What's another year?
09 January 2010 | Ipswich
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.