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While at anchor in the South Pacific, I wrote a book about my voyage. From daunting weather to relationships sweet and sour, wild waves and boat repairs, this very personal memoir shares my many challenges, my search for harmony with nature, and how I come to feel the unity of all things. The team at Patagonia Books, along with illustrator Daniella Manini, bring my story to life with amazing art and four photo galleries. It’s a work of enormous love, with the intention to inspire others to follow their hearts, protect our planet, and live out their dreams. Ask for it in your local independent bookstore, order online, download as an e-book, or listen to me read it as an audiobook. While at anchor in the South Pacific, I wrote a book about my voyage. I’m excited to share the personal story of my voyage with the world. Book available now!
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Use it or Loose It

Posted on Jan 12, 2009 | 2 Comments

There are days when I just can’t find the motivation to keep working. I look up at the hull and feel totally overwhelmed and hopeless.

“It’s never ending…” I think aloud. But then I look left, and see, Ives, my hero of a neighbor who has worked relentlessly from dawn to dusk for 2 weeks straight, grinding and painting and detailing his hull with a smile on his face all the while. He’s a Frenchman in his 25th year of cruising a boat he built himself to sail around the world. I take a deep breath, look back at Swell, and try to muster the strength to keep going. But a scaffolding shortage around the yard has left me scaffoldless again, as it seemed there’s a ‘use it or loose it’ policy that comes into effect when I slip away to catch a few waves in the afternoons. So not only must I find the motivation to keep working, I first have to wander the yard and drag back anything sufficiently sturdy to stand on.

Finally Swell’s many blisters were sufficiently filled, fared, and sanded smooth and the gouged waterline, too, looked and felt sufficiently level.

“What do I do now?” I asked my faithful advisor, Cesar, after lunch one day.

“The waterline and each patch will need to be sealed with 6 coats of regular epoxy resin,” he replied.

I almost fainted at his words. I thought I would have to sand between each coat and just the thought of sanding all of that area six more times was enough to weaken my knees.

“But you can apply them wet-on-wet, in one day.” He finished.

It was still be a big job, but these words eliminated 5 of the sanding rounds.

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2 Comments

  1. Christine
    January 13, 2009

    Go Girl …. Was sent your page from a friend in Europe she new I would love it as a sailer and yacht owner my self. I sail a 32ft yacht in the whitsundays Australia, and yes do a lot of my own work on it so understand your part about Swell being on the hard and getteing her bottom done!

    I am just at the start of a web site I’m building which has a two fold purpose of a passive income and freeing up my time to sail and travel more. Take a look at http://www.cruising-women-on-yachts.com

    I will keep a check on your travels through Wend magazine.

    Fair Winds
    Christine

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  2. Christine
    January 13, 2009

    Go Girl

    www-cruising-women-on-yachts.com

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