thanks, i am feeling better. actually i feel pretty salty. Im almost 37, got my first piece of crap boat when i was 16. its been an off and on thing since then, mostly on. in some way or another i have been involved w/ boats/building/working. either owning a boat or working at a marina or giving on the water training, even taught MD state boaters safety course. I just get nervous when i have put so much into this thing. its definately an accumulation of my knowledge and help from this board. i had a 30' Carver that i tried to "restore", and it ended bad (not really my fault that it sank, shorepower died and batts died over 2 weeks), but i lived on it for 2 years, and if it floated--this baby WILL. i look back and think of all the mistakes and negligence--it was a learning experience. I have been around this stuff for a while, and i might not know how to do everything, or know everything, but I feel like i kinda got a sense about what is wrong and know when to ask questions. Next boat i get, im sure there will be systems and parts & pieces that i am unfamiliar with, but thats whats great about resources like this!
This is the biggest boat i have owned. its more complicated than what i have dealt with in the past (looking back, I now know every inch of this boat). but im learning, and im thinking of things everyday. reading your post made me go check my cleats. thats not rocket science, i just didnt think about it. I found my starboard bow cleat a little loose and will inspect & fix tomorrow. there are a million things im sure im missing, but i think i got the big seaworthy items done. I just went around and closed all my seacocks and will recheck wednesday. my hull is solid, i have done everything i can think of. im really proud of the job i have done. looking back, i remember trying to hurry on other projects. Not this time. This has been TWO YEARS OF MY LIFE!!!! i could have put her in where i bought her and sailed her home, but it would have sucked.
I am going to have the time of my life. and hopefully convince my wife to cruise away. im not much on this world/life. if i wasnt married, id probably already be floating and sailed away! i want to make everything as safe as possible b/c of her. then, if she likes, and i convince, off we go! i have a little cruising experience, not much, but im gonna spend the summer in the ocean. my marina is almost the ocean, somewhat protectected charleston harbor (doesnt sound as bad as CC). i wanna do some more stuff, but i hope to be offshore ready by august. I know the basics of sailing, self taught on a 22'-28'. I got lessons for my wife, b/c i end up yelling and she will hate sailing and me. I got free lessons on craigslist, you might try that. I got so many responses that i was able to choose the one that sounded best. the guy talks a lot, but he is a really smart old hippy type. gotta plan on 10 hours when we meet him. he is a former instructor for clemson university. i dont think he knows much more than me, and has even failed to heed my warning and run aground (he's not familiar with the waters) it is just his confidence level. thats what i need. and he has a big vocabulary.
ok, enough rambling (ive had about 12 cold ones!). i think i am ready! I imagine that this experience and that to come is going to be something that my grandchildren & their grandchildren talk about! im gonna do something special. We talk about my great, great, great, great (too many greats?) grandfather that was 16 and sailed here from England on his own vessel and started a rice & indigo plantation. maybe i can have some stories to tell. WHAT ELSE IS THERE?
