Tuesday, September 21, 2010

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.

17 comments:

  1. May your days be filled with fair winds and your nights calm seas. Hurricane season if nigh done and the heat from the African continent should begin to come off those coasts a bit cooler.

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  2. Congrats on the new boat. May you and C have many hours of love and sailing and wonderful adventures.

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  3. Congrats Syd. Another endless supply of projects. LOL

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  4. congrats on the boat closing! Happy Trails.

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  5. quite the anniversary to be stirring in the air...best wishes for hte first sail...the wooden boat festival sounds fun...

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  6. Best wishes for a long and wonderful relationship with Sojourner.

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  7. gratitude is a good space to be in. i have gone to the gym 2 days in a row now and i already feel so much better, i still need a meeting but my thoughts and actions are not cluttered and i feel useful.

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  8. congrats on the boat, i am so glad the sale went through.

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  9. This reminded me of my childhood when I lived in a fishing village and the men were all fishermen and built their own boats. I remember listening to my neighbors who were building a boat at the time, squatting as men did in those days, and the grandfather claimed that boat bottoms should always be red because "fish can't see red."
    I am happy for you, Syd. What a lovely thing- a beautiful new boat to glide over the water in. May it be the vessel for many happy memories.

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  10. More, better, different is a red flag for me today. I used to chase horses.
    I have a genuine love for them, but there have been many other elements and emotions tangled up with them too. I can no longer afford to maintain them in my life. Or allow myself to engage in any old potentially, deadly pursuits that road used to offer. I had to step back.Now I pray for ways to enjoy them from a different angle. I pray others may enjoy their pursuits in a more balanced and realistic manner! We have a very small boat that we fish from, I used to have a sea
    Kayak- speed and beauty...

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  11. I am leaning towards believing that the greatest gift I get from God is "Peace".

    Congratulations. I know your experiences with Sojourner will be everything and more than you hope for.

    PG

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  12. Congratulations and may she be blessed with good travels, a strong wind and many wonderful memories.

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  13. Great day sound like. Momentous day in fact. Pretty soon you will have everything transferred onto the new boat and will be getting accustomed to the boat. Best wishes to you C and many adventures ahead for you both.

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  14. Congratulations on your new addition...may it bring you and yours many happy sailing days ahead for years to come :)

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  15. Your tired peacefulness and gratitude come through in your post.
    Congrats on the new boat :) I hope you and C have many fun adventures on it! Though that picture was a bit scary to picture you up that high looking down on your boat - ahhh! Guess you're not afraid of heights!
    God bless.

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  16. Congratulations on Sojourner, I am anxious to read tales of your sailing and travels.

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