August 31, 2004
Winds of Fate
The fates are a Greek idea, 3 blind women, one to spin, one to measure, one to cut, the thread is your life. The boat that I thought would carry us into our future is not going to happen.
Last weekend, I went back to the boat and brought out a good friend who is a Lloyds Surveyor to go over the boat with a fine toothed comb. Joseph is the person who turned my sailors mind into the mind of a voyager. We tore the boat apart from stem to stern, turning up a few problems that would need my attention (this was not unexpected, the boat is 15 years old and made of steel...rust never sleeps) We had the boat pulled out of the water and ultra sounded the hull--a way to determine the amount of steel left.
While we where inspecting the boat Joseph discovered that mast step and the mast (made of different metals) are not getting along. When two dissimilar metals come into contact, there is a chemical reaction, especially when one of the metals is steel and the other is aluminum. The two metals eat at one another and create nasty salts and icky goo, the result of massive corrosion, both metals losing strength. The mast step had rotted, rather rusted out. I was incredibly disappointed at this development. Though I thank the Fates for seeing that the thread needed to be cut. I have horrid visions of sailing far off shore and the mast step failing and the boat floundering now the rig is 4 inches shorter...After much consideration, I retracted my offer on the amazing steel boat, thus setting the dream back to square one.
I am very aware that my lesson in life is patience, so I came home early and set to finishing the house. It is amazing how much one can accomplish when your mind is reeling from some major disappointment. So much work has been finished these past few days. So I keep a weather eye out for the right boat and I wonder what the Fates have in store for me next.
Posted by Michael at 11:06 AM | Comments (0)
August 8, 2004
Ballerinas...
Bang, like that I was on the boat I had been reading about and thinking about for the last 2 months. Crawling over her, looking in all the dark nooks and cranies. Like looking at a ballerina sitting on the bench. S was suprised that she was so solid under foot. That is yet another beauty of the steel construction.
We poked and prodded. We peeked and dug. Visions kept dancing throug my head. My god I love this woman, she must be crazy. The big question of the day, the deal breaker, would we fit in the V-Berth. The answer...yes.
The boat is well rigged and ready to sail. Today we head for blue water to put her through the paces, to look at the ballerina dance. Though at this point it is more formality that anything. A suprise now would make me question all the knowledge that I have in my brain.
It is hard to really belive how easy it was. Comming to agreement on the price lasted only a few short questions and then it took longer for the broker to fill out the paperwork for us to sign.
Every beginning is some things end. I can only wonder what it is like for the seller to see the beginning of the end of his time with such a great boat. After so many adventures, so many times with family and friends, it must be hard to let her go. In his memories I see my future.
Posted by Michael at 6:15 AM | Comments (0)
August 6, 2004
Destiny..
I have been chasing, thinking, moving towards a dream that was born over 15 years ago. To buy a boat and sail away from the things of man. Now as I sit in our house in the mountains I am less than 12 hours from getting on a plane to go look at a sail boat that I think could take us around the world.
Staring into my future, I see magic and mystery. Adventure and discovery, the likes of which I have only dreamt of.
The journey begins.
Posted by Michael at 9:42 PM | Comments (1)