Boy am I learning! The biggest lesson so far is that this is not an easy task. And I will add, since I am of the female gender, not for the sissy, fragile type. If you take on a job like this, be prepared to be a bit frustrated most of the time, dirty all the time, and tired all the time. I wouldn't change a thing (but still looking forward to the cheeseburger in paradise and the sooner the better)...glad I am of the tough persuasion of female.
The jezebel was nowhere near ready to sail when we bought her and we still have a ways to go to get her wet. It is full work days every day and time off makes you feel just a wee bit guilty, not to mention that it puts actual launch day behind. We had a few days off and now we have to work twice as fast which means longer work days (which is ok since we have no television and have used up all of our internet air-time and have 12 days to go until it starts again...yikes). And on top of everything, both the Captain and I have fell ill over the last couple of days, he with a bad head cold and I with some kind of stomach bug. Both trying very hard not to take our frustrations out on the other in these tight quarters. Another thing about taking on this type of project - you better be damn fond of the person or persons that you take this journey with.
Ahhh...living life on a marina! We go out to run errands yesterday and come back to no water. No water. Yes, no water I said (imagine having a stomach bug with no running water!!!). Not because the water froze and believe me, it was cold enough, but because the marina apparently turns all of the water off in the winter to keep their lines from freezing! Sure would have been nice to have heard about this beforehand, huh????
And the good news is that the MOTOR WAS STARTED TODAY and she purred like a baby. Captain Mike could only run her for a very brief time because she isn't in the water but she sounded awesome. Now to get the outside finished and get her sailing south. The December 1 goal is now a definite no-go with the three days off and the weather against us. Hopefully by the end of the first week of December, she will be rocking on the water instead of up here on the hard and shortly thereafter, sailing down the Intracoastal.
I, as first mate of the jezebel, have taken on a new mission. I am bound and determined to find out more about the jezebel and her history. I have taken a couple of steps in the right direction and hoping to get more leads by tomorrow evening. The jezebel is 41 years old and being from South Africa, this could be a difficult task but I am curious now and that is enough to drive me to find her history if at all possible.
The picture I have posted is actually two old pictures of the jezebel. They were aboard when we bought her; I am assuming they belong to and are of the previous owner. Isn't she a beauty!! I am told that she can fly as many as six sails at once...that is a sight I would really like to see someday!