My friend Ginger just lent me another book to read on my sailing trip. This one is Roz Savage's book 'Rowing the Atlantic". I certainly know about her and her accomplishments, but didn't actually start following her blog until her trip rowing to Hawaii, and now she's on her way to Australia. This should be an interesting read.
Other favorites of mine have included Audrey Southerland's 'Paddling Hawai'i' (You may not know that I'm originally from Hawaii, and still with parents and family there), and Jill Fredston's book "Rowing to Latitude" (one of my all time favorites). I'm guessing you see a theme here.
This book on rowing is also quite apropos. Paul is a bit of a purist with 'Dawn Patrol', and does not want to put a motor on her. We have a very nice long set of oars. This is fine, and fun, and our boat rows well (if not a bit slow ~2mph). WaterTribe challenges do not allow motor's, so Paul's keeps thinking I would want to adhere to that philosophy. But, this is cruising and vacation, not a race, and I'm really not happy when docking, especially in places like Oriental and Beaufort with such boat traffic, and small narrrow creeks and cuts. And we are planning a trip with a schedule and destinations.
I've been rallying for a small 2.5hp motor ever since we bought the boat. Our friend Ken has offered to lend us his for our trip. He's even coming over to help Paul figure out how to temporarily mount it without doing too much damage to our transom (is that even possible). I don't think it's a done deal but Paul's at least considering it for my sake. And I'm good with the challenge of trying not to use it except for those very short moments.
Still working on a few of my chores getting things ready. I'm in the middle of sewing a new red cabin door, and a second inside door that will be a no-seeum and mosquito net curtain that can be tied up when not in use. I've some great ideas for a cockpit tent but no time to do it right. Paul's to-do list still includes adding rub rails which I need for the tent. He's finally decided exactly how he wants to do them (if you build a boat, you should customize it to your likings). That will likely be a project for the winter.
In the meantime I've a large piece of mosquito netting, you know the kind you see advertised to curtain off a bed. I'm going to just rig something simple to put in place over a small area between the mizzen mast and cockpit to give us a small outside screened-in area if needed. The mesh won't work for nats or no-seeums, so wish us luck on that. And I'll use a tarp to put together a simple cockpit covering for rain to extend our usable space in inclement weather. We have the small cabin so something simple and jury rigged till I can do it right will be fine.
Just added lemon pepper to my kitchen list, this in case were cooking some fresh caught fish :)
3 comments:
Do these people who row across oceans, sail around the world, and do other "great stunts" actually ever work like real people? I mean really, how many people out there could take say six months off work to sail around the world and STILL HAVE A JOB? Get a life, people. These are either filthy rich people or people who get sponsored by rich people as an advertising gimmick. Nothing of any real VALUE to see here, move on!
I do not believe these are filthy rich folks. This is work (their day job) for some of these folks, not unlike being a professional athlete, but I think they sacrifice on family and other important aspecs of life. And unlike professional athletes, I think they actally live more frugally.
Jill Fredstoe has a job as an avalanche specialist thru winter in Alaska, so her summer's are free. Audrey Sutherlund is almost 90 and didn't take to expeditions till her children were grown. As a teacher she also had summers off.
I try to work and play hard. And I thoroughly enjoy living my dreams through some of these adventurers, another way if you can't live that life yourself. Life is what you make of it.
I for one am dead envious!
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