Winter Sucks

Winter sucks it is true and I am oh so envious of you lot enjoying a Northern Hemisphere summer. Enjoy it for me, I'm so missing light past 5pm.

My boots are never dry.

Admittedly, I'm writing from bed on a cold dark night on the boat. I've come into the port to shelter from 35 knot winds and pissing rain. The boat is canted over on the dock, straining its mooring lines and making that horrible groaning noise. I'm sure to have nightmares about the lines snapping. There's water coming in down the chainplates and my bed is wet. I'm not in the best of moods. A drama queen as per, as soon as the sun shines I'll be sweet.

I do not want this blog to become a vehicle for me to complain, vent my frustrations yes, but not complaining for the sake of it. Most days I love life. But for the last two weeks I have struggled to find even an ounce of motivation in the morning. Life is work and work is life and I hate it. I live for the weekends when I can hang out during the day on the boat, complete some of the projects I've recklessly started during the week, go for a mountain bike, and go to the beach in daylight.

To focus on the positives, there have been many MANY highlights the last few weeks. I'm clinging on to them.

The best Saturday spent out sailing with friends, tempted to keep going to Fiji. There was enough water onboard for two days so we'd drink our pee, a couple cans of diced beetroot should keep us going for 2 weeks, and who needs diesel when you've got sails. I thought it all through carefully.

Highlights at work include climbing tall tall masts and gazing out at the view over the bay (not included in photo as I was distracted by the goings-on of people in high vis).

This is the best kind of climb. I get lifted up by the crane, have to put zero effort in. Its like flying. The views are great, I'm away from people and all I have to do it install a wind instrument and remove the sling from the mast. These are happy days.

And of course waking up on the mooring will never get old, I love it. There's also no better feeling than rounding the corner in the dinghy after a day at work and looking out to Mahana. I've taken to playing the Moana soundtrack and singing loudly (thanks for the tip Theodore). No one can hear me, drowned out by the hum of the outboard engine.

For those remotely interested in my boat projects, the outboard engine I believe is fixed! Though not yet tested it so really no idea yet, I could very well have messed something else up. But, here's hoping I replaced the gaskets of the fuel pump correctly and put bolts back in the right order.

I also made a dinghy harness and hoist so when/if the rain ever stops I can lift the thing onto the dinghy without breaking bones.

The coming week, should I find the motivation to shift my ass I want to start stripping my new mast! More updates soon but Mahana is getting a full makeover with a new rig :) slowly slowly, as and when I have the funds.