Phase Two

Into the New Year

As you probably have surmised by now, the last month has been filled with a few surprises.  We returned to Azure Wind two days ago, after a week in Florida over Christmas-New Year’s for a kidney stone procedure for me, and then a planned two week visit to our children and grandchildren.  We saw daughter Kate in Houston and stayed in our first airbnb, took our first Uber ride, visited a photography museum, a tea shop and a heavy duty breakfast place where Kate and a friend ate fried chicken served between two halves of a cake donut!  Then to Denver to visit Matt, Karalee, Dylan and Jackson.  It was wonderful to see how much Jackson had grown since Thanksgiving!  Dylan is doing well in school and had wowed his swim class by swimming across the pool after our Thanksgiving week in the islands.  Karalee was getting ready for a trip to Phoenix for a competition run.  Matt’s business grows even through the winter (we met the two newest members of his staff).  Finally, we landed in New York to see Nick, Clare, Addie and Tali. We visited the Cooper-Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum (a great interactive experience with a fantastic display on the development of Pixar storylines), the Met (Museum of Art), and the Empire State Building.  We listened to our grandchildren play piano and violin at a concert of young artists and watched them practice their tennis.  All of it was great fun and left little time for reflection, although I’ve read five books in four weeks, a first for me.

And, as our visits unfolded, the temperatures kept getting colder and colder, with the wind picking up to 40 mph gusts in NYC.  The 86^th floor Observation Deck of the ESB (Empire State Building) brought tears to our eyes, for more than one reason.  We flew back to St. Thomas this past Wednesday, just as the current show-stopping winter storm was making its way into the eastern seaboard.  We may feel a little “guilty” being in 75 degree temperatures – you know it’s that Calvinist thing of not enjoying your blessings too much.  And we’re praying that all of you are safe, warm, and keeping an eye out for your neighbors.

Now…a thought to share:

Two days ago we returned to Azure Wind, and found the boat had been well cared for during our absence.  The batteries were operating at 100%.  The bottoms of the hulls had been scraped by a diver.  The engines were in good shape and the only “repair” needed was to replace an alternator belt on the starboard engine, which took 30 minutes of a staff member’s time (would have been three times longer if I had tried to do it!).  I made a quick trip (relatively speaking) to town to purchase spare belts and pick up a few groceries we can’t get on the east end of the island. 

I am a happy camper.  We’re ready to welcome a few friends who will visit over the spring.  We’re ready to sail and are more confident that the major systems are in good condition and we have enough extra parts to address surprises, with the help of fellow cruisers.  And I am hunching that we have finally moved to the second phase of this adventure.

The first phase?  Getting the boat ready.  That’s what the first two months have been for us.  Getting ready.  That came with more than a few surprises and no small amount of stress and worry.  When the Bank bought the boat last spring, allowing us to use it if we keep paying a monthly fee, we read the inspection report with pride.  The report said we had found a solid, well-equipped boat that was ready for some “serious sailing”  (whatever that might mean).  And Marney and I spent the initial months of ownership thinking, and planning, and making trial runs at packing, etc.  We knew we would face a steep learning curve to figure out how to live on the water, at the shoreline, in a new country.  But, based on the inspector’s report, we thought there would not be many issues to face to get the boat ready to sail.

So…. we were not ready for the sudden onslaught of repairs we would face to get the boat ready.  Since the fall, and mostly since November 1^st, Azure Wind has had:  (a) its starboard fuel tank removed, repaired and re-installed with appropriate cleaning of the diesel-loaded bilge, (b) replaced the raw water pump for the port engine, (c) replaced the alternator for the port engine, (d) replaced the starter switch for the port engine, (e) repaired the jib sail, (f) replaced the raw water pump for the starboard engine, and (g) now replaced the starboard engine alternator belt (the least expensive of these repairs).  None of these repairs included the expected annual servicing of both engines.  They were unanticipated and therefore un-budgeted.

Welcome to the world of boats.  And it all happened even though the boat simply “sat” on a mooring ball and then at the dock from June to November!  The engines weren’t being used.  The sails had been removed and stored.  The boat didn’t “go” anywhere, except the 150 feet from the dock to a mooring ball when a tropical storm threatened the area. 

Boat owners will tell you: “that’s the world of boats.”  Expect things to break down.  You can’t anticipate what will next need to be repaired.  I get that.

But I come from a life where I expect the unexpected only when I’m using something, not when that something is just sitting, doing nothing – but aging.  Take care of your things and they’ll last a long time.  Clean your tools and they’ll be around for years (I have one electric drill in New Mexico that’s 30 years old, not quite ready for my tool museum).  Use things safely and they won’t break on you; use them carelessly and you’ll pay the price – of a new tool, most likely.

I know differently now.  To sustain this adventure means to expect the unexpected, whether or not you use the boat, whether it sits on a mooring ball or is out for weeks at a time.  And that’s even more true because the boat is aging.  Built in 2008, Azure Wind is now in its 8^th year.  And the more AW ages, the more likely the unexpected will happen even when we’re NOT using the boat at all.

It is what it is.  Not just for boats, but for other parts of this life.

Consider our aging bodies.  Whether or not you use them, things are going to break down as we age.  You can be active and still break a leg; you can be a couch potato and break your leg walking to the bathroom.   You can run two miles every day and still have to replace a heart valve.  So, as we age, we all decide to establish new “normals” in our living.  I’m re-doubling my efforts to minimize another kidney stone by no longer drinking colas and eating less chocolate (well, sort of on the chocolate).  I no longer eat ice cream but can occasionally enjoy some sorbet. 

But whatever we decide to use or not use, to change or not change, it won’t keep the surprises from happening.   We may minimize “this or that” particular surprise, but even that is no guarantee.

Which is a great invitation from our God.  It’s the invitation to relax, to be grateful for any day when there’s no new surprise to face or repair to make or new normal to establish.  It’s the invitation to be less controlling, and more grateful for what we have.  It’s the invitation to trust that we live this life in the context of a great unfolding all around us that includes lilies of the field and birds of the air!

First phase done (I think).  I’m ready for the second phase.  Later today we’re heading out on the waters.  So far, we’ve had no new surprises and I’m grateful.  But you never know…

From one aging “fart” to another,

Dave

PS – for a little fun, attached is a link to a 3-minute video of our family snorkeling at Thanksgiving:

https://youtu.be/BVYeejQuUVs