Provisioning is the name of the game… and pee-ing – the sequel…
Today we tried to finish sewing an awning… I was still thinking like a guy… normally when a guy says they are going to get something done like: change oil in the car, install windows on a PC, make a wood toy, fix a squeaky door etc… they say, “It will only take an hour” but I know that for each 1 hour project you add atleast 2 or even 3. (three if it is computer related) So Ben asked how long will it take to finish the awning… I said, “oh 2 hours” I should have added 2 times 3 and said 6 hours. Which is what I normally do but since I am more like a man now… I guess I forgot. Ha ha
We spent 3 hours on the awning and I think I have about 1 no 3 hours to go. We sewed it on the dock.. which I did not take into consideration the wind factor in blowing the material away from me. What looked like a monster of yards of material laying on the living room floor at home - when placed on the boat it looks so small. My sister helped me with the biggest awning and it looks like a postage stamp on our boat.
The awnings we hear are a must for hot weather! So in the spirit of listening to those that try to warn us about various obstacles in sailing we shall listen and heed their wisdom! Such as everyone says to have a hard bottom dinghy. So we are borrowing my dad’s dinghy because we are having visitors each week we will be gone. Things also like don’t go if the wind is on your nose and over 20 knots… well we learned that lesson the hardest.
Ben and I are very excited to learn more about sailing and this learning curve will be like any other… interesting and fun but not without challenges. We are both excited to be embarking on adventure internationally. Although the Bahamas are just in the back door of Florida – kissin’ cousins, I’d say. But still we will learn about customs, quarantined, bring an animal our of the country, trying to find water, dispose of trash and putting your body waste somewhere. All the things that at home you don’t even have to give a second thought but on our boat it is a micro-cozum of the worlds challenges but one that is hidden from our daily view.
WE have bought so much food .. food for three months that includes food for friends each and every day. We have no idea about where to get food … well and is it super expensive? Is it only on the big islands? Is it available and will we be near major places of port or will we be off the beaten path. Of course you know us so off the beaten path is the goal! Of course there are visitors too this time that probably like to take showers more often than Ben and I can last.
We hear that gasoline is tough to find. We see boaters with 4 – five gallon cans lashed to the deck. We’d rather kayak but we don’t have the luxury this time due to needing to transport friends to the shore for beach fun.
Getting to the Bahamas is another unknown. We have been reading books about navigating but I’m a better learner with someone telling me than reading. I like the saying when the student is ready the teacher appears and poof again God has been so good to us! Skip (a few boats down) has offered for tomorrow to pour over charts and answer all of our questions. I’ll be all ears. I’ll sit up straight and listen intently and I will take notes… just like being in college. Well you know me and college… lets just say I have interpreted many college classes! Ha ha ha.
After 30 years of interpreting … I find great joy in learning new stuff… maybe that is why I like interpreting so much cuz you are always learning. Here my brain is being stretched to it’s limit and beyond with all the things I need to remember and learn.
Welp today was long… after the awnings we went and got more food which is in the car… tomorrow we will try to squish all that food in this boat. I think it will be impossible!! But Ben seems to think it will all squish!! I can’t imagine fitting 3 months of food in one boat. !! Heres to squishing!
Oh and a sequel to yesterday’s pee log. Ok it might be fun to pee standing up but one thing that I have not learned and I thought it would be no big deal is that… errrr. Ahhhh…. Well it is embarrassing to pee standing up when you have never done that before. In the marinas I will see guys - once in a while - even during the day pee over the side of their boat which I think is unacceptable… you will never find me doing that… but even at 2 am I nervous someone is watching.
Sleep well we have a big big day tomorrow to finish the awning and get the provisions on the boat.
oh and we went to the mac store to change my mac into a PC... boot camp it is called. a mac runs windows better than PC's do - or so I hear... i'll let you know if it works. Our navigational software only runs with a PC and VPNing to work also runs better on a PC... so here we go... i'm sure melissa will be happy I have a PC again.! now I have the best of both worlds.
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