20091020 -- Tightening Ties Small Quarters and Sailing Give a Chance to Bond (2)

Preparation to sail

Selling off their businesses as well as the family's farm, the couple started their endeavor with Craig leaving first to begin replanking the hull of a ketch in the Caribbean. Lauren and the kids followed later to lend a hand in a time-consuming overhaul that cost some $500,000 and stretched out over two years.

"The whole idea sounded cool, and then - when I got there - it really looked like a lot of work," Alexis says. "Who's going to do it?' I thought and we figured out pretty soon that it was going to be us."

Moving aboard the gutted boat, the family put in 10 hours a day, 7 days a week for months, slowly reviving the decks and interior of the nearly 50-year-old vessel. While Craig made major changes to the masts and sail plan, the girls focused on the woodwork, with Tracy learning how to use a table saw and Sara applying a 12-coat marine finish.

Inside the big cabin that Sara and Alexis planned to share, the two younger sisters added to their workload by building a dividing bulkhead. That gave each girs a semiprivate berth of her own.　"We knew that if we were going to keep the family together, we'd need a separate space for everyone." Craig says.


overhaul n. 徹底檢修/詳細檢查
eg: My car engine needed an overhaul after I had driven it 100,000 km. Then I drove it another 100,000 km.
eg: Our old truck is in the garage for an overhaul.
eg: The bus is scheduled for an overhaul next month.

overhaul v. 徹底檢修
The engine of the car was overhouled.

gut v. 取出內臟/損毀(房屋等)的內部裝置
eg: The war-lorn town was full of gutted buildings and empty streets.
eg: The hotel was gutted by the fire.
eg: The car was gutted by the thief.


revive (v) 甦醒;復甦
eg: Samuel's dream of reviving the family farm began to come true with his first sale of produce.
eg: The architect revived the chapel and many tourists come to visit now.
eg: A hot bath can revive me instantly.

semiprivate (adj) 半私用的
eg: I stayed in a semiprivate room in the hospital with two other patients.

//== Chat Room ==//

lend me a hand

hand me downs

take them off my hands

lend someone a hand 幫助某人/助他一臂之力

hand-me-down 穿人家穿過的衣服

secondhand clothes 舊衣服/二手衣

take something off someone's hands 幫他處理掉他手中用不到的東西

hand it to you
get out of hand 失控
hand it to someone 承認某人在某方面很優秀