An extraordinary day

Today was closing day on Sojourner.  It seemed sort of anticlimactic but nonetheless wonderful.  I simply went to the offices of the yacht broker, handed over a check for the amount, and received the documentation and bill of sale.  No fuss, no fanfare--just a feeling of relief to have jumped through the hoops and finally close the deal. She is officially ours.  And I felt a rush of excitement tinged with some feelings of sadness that Compass Rose will soon be pulled from the water and stored.  As I told my wife, I hope that Sojourner will be as good to me as Compass Rose has been. 

After closing on the boat,  I went to the boat yard where she is sitting up on jacks and filled out a work order to get her bottom painted (red),  her boot top painted blue, her sheer line painted blue, and her hull waxed and buffed.  After that, she will go in the water and will be taken to the marina where we will transfer things from Compass Rose to Sojourner.  I hope that our first coastal voyage will be to the nearby Wooden Boat Festival. 

Today was also the 21st. anniversary of Hurricane Hugo's arrival to this area.  Some memories fade away, but the memory of that night and the morning after will stick with me for a life time.  Every time the wind blows hard I remember.  And every time there is discussion of a Cape Verde tropical disturbance, I feel a little knot inside wondering whether this could be another monster storm heading to remind us of how small we really are and how ephemeral all our possessions are.

I am thankful that tonight there aren't any raging winds and no feelings of anxiety.  I am just glad to have had a full day of life's goodness, topped off by a good meeting tonight on resentment.  Who hasn't had a few of those?  But I'm not feeling any resentment tonight.  I am filled with a feeling of tired peacefulness and much gratitude.