Strength & Perseverance

No, we have not left the marina yet. No, our projects are not done. Yes, we are fine with that because the projects we are working on will make life at sea much easier.   

Yesterday we got both sails installed on Endeavor. The headsail, or jib, had been taken off so I cold do some repairs and will do us well for another few years. The mainsail is brand spanking new and white and beautiful. It is also super stiff and trying to get it onto the mast and then into the sail bag felt like what I would imagine wrestling a kangaroo, for over two hours, would feel like. It is another one of those jobs that was so frustrating that once done I couldn’t help but cry with relief and pride. Please enjoy the only photo I took after we got it installed and sorry George for the weird, where is his head, shot.

Our last (well, for now) project is building a solar arch and installing the panels. We should be done with that next week. Our hard ‘must leave’ deadline is the 29th. That gives us about a week to sail to Bellingham, WA, for the haul out and my trip.

There are lots of common sayings non-sailors use that are taken from sailing. Here are a few:

Batten Down The Hatches

Sheet Happens

Ship-Shape

All Hands on Deck

Keel Over

Even Keeled

Three Sheets to the Wind

Lower the Boom

Know the Ropes

Etc…

18 months ago I would not have known what many of these really meant. Do you know what these mean?

I am going to make a list of my own sailerly sayings often heard on Endeavor. Here we go:

George, Help

Thanks, George

Could You Please, George

George, I Need You

Great Job, George

We Did It!

Typically that last one doesn’t happen if not preceded by the others. Now don’t get me wrong, I am totally capable, smart, creative and a problem solver. I have done plenty of projects on Endeavor on my own, but there are so many I could not do without the strength and perseverance of George. Whether it is removing that stripped out screw that has been corroded shut for 30 years, doing something overhead that requires more upper body strength than I have, or reaching that last crack in the water tank that I just cannot reach with my arms, George will do it. He will be embarrassed by this post, but too bad. He is awesome and I am thankful to be on this journey with someone who epitomizes strength and perseverance.

Thanks, George! And by the way, could you help me with this water filter install???