Happy Anniversary!
19 January 2016 | Brickhill River (Cumberland Is.)
Yes, five years ago we did a quick haul, hang, & pressure wash at Sailcraft Boatyard, in Oriental. This in itself is not really that significant, even if you do add in that we changed the shaft zinc too. It's what happened after that...we headed south and started cruising! Today, the weather is just as cold, if not a titch colder, and although we are heading in the opposite direction we are still cruising, still independent, & still self-sufficient.
In discussing our upcoming repair project with another Westsail owner, Jeff summed it up by saying, "Calypso will survive! Probably, all Westsails are greater than or equal to 40 years old. The only way to keep them from breaking would be to keep them in a museum, never to be used again".
Break they will and fix them we must because this is not only our home but our dream. As our friends at Marine Corp Air Station Cherry Point say," those things that don't kill you will make you stronger"! Than again, Wendy's grandmother always use to say," no sense no feeling". Take your pick, but stay tuned and over the next few months we'll tell you which one applies more.
As we look back over the last five years, it a blur. The places we have gone, the things we have seen, people we've met, & the decisions we have made are all part of the cruising lifestyle.
No matter how accomplished the author or how slick the promotion, there is not a Perfect Cruising Handbook. All you have to do is sit in your cockpit or work on a project on any bright sunny day in any marina. Sooner or later you will be given a wealth of unsolicited suggestions on everything from how to anchor to how to repair a "whatever".
So, here is our 2 cents, as a cruising couple we believe to remain independent and self reliant you must always
Stay true to yourself,
Stay true to each other, and
Stay true to your ship!
Fair Winds & Quiet Anchorages,
Jeff & Wendy