Gettin' ready....
28 September 2018 | Tokyo, Japan
Greg Koski
Greetings from Tokyo! Yes, Tokyo...I know, it's a bit hard to be getting ready to sail from half a world away! But while I am here in Japan at the International Conference on Pharmaceutical Medicine, Matey Anne is back in Sudbury, Massachusetts, sorting through, packing up and getting rid of the no longer needed items in attics and closets and basements, a 25 year collection of a family with four kids--by herself--a good demonstration of why she will be such a great partner for this voyage!
Apart from my presentations here in Japan, I have been sorting out the details of insurance for offshore passages in international waters, ordering and making arrangements for all sorts of things--installation of new standing rigging, a new Hydrovane self-steering unit, bottom work, marinas and moorings in the USVI, Veneeni's first port of call beyond the waters of East Coastal US. So far, the arrangements are progressing well, and we will leave the Chesapeake with a sound, well-prepared vessel.
One of the lessons we have learned so far, even before we depart from Boston (yes, still planned for October 10!), is that it is a lot harder to cast- off the lines that tie one to the things we accumulate in our lives ashore than it is to leave the dock! We acquire so many things over the years, saving many because "one day the kids will want these", or "that was my grandmother's favorite sweater".
Our propensity to hang onto things we don't really need and will likely never use again probably reflects our deep-seated fears of not knowing, of not having control. And making the decision to let them go in favor of accepting a new life with so many unknowns, including risks and pleasures, is contrary to the ways we have lived for so long. Yes, this is hard, and for good reason!
And yet I am struck by the reaction that virtually everyone has when we tell them of our plans to cast-off those lines and set sail, yes, as Mark Twain said. People get excited, their eyes open wide and smiles cross their faces--"wow---really?!" There seems to be a longing in many of them to be able to let go too. So many friends are supportive and happy for us! And it feels pretty good, gotta say.
Getting ready is less about packing up and getting rid of all the stuff we own than it is about saving the things that are really important--memories of Eagle Scout ceremonies and first days at art school, and kids reactions when Santa Claus surprised them with a trip to Disney World--of loons calling on the lake on a late summer night in Maine, or the view from atop Mt.Washington after a climb (not a drive!). These are the things that have made our lives rewarding, and we have so many, so wonderful memories. Our lives have been blessed. Not always easy, but blessed.
So, we are getting ready, getting rid of the things that anchor us and could hold us. A boat, even a Lord Nelson 41 like Veneeni, has a limited amount of space aboard. But the beauty of it all is that there is no limit to what we can take with us as long as we take the things that mean most, the wonderful memories of our friends and families and experiences, a collection to which we are about to add so many, many more, even if we have no idea what they may be! Stay tuned!
Capt. Greg, sailing on....