Looking Forward

Swallowing the anchor, 11 October 2016.

This saying is used by cruisers to describe the dreaded time when you stop circumnavigating and try to find another way to live. Well, I partly swallowed my anchor. It is stuck somewhere halfway, after ten years circumnavigating I feel that repeating that experience is not the way to go. But saying goodbye to sailing? Certainly not! So you are left with a double task: first (re)building your nest on land and spending time with old friends and family. Which is wonderful. And second taking care of your old sailing home to keep her fit for the next twenty years of sailing in not so distant waters. It surely keeps you busy and prevents boredom!

A picture of Stamper toady: she is completely sanded and ready for a new paint job. Three layers of epoxy primer, then finishing white and red. In addition: the VHF cable and wind instrument cable in the mast will be replaced, the seacock for the toilet idem, and the seal for the rudder axis will be renewed.

Rebuilding the nest: first solar panels:

Then a new kitchen:

A new walk-in storage room:

And re-doing the garden

I am a lucky guy to have two daughters with five even more wonderful grandchildren. And after all those years being far away as 'opa boot' it is exciting to see how they are preparing for their role in this confusing world. This rejuvenation fills me with hope and joy. I see it as one of the biggest inventions of evolution.

Friends? how much time they deserve and how little they get. We had a party for returning home in July, too little time to catch up with the many friends who showed up. Family? we had a family reunion of Miekes family and there too: just scratching the surface. Another reunion of old study mates that should be followed up by more one-on-one visits. Time will allow that, but it will take years.

A selection of the many sailing friends:

Old friends