Go with What You’ve Got
The experience of our sailing into Galini and then to Keratokambos added about 10 more notches to our belt-for those who are counting. Neverland has seen a lot of sailing and a lot of rough weather. But, the experience of circumnavigating Crete counter clockwise in August has been better than a shakedown cruise. We have all discovered our strengths and weaknesses. After losing the mizzen sail, which was the original from forty years ago, we took inventory of all our other forty-year-old equipment on board. The engine which is a Westerbeak of 25 hp is forty years old. It has had a few overhauls over the years. We would love a stronger engine. But, when we priced newer more powerful ones at the Sailboat show in Annapolis last year, we got sticker shock and decided to live and love what we've got. We know we don't have thrusters that can slide us nicely sideways alongside a quay. We suffer with the wind when it comes from the wrong direction when we want to back into a slip. But, somehow, someway, we have always been able to make it with what we've got.
Years ago, Mike read an article that changed everything about how we sail. It said, if you are waiting to do what you want to do until you have what you think you need, you will never go. Go with what you've got, in the long run, you'll be glad you did.
So far on this trip we've lost a mizzen sail, we've lost the zippers on our bimini top, we've had a huge leak in the cabin from rusted out screws in the stanchions, my iPhone is dead, the raw water impeller needed replacing, and we needed a new battery. Anyone of these things would be enough for someone to decide that this was a terrible experience. NOT US. You go with what you've got! We sail without the mizzen, we find an old ugly yellow tarp to use in place of the bimini, we search through the storage of spare parts and repack the stanchions with new screws, we try rice to revive the phone and suck up to the idea that a new one needs to be bought, you are grateful you stock enough spare parts and have the talents to change broken equipment, and you are grateful for when grace shows up at your door through strangers who know how to provide the resources for a new battery.
We have realized that going with what you've got has given us the richest experiences. We are blessed and we will keep going.
Years ago, Mike read an article that changed everything about how we sail. It said, if you are waiting to do what you want to do until you have what you think you need, you will never go. Go with what you've got, in the long run, you'll be glad you did.
So far on this trip we've lost a mizzen sail, we've lost the zippers on our bimini top, we've had a huge leak in the cabin from rusted out screws in the stanchions, my iPhone is dead, the raw water impeller needed replacing, and we needed a new battery. Anyone of these things would be enough for someone to decide that this was a terrible experience. NOT US. You go with what you've got! We sail without the mizzen, we find an old ugly yellow tarp to use in place of the bimini, we search through the storage of spare parts and repack the stanchions with new screws, we try rice to revive the phone and suck up to the idea that a new one needs to be bought, you are grateful you stock enough spare parts and have the talents to change broken equipment, and you are grateful for when grace shows up at your door through strangers who know how to provide the resources for a new battery.
We have realized that going with what you've got has given us the richest experiences. We are blessed and we will keep going.
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