Oh! The sweet life of the cruiser!
Sitting in a marina for almost a month, maxing out one's credit card several times, having the credit extended, and maxing that too...
Listening to a million advices on what to buy, all the meaningless gadgets so many think you Just Have to Have! (Get a suveyor, an electrician, an inspector, a lawyer, that brand new SSB, that GPS, that sea anchor at -only(!!!)- 3000$, 10000 meters of chain, line, rope). Weeks and weeks of awaiting for documents, researching suppliers and best prices, swinging that plastic card over and over for every one of the million of bits and pieces required to say "we are ready". Hand stitching the sails to save money while enduring the mercyless Auckland weather...all in the name of the dream day when Fiji will appear over the horizon, jumpers will be shed and the chain will roll over into a blue warm water.
Oh well, a crash course in boat purchasing and ownership, spiced up with nightmares, freezing weather, crew defections and self-disqualifications, anxieties of all sorts. As one guy told me yesterday: 'Sailing: the most expensive way to go anywhere on fourth class'.
But the day is coming..oh it is coming.
Currently three people aboard (Me, Nick and Ben), with a fourth that really wants to be here but somehow is failing to materialize. No matter, three is enough for the 8-12 days to Fiji. The last things are falling into pieces, and by the end of the week we should be departing for Opua in the Bay of Islands. There we'll explore the islands while waiting for the US registration to come through, and then we'll be finally departing for the dream isles. Just a few days to go and a few card swipes..."all it takes..."
Sitting in a marina for almost a month, maxing out one's credit card several times, having the credit extended, and maxing that too...
Listening to a million advices on what to buy, all the meaningless gadgets so many think you Just Have to Have! (Get a suveyor, an electrician, an inspector, a lawyer, that brand new SSB, that GPS, that sea anchor at -only(!!!)- 3000$, 10000 meters of chain, line, rope). Weeks and weeks of awaiting for documents, researching suppliers and best prices, swinging that plastic card over and over for every one of the million of bits and pieces required to say "we are ready". Hand stitching the sails to save money while enduring the mercyless Auckland weather...all in the name of the dream day when Fiji will appear over the horizon, jumpers will be shed and the chain will roll over into a blue warm water.
Oh well, a crash course in boat purchasing and ownership, spiced up with nightmares, freezing weather, crew defections and self-disqualifications, anxieties of all sorts. As one guy told me yesterday: 'Sailing: the most expensive way to go anywhere on fourth class'.
But the day is coming..oh it is coming.
Currently three people aboard (Me, Nick and Ben), with a fourth that really wants to be here but somehow is failing to materialize. No matter, three is enough for the 8-12 days to Fiji. The last things are falling into pieces, and by the end of the week we should be departing for Opua in the Bay of Islands. There we'll explore the islands while waiting for the US registration to come through, and then we'll be finally departing for the dream isles. Just a few days to go and a few card swipes..."all it takes..."
No comments:
Post a Comment