Life, Loss, and Sailing

Sorry for the late blog. We got into Urbanna yesterday around 4pm and I didn’t want to rush the blog post. Thanks for understanding, and thanks for being here! 🙂

This week was a tough one for my (Skye’s) friend group. Two of my best friends from college both lost their grandmothers within a few days of each other. Another friend in the same group lost her grandfather a couple of months ago. So, this week has been a hard one for us.

The thing is, we weren’t necessarily close with each other’s grandparents, so that isn’t what was hard.  What was hard was being so far away.  Two years ago, if we were upset or sad or crying, it took two seconds (if that) to walk into their room and hug them.  We could talk as we made dinner together or go out for drinks to forget about it.  We would chit chat until 2am because that’s what they needed.  This time, we couldn’t.  I really didn’t think about how different life is now than it was two years ago, but this week really threw me.  

Three girls who I’d met in college became these irreplaceable people in my life. They became friends that I’d never lose nor want to. They became family.

There are people in this life that light you up. These girls are those people. For them, their grandparents were those people. My grandma was one of those people. Having lost her so long ago, it’s hard to remember just how bright her light shined as she interacted with others. She was funny and kind, she made us laugh and hugged us tight, and she always made sure we didn’t go hungry.

When I heard the news this week, I knew I couldn’t sit in rainy Virginia and not go hug my people.  So we went to NC.  We made the trip a good one, seeing other good friends along the way and hugging them tight.  I got to hug my people and tell them I was so sorry they were going through it and wished I could stay longer.  

Times like these make you remember just how much those people mean to you, and how good those friendships make you feel.  

It made me realize that I’m lucky to know people who know me so well. I’m lucky to have a partner who supports driving across VA and NC to hug someone for 15 minutes. I’m lucky to have a life where though it’s sad to lose someone, it was so good to know and love them.

So, with all of that being said, make sure you hold your people tight. Hug them, love them, and don’t take this short and fleeting life for granted.

***

In other news, Steve and I left Monday morning and sailed up to Mobjack Bay. We’ve sailed to Urbanna, VA and will be staying until the end of the week. Our plans after that are yet to be determined, but we’re thinking of a visit to Onancock or back to Norfolk. Stay tuned until next week to find out where we go!

We had a few mishaps on this trip, but nothing nearly as bad as the last time we headed to Urbanna (aka the hole in the boat disaster of 2021). At one point, Steve went down below and checked on our bilge, only to find that it wasn’t working. Now, for a second there he had me worried because I saw him fiddling in the bilge area and asked “what’s wrong” and I didn’t get an answer. I later learned that’s because he didn’t know if things were good or bad, so he didn’t have a good answer. But, thankfully, the water was most likely from the condensation from the AC having run before we left the dock OR from the prop shaft packing where it is known to drip a bit. So, no holes! Anyway, Steve worked on that for a bit, but we’re planning on rewiring the pump while we’re here since we never got it working again and the fuse wasn’t blown.

Another thing that came up was the engine overheated. (YIKES) This was a bit scarrier to me, but it was solved quickly. We turned the engine off and let it sit, while trying to sail with the wind on our nose. It wasn’t the smoothest sail, but Steve decided that he wanted to check on a few things with the engine. After realizing that everything in the water filter looked fine, he checked other areas and found that a belt had snapped. Steve, being Steve, had a backup belt and put it back on and boom! We had a working (and not overheated) engine!

This isn’t a mishap, but it’s definitely a victory in our book:  Buoy finally peed on her doggy turf!  We’ve been trying to teach her, but I had a feeling it was just going to take one time and then maybe she’d have it down!  We were so close to Urbanna, less than 1 nautical mile out, and she went up and used the turf!  We positively affirmed her a lot, so fingers crossed she remembers that’s what it’s for next time!  Go Buoy!

A fun new addition to the boat is our new Wind Scoop. It attaches to the inside of our forward hatch and is pulled up by our spare halyard. Its purpose is to provide ample windflow when at anchor so that the boat (and we) stay cool. It was awesome, though I must say a bit noisy. We’re hoping to fine tune it so that it flaps less and then maybe I’ll sleep a little more.

Our bottom lifeline has been cut (intentionally), so now the goal is to put a new stanchion up on both sides to create more of a midship entryway. Then we’ll replace the lifelines and adjust the netting on both sides.

We’re still waiting to see what our dodger options and costs look like before we make a decision, so that’s for the next blog!

***

We have plenty of things to get done during August and early September before we take our road trip to housesit for family friends.  Finger’s crossed the heat dies down a little so that boat work is a bit more bearable.

Until then, we’ll be doing what we can down below, and outside in the mornings and evenings to beat the heat.

Happy Wednesday. Hug your people, tell them you love them. Life is ever changing; we have no choice but to embrace it.

Cheers,

Skye

Some photos from our sail: