The Race is On

Cheyene and Jolene

Leaves… yellow, red and brown swirl around a piling and disappear under the dock as they chase an outgoing tide.  For a moment I continue to watch the floating denizens of fall until the racket of a ski boat breaks the silence.   The quiet moment is gone.  The race is on. 

It’s the second week of October and Imagine remains on the hard as the crew rushes to complete jobs that weren’t finished over the summer.           

Weeks recovering from knee surgery, followed by some other minor medical events, made it impossible to remain on schedule.  Painting a boat isn’t as easy as painting a wall.  Too much sun, humidity, or wind dictates and narrows the window of opportunity available to get the work done.   Perseverance and determination of the crew allowed Imagine to get painted by the end of September.  The icing on the proverbial cake was when I carefully added the new lettering and homeport decals a week later.

In addition to fresh paint, Imagine now sports a new head platform, new hoses, and a tiled floor in the head.  The shower stall has been sanded and repainted.  Eighty-four feet of toe rail, the boom cradle, handrails, and eyebrow now shine bright with three coats of lacquer. 

The bottom has been sanded and wears three new coats of ablative.  The eight chain plates have been re-bedded on deck.  Five portholes were removed to repair minor de-lamination on the cabin sides.  Cracks around the four stern rain stanchions have been ground out, repaired.  We now await for a couple of dry days when fresh coats of primer and paint will hide all repairs. 

Inside, Ed installed a new bilge and shower sump pump.  He has followed wires and climbed the mast to troubleshoot why the three-year old radar failed.   He has worked on the shaft and stuffing box and also replaced the faulty refrigeration controller.  Work continues as we await a new radar unit scheduled to arrive by the end of the week. 

Minor cracks in the kayak have been fixed with a plastic weld kit.  The dinghy cover has new reinforced sections and our American flag has been repaired.  The anchor bridle and handle for a tote bag have been re-spliced.

Rain earlier this week showered me with anxiety.  Leaving port and family is always a bittersweet affair.  I’m anxious to get underway, but know how much I will miss my family.  My three-month old granddaughter, Jolene, will be walking before I return.  I will miss hugs and kisses from Lexi, Sam, and Max.   I'll miss special events of our teenage grandauther Cheyene. Phone calls and Internet photos offer some consolation, but is not the real deal.

Choosing life on a boat requires both work and sacrifices.   According to husband, Ed, there are two levels of boating.  There are the boaters and the yachters.   Ed will tell you that boaters do all their own work while yachters have people.

As far as the sacrifices, there are friends I wanted to visit this summer and didn’t.  An opportunity to work part-time had to be turned down.  Organizations interested in hearing about Imagine’s journey on a road not paved will have to wait another year.  The biggest sacrifice has been not spending more time with family.  

As the last few days before departure tick away, time picks up speed as we move to that still unknown date.  I feel the pressure of trying to tie all the loose ends together.  Sleep is interrupted as items are mentally added to lists.  How can I get everything finished and also spend more time with family?  There is an internal tug of war as I work to balance all. 

The final deck repairs shout to be finished.  The provisioning process has barely begun.  Stress increases. I picture the caulking still to be done at the edge of the toe rail and along the trim in the cockpit.  The new radar has to be installed.  Oh poo! I have to make four covers for the fenders that protect the side of the boat from the dock.  The new boat paint while dry and fairly hard will benefit from additional curing time.  

Friends on River Dance left Gregg Neck two weeks ago and have crossed the Albemarle Sound and are deep into North Carolina.  Each day on the Single Sideband Radio, Ed listens to other cruisers give daily locations.  They are underway and many already sail in southern waters. 

I take a deep breath, and then another.  I stop, regroup, take out my list and check one more item as finished.  As the colorful leaves of autumn drop one by one on lawns, roads and bodies of water, I race forward to find the current that will soon carry me south and beyond.