Guapa: Beauty and the Sea: SailBlogs

True North

Thu, 18 Mar 2010 03:48:44 -0500

E-mail from the yard - finally. Only the briefest description of the state of affairs (most of it had already been reported by 'eyes and ears on the ground'). That was it, apart from: give us money. It's nice to have them acknowledging my existence. Palms have now been crossed with silver, more than enough to warrant some (more) activity. Since than; not a word. I'll give them the benefit of the doubt and assume/hope that they're too busy working on the boat. Hope it won't be too long before I can drop in - in person - for a look and a chat. Meanwhile, for a change, we've been having quite a lot of good news on the personal, professional and financial front. After what must seem like ages of moaning, winging and scraping pennies together we've finally turned the corner. The professional stability and financial security we've craved is finally ours. So, come May, the boat will be all finished and the mortgage paid for. We can start living again, instead of merely surviving. All good things come those who wait. And I guess we've waited long enough. Now that we're nearing the end of our project, I would like to say that none of it would have been possible without the support of my family. No matter how hard things got, they've been there for me: morally, emotionally and financially. The children have been great, but above all else, Brigitte has been a rock. Today is our 19th wedding anniversary, and it's the first time in over a decade we're apart on that day. I love her more now than I ever did. Brigitte: wife, lover and best friend. My true North - I'd be lost without you. (View Post...)

In limbo

Sun, 21 Feb 2010 05:08:51 -0600

Weird, even surreal situation at the moment. Not laid eyes on the boat for nearly two months now. Not a word from the yard (to be honest I've been either too tired or too busy to chase them up) and only the briefest of words from the 'eyes and ears' on the ground. I guess any news is better than no news at all. So, here goes: pleased to confirm that work has indeed started. The boat's in the shed now; bottom seems to have been scraped and/or blasted. The old engine and the rudder have been removed and there are 'rumours' that the new water tank has been fitted, So far, so good. Also had some rather disconcerting feedback regarding the rigging. I know it's due replacement and it is on the list of things to do soon; but from what I heard it was a miracle our mast stayed up at all. Don't know what to make of this. Will take a closer look when I'm back (hopefully around Easter). In the mean time, I'll just let them get on with it. Fox's are a professional yard and I hope they know what they're doing. As long as we're on track for a launch early May I don't care how and when they to things. If there was a serious hitch, I'm sure they'd let me know. In the mean time, the thought of getting back home is increasingly foremost in my mind. Right now, I'm somewhere as far removed from sailing as it's possible to imagine. In fact, thoughts of going sailing seem alien in this environment. The things we do for money... Sailing: will I still know what to do? It's been such a long time - way too long. I hope it'll be like riding a bike. Lot's of stuff's been happening on the home front too. Brigitte's been laid off from work. Company shutting down UK operations. After 8 years with them, it came as quite a shock I can tell you. Not all doom and gloom though; she's already got a new job lined up. Hired by the first company where she interviewed. You can't keep a good woman down - even at times like these. Evita's been concentrating on exams and uni next year. It'll be either Surrey or Brunel - biochemistry. I get the distinct impression she's looking forward to uni more than just a bit. Kids: they grow up so fast. I hope she'll still have the time to come sailing from time to time. Just for old time's sake - and to humour her dad. Last thing on my mind: finding a berth for Guapa. We will remain in the Orwell area for the foreseeable future, but no longer on a swinging mooring. As from this Summer, I'll have a lot of free time on my hands - time to go sailing. But out of necessity most of it will be single-handed. Sailing the boat on my own is no trouble at all, it's the parking and getting on/off that's a bit daunting. I want somewhere sheltered to make these things (a lot) easier. Fox's is the first choice, but they only have a few berths for boats our size. Both Ipswich marinas are a possible alternative. To be investigated. There we are - two months and a bit till we go sailing again. Things can only get better. (View Post...)

What's another year?

Sat, 09 Jan 2010 13:25:15 -0600

Another year, another (fresh) start. A trip to Ipswich to convey my best wishes to friends and the boat. Nice seeing friends again; the boat, I don't know... it felt different, strange even. For so long, she's been a central part of my life. Now she seems a relic from the past. Someone I used to know - the same feeling you get when you run into an ex-girlfriend. The 2009 season was a disaster - 4 days sailing (5 at a stretch). Or rather limping home. And that was it. Hardly enough to keep a love affair going. Yet Guapa is still very much the other love affair of my life. How could you not fall in love with those lines or be in awe of her majesty when she takes another wave in her stride? The longing for the day when we finally cast off to be completely free and unafraid keeps me going every day. Meanwhile Fox's seem to be ready to tackle the job at hand. My eyes and ears on the ground report that the mast has been stepped. I am going to adopt a hands-off approach, I'm confident they know what they're doing. I did enough worrying and fretting last year to last me a lifetime. I've been assured that the launch date of not later than May 1st is realistic. This leaves a couple of weeks for engine trails and generally learning to sail the boat again. Though I'm sure that's something like riding a bike. Then, rekindle a tradition, annual pilgrimage to Ostend for the festival. I can almost taste the Duvel. Last but not least, I think the family needs the boat too. We've always been a fairly tight knit family, however, since I've taken up this job in Brussels I'm only home at weekends. Lately I've felt like a guest in a hotel rather than at home. How do you (re)connect with people you only see two days a week? They've got their work or studies of which I know nearly nothing and I'm too tired to take an active interest. All I want is peace, quiet and drink. The one thing we all shared was the boat - we were together, we did stuff together, we talked, we laughed, ... It was perfect. Bring back the boat. Soon! Just a couple of months now. For the foreseeable future it looks the the only boaty thing we'll be doing as a family will be a visit to the London Boat Show next Saturday. Then, a three month boat black hole. Hope to see you all on the water safe and sound on the other side. Eyes and ears have promised to keep me up to date by e-mail. I'll try to post these updates on here as and when I get them. (View Post...)