed, Liz was busy preparing the pump surfaces with a putty knife and applying the gasket cement. The pump was bolted back to the engine and now has about 10 hours on it and is working well. At first opportunity, we will attempt to have the old pump rebuilt and kept as another spare.

With engine grease under our fingernails, (even Liz’s !) and the engine purring again, we were happy and on our way.

January 11 - 17, 2010 - - St. Pierre, Martinique

Posted by Liz

After we gladly departed Roseau, Dominica, we chose St. Pierre as a stop-over for a couple of nights because it was close and not an all day sail – and we could check in there with customs. It turns out that we enjoyed the town, but our stay became a bit longer than anticipated (more on that in a following blog post) because of some engine troubles.

St. Pierre was a big hub of commerce back in the 1700 and 1800’s – lots of ships would land here to do business, especially with the sugar cane plantations. The terrain is quite dramatic, especially with Mt. Pelee hovering the background (at 4600 plus feet, it’s the tallest volcano in the Caribbean). Tragedy struck here back in 1907 when the volcano erupted, and killed pretty much every one of the town’s 30,000 inhabitants, with the exception of a Prisoner, named Cyrus. Because of the stone configuration of his cell and its location in the prison, it is believed that he may have been the sole survivor.

The ruins are still present and consist of the remains of the prison and also an amphitheatre. There’s a photo of Gypsea here, captured peering out the “window” of one of the ruins to the harbor.

The harbor is busy with Martinique fishermen, who scoot around in the wee hours of the day. Their fishing technique is called “Seine” and we have to learn more about it. They go through almost a ritual of sorts – by circling around and throwing what look like sticks, or palm leaves or something in the water. They break off a piece at a time and toss it in the water. We have no idea if this helps attract fish for some reason, or if it’s some sort of religious ritual. (Google it and let us know if you find out before we do!)

When they are ready to pull up their nets, they circle around and around and continue to pull the nets closer together. In one photo here you’ll see them circling around, close to our boat. (They couldn’t wait for us to leave because we were in the midst of their fishing track!)

Lastly, there is a great little open air market that is set up every day here in the square – full of vendors selling fresh produce. Wonderful.

January 3, 2010 - Iguana Hunt in the Saintes

Posted by Liz

Our 4 new friends and us were enthralled with the hunt for the eternal Iguana while we were in The Saintes. One morning, our last full morning together, we made a morning excursion. We walked over to Marigot Bay and not only did we find Iguanas galore (they are quite good at camouflaging themselves) but also pelicans – both of whom cohabitate quite peacefully together amongst the huge rocks/boulders in the ocean and in the scrub brush and trees on the adjacent mountainsides. (Thanks and photo credits to Jean-Marc and Fay for some of these photos – they were using their high powered lenses and were able to get up close and personal.)

My Favorite Things

Posted by Liz
(to be sung to the tune of "My Favorite Things" from Sound of Music)

OK - now I know I have way too much time on my hands.... I was awake at 4am the other morning and the words just flowed ... had to write them down!

-------------

(Liz's Favorite Things):

Fans in the cabin blowing cool air upon us (thanks Wayne!)
Watermaker pumping fresh water to clean us,
Backscratcher stored on the shelf near my berth,
These are a few of my favorite things...

When the heat comes,
When my back itches,
When I need a bath...

I simply remember my favorite things, and then I don't feel so bad!

(Ed's Favorite Things):

SSB radio for emails and GRIB files,
Tools and Hardware to fix what is broken,
Spare pumps and gaskets for engine repairs,
These are a few of my favorite things...

When a pump fails,
When we need mail,
When I need a part...

I simply remember my favorite things, and then I don't feel so bad!

(Liz and Ed's favorite things):

Self-tailing wichnes to give us more leverage,
Bridle for dinghy to lift it on deck,
Hoist for the motor so it doesn't fall in the drink,
These are a few of our favorite things...

When we're lifting,
When we're hoisting,
When we're busy on deck,

We simply remember our favorite things, and then we don't feel so bad!

(Chipper the cat's Favorite Things):

Night Prowls on deck and star-gazing evenings,
Good brush and snuggles and treats before bedtime,
Laying in the shade with the wind in my fur,
These are a few of my favorite things...

When I'm cranky,
When it's hot out,
When I'm feeling sad,

I simply remember my favorite things, and then I don't feel so bad!

Pardon our Absence

posted by Liz

Have been in Martinique with basically no easily accessible internet. Currently on the ssouthern end of the island in a beautiful and quiet anchorage of Ste Anne - could compete to a degree with our fave so far: The Saintes

will report more when we,re on our regular keyboard and not the french one at the cyber cafe where we have to use the "hunt and peck" method of typing

quick update - had some engine issues but were resolved and Ed is going to write up a little piece about that.

we expect to be here in Ste Anne for about 4-5 more days and then will start heading north again.

Handling Finances While Cruising

Posted by Liz

Ed’s brother Charlie recently inquired about how we handle the basics like paying bills and credit cards. I thought that was a good question, because it actually took some preparation and fore-thought before the trip to figure out a plan.

We had to spend a bunch upfront on boat prep (new life raft, updated medical kit, new dinghy and numerous updates to the boat) and painfully watch cash just go, go, go….but now that we’re out cruising, our expenses are really under control. We anchor (free) wherever possible instead of paying for moorings (and often there is not even the option of a mooring) and our only real expenses are for food and fuel. (We’re crossing our fingers that we don’t have any major boat repairs needed – that would be another story.)

Before we left home, we prepaid all utilities (electric, gas, cable), insurance (homeowners, car, life, health). Mortgage payments are deducted automatically from the checking account each month. To pay credit cards, we call in to the credit card company once a month and pay via our checking account (you give them the routing number and checking account number and funds are automatically moved). So, we made sure that our checking account was adequately padded.

I just exclaimed that my recent credit card bill was practically NOTHING, especially compared to what goes on it at home: groceries, dry cleaning, movie nights out, restaurants. It’s GREAT – I actually feel like we’re saving money while we’re out doing this!!

Grocery Shopping and Eating in the islands

Posted by Liz

I just had a revelation – that back home in the States we have far too many choices. You walk into the grocery store and you’re overwhelmed. No wonder I can never figure out what to make for dinner!

Today, we were walking through the farmers market in St. Pierre, Martinique – a beautiful little town along the northwestern side of Martinique, sitting at the base of the very lush and fertile landscape of sugar cane plantations and Mt. Pelee, the Caribbean’s tallest volcano (about 4600 feet) which erupted in 1902.

This is the town that inspired the artist Paul Gaughuin upon his arrival here from Panama in 1887, because of the plethora of gorgeous flowers that inhabit the island – hibiscus, lilies and more. St. Pierre might remind you of a town in the south of France on the Med, albeit a bit more rundown (understatement). Palm trees lining the boulevard along the ocean/harborfront, and certain parts of it are well-manicured, ywith understated little shops and snackeries and outdoor bistros with folks outside drinking Coca-Cola or their espressos and smoking cigarettes. Very French.

Back to the farmer’s market – a number of ladies were there with their produce, beautiful fruits and vegetables. My mouth was watering with fresh pineapples, cucumbers, tomatoes, escarole (I haven’t had a good salad with LETTUCE in a long time!), and some small, firm eggplants which caught my eye – and inspired my dinner creation for tonight (calling it Eggplant St. Pierre – see recipe below).

While I was preparing dinner with my eggplants as the main staple, I realized that I’m preparing meals that are mostly vegetarian – vegetables, rice, beans, etc –because it’s really difficult to come by chicken, meat, pork and even fish – and when you do, the quality generally does not measure up to what we are accustomed to back home, with the exception of fresh fish when you buy it right off the boat – now, that is a real treat, but a rare one so far.

I also realized how easy it was for me to decide what to make for dinner - - it’s based on what you find in the market. Sometimes you don’t find much at all – so you have to be really creative (or pull out the Kraft Macaroni and Cheese!). Life has a much simpler pace. With fewer choices, you learn to eat based on what your local lands produce.

Lastly, time is such a luxury. Ed asked me today if I was enjoying all the cooking I’m doing, or if I saw it as a chore. It has absolutely been a blast – having time has allowed me to be creative and produce meals that are healthy and fresh, with flavors that are representative of the beautiful places in which we’ve been living.

Leaving Les Saintes

Posted by Liz

I cried when we left The Saintes. Ed told me I would. He did when he was here years ago. He was right. There was something OH SO SPECIAL about the place - - idyllic, quiet, French bread and chocolate croissants every day, fresh fish right off the boat, nice hikes/walks - - and the piece de resistance, the wonderful couples we met and hung out with. Fay and Russ of New Morning and Jean-Marc and Vivien from Jeanvi. Those four made it extra, extra special.

When we arrived in Portsmouth, Dominica - I kept looking back the 25 miles or so - and could still see the Saintes, and missed them and our new friends even more. I cried again then. Then you enter the world of BOAT BOYS, and HUSTLE and "what's in it for them" instead of the quiet hamlet we had just left behind.

Dominica is a GORGEOUS island - but a little scary from a security perspective. I'm not wearing ANY jewelry anymore - not even my wedding rings. The boat boys are definitely "eagle eyes" and notice any little bit of affluence.

It's a wonderful island for challenging hiking (probably an understatement - a bit out of our league!), waterfalls, thermal springs, rainforests - lush, lush - - but you really have to lock your boat down if you're going to go on one of these 1/2 day or all day excursions - which would be fine - except that we have our little cat, Chipper, on board, and we just can't subject him to the furnace down below with no hatches open. So, if we were under other circumstances, without the cat - and were more free to explore, we'd probably have a whole other perspective and a more positive one about the island.

We left Portsmouth this morning and had a 3 hour motor job into the wind heading south to Roseau Dominica - - which gets a bad rap - but frankly, I've felt more comfortable already. Pancho is our "boat man" and he is absolutely charming and personable. He showed us to our mooring, arranged to have his wife do our THREE sea bags of laundry (!) and he took me into town to a BIG SUPERMARKET where I did a major provisioning job - - all the staples - paper towels, TP, dried and canned goods, cat food, etc. - - He waited the full hour while I was in the grocery store, and then took me back to the anchorage near the Anchorage Hotel - and brought all of my groceries down to the dock. ($20 US for this service and his time - which was extremely reasonable) I felt very safe with him - he is a super nice guy.

We're very close to shore here where the less fortunate have shacks along the shoreline with a magnificent view of the west/sunsets and Caribbean sea. But they also like to play their music loud and tonight at the Anchorage Hotel is a big live Reggae Festival - so I'm sure the partying will go on all night. Even Ed said he might want a pair of my earplugs for sleeping tonight!

We met some Americans from San Diego who are here on the Halberg Rassey 40 - right next to us in the anchorage, so that is good - and we're hoping maybe we can buddy up with them - and perhaps, they could look after our boat in order for us to go explore the island one day, and vice versa. For now, we plan to stay here for a couple of days or so, and then either head to Martinique or do a 24 hour non-stop sail down to Bequia and get ourselves in the Grenadines to the Tobago Cays - which is the place I can't wait to see - - for premeir snorkeling!!

Sending a shout out to all of our pals and family at home - but also to our new friends who we met in the Saintes. The people in our lives are what make life worth living!

Full Moon Rising

Posted by Liz

The moon was technically full on December 31st, but it’s still looming large, and was so beautiful as it rose last night around 8pm. We had just finished dinner and I was sitting in the cockpit, under the dark sky and stars and looking forward towards the bow of the boat, which faces this lovely town in the Saintes. I could see the outlined humps of the gently sloping lush hills - and sitting there, I noticed a soft glow right in the middle of the center hump....

The glow kept getting brighter, and within about 5 minutes, that huge, round, bright moon was lifting up and through the mountains in front of my eyes. The glow got brighter and brighter and the moon was Huge. Remember "the man in the moon" from when you were a kid? I saw him - in fact, I saw a couple variations - and it was so bright, I almost really couldn't keep looking directly at it.

Seeing the moon rise was probably just as magical as a sun rise or a sunset - it mesmerized me -I felt awestruck and so fortunate to be able to view it and be sitting there appreciating this wonder.

New Years Day dinner - and Birthday Mania

Posted by Liz

To ring in the new year on January 1st, 2010, Ed and I invited two couples over for dinner aboard Gypsea. Jean-Marc and Vivien (Jeanvi) and Russ and Fay (New Morning). The three of us couples have been anchored here in Les Saintes for about 2 weeks – and have become buddies, getting to know each other over cocktails, hikes and dinners.

During the course of conversation, we discovered that THREE of us shared the exact same birthday of October 10th! Vivien, Russ and me! What are the odds of that??! That 50% share the same birthday? Equally surprising was that the other three pals all have birthdays that fall on holidays: Fay on Bastille Day – July 14 (France), Jean-Marc on Halloween – October 31 (U.S.) and Ed on Hero’s Day – December 9 (Antigua)!

We enjoyed a pot pourri for our feast, starting with Fay’s baked brie appetizer, and then had my newly made up “Chicken Tangine” served with Fingerling Fennel potatoes, and a beautiful crisp salad that Fay also contributed. Good food, good laughs, delightful company with new friends.

CHICKEN TANGINE

Chicken pieces
Apricots (dried)
Green and/or black olives
Garlic, minced
Olive oil
Orange juice
Red wine

Marinate chicken overnight or for a few hours in plastic bag with all ingredients. Bake at 425 for about one hour or so – or until all juices from the chicken run clear (not pink). Serve with rice, couscous or potatoes. (See recipe for Fingerling Fennel Potatoes).

FINGERLING FENNEL POTATOES
Fingerling potatoes, sliced lengthwise
Fresh fennel – or dried
Onions, sliced
Olive Oil

Saute onions in olive oil til cooked through or even slightly browned. Slice potatoes lengthwise and place in mixing bowl. Sprinkle with coarse/kosher salt, fennel seeds (or fresh fennel slices), cooked onions and drizzle liberally with olive oil. Bake on baking sheet or in baking dish at about 425 for 45 minutes.

Lizzie's Solo Dinghy Flight

Posted by Ed

Liz has been enjoying many new experiences in the Caribbean, one of which was to take her "first solo" in the dingy. Oh, she has operated the dinghy a few times with both of us aboard, and a few days ago Liz needed to do some reprovisioning in town and Ed was involved in a boat project, so off she went on her first "dinghy solo."

Remember the first time you drove a car and everything seemed to be happening so fast even though you were barely moving? Well, Liz's "first solo" was a lot like the first automobile driving experience. She did very well and had good control of the dinghy but she was in a very safe slow mo. It was good to see Liz enjoy her new found "Captain Of The Dink" skills and now she is off and running around the anchorage with complete abandonment.

New Years Eve in Les Saintes

Posted by Liz

First thing in the morning, Fay from New Morning swung by in her dinghy to pick me up and we headed to market. First stop - piping hot, fresh chocolate croissants, regular croissants and baguettes to bring back to the boat. Then, strolled down the main road and Fay spotted fisherman with their FRESH catch, right from the sea! Together, we bought a big Mahi Mahi (dolphin or dorado) and had the fisherman filet it for us. Stopped at a couple of other markets to pick up fruits and vegetables.

Once back to the boat, I immediately marinated the fish (garlic, soy, lots of lime juice and fresh ginger) and put in the refrig. We grilled it up for dinner, and served it along with some Mediterranean Curry couscous and leftover tomato/cucumber salad. It was such a treat to eat fish caught just that morning. Sadly, Ed and I were both asleep by 9:30!

But at 11pm, the happy festive live music on shore in the market square woke me up - and I just had to get up and be a part of it. So, there I was, by myself, dancing in the cockpit in my nightgown, under the full moon - and all the other boats around us were partying, and having late dinners. At midnight, I woke Ed up because we were treated unknowingly to fantastic fireworks from the town - but also from some of the yahoos around us - who were shooting off their flares - a bit scary, as many of them came a little too close for comfort. All we could think of was some of those burning embers falling on top of the sailcover or bimini - - not too smart. Those flares are all supposed to flare out before they hit the water, but a few of them didn't do so until they were in the water. Oh well - we survived and everything remained intact.

We were back asleep by 1am - all in all, a wonderful a New Years Eve!!

Projects on the boat

Posted by Liz Here's an example of why most days pass by so quickly and we wonder - "what did we do all day?" Before Gypsea's departure in the Fall from Boston to Antigua, one of the many projects on our spreadsheet was to replace and sew on the new leather wheel cover. With all the other stuff on "the list", this got pushed down - - and we saved it for a quiet day. Was only supposed to take 3-4 hours according to the video we watched, but that timeframe was projected by the guy who probably does this 20 times a day. Ed worked on it for the most part with a little help from me here and there - spending most of Wednesday and Thursday, tediously and tenderly sewing away. It required a few separate type of stitches, with the Herringbone stitch being the predominant one. Ed patiently worked away - he really got into a groove and had the process down pat. (Betty, his mom, who was an amazing homemaker - baked, sewed, etc - and would be very proud!)