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Preparation for the Journey |  |
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Preparation for the Journey | |
Talent will not: nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not: unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education alone will not: persistence and determination alone are omnipotent." - shirt presented by Stan Cardenas to the Captain |
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| July 6, 1998
Lat 38N, Lon 122W |
It seems that our previous entry in May was slightly optimistic.
We only thought we were almost done in May. What we forgot was --
Scalawag is a boat. Everything takes longer than expected.
After fighting with recalcitrant heads, fixing the refrigeration (again),
and struggling with the washer/dryer sump pump, we finally finished the
boat upgrades.
I have decided that preparing a boat for a world voyage is much like preparing for a wedding. First, whether you allow two months or two years before the event, the entire time will be filled with details, crisis', and things undone. Second, everyone around you will have an expert opinion of things you absolutely must do, and it is impossible to execute on more than a small fraction of these often conflicting, but well-meant suggestions. Lastly, even if you push the date back, the big day will eventually arrive and you will have to take the plunge. |
| May 1, 1998
Lat 38N, Lon 122W |
Splash-Down!! The Scalawag has finally been returned to her salty sea-shelter. She can't actually go anywhere though, until the work on the rudder post, exhaust manifold, cockpit drain hoses, heads, and several other items are completed by the yard. We can't move back aboard until the faucets, counter tops, 12 volt lights, and several other items are completed by us. It is similar to when I finally got my driver's license, but my parents still wouldn't let me take the the car out alone: it counts technically, but it is not the same as when my honey and I can climb aboard and cruise off to some romantic spot alone.... |
| March 1998
Lat 38N, Lon 122W |
The Scalawag has been hauled out at Svendsen's for some final work on her bottom (no Kirt, not liposuction) checking all through-hulls, add a feathering prop and sonar transducer (for sighting icebergs), and some paint and varnish up top to put the sparkle back in her smile. Living aboard in a parking lot is OK once you get used to two things: 1) climbing a ladder 17 feet above the pavement to board, and 2) realizing that the other boats zipping past the portholes have not been torn from their dock by El Nino, but rather are being to "driven" to their parking spaces. After two years of turning a 1978 boat into a 1998 cruiser, it is hard to believe that we are almost done. |
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