Happy Tuesday, readers!
I have some fun news! We are BACK in Norfolk. Well, at least the boat is.
On a whim last Thursday evening, after having my parents over for dinner at the cabin, Steve checked the weather for Saturday. It was perfect for sailing. The wind was good, it was coming from the West, then North West, meaning we’d have an easy trip to Norfolk.
First, let me be honest about something. The idea of sailing back to Norfolk from Kilmarnock was not something I was looking forward to. There’s sailing, and then there’s sailing in the cold. There’s sailing, and then there’s sailing with no engine. There’s sailing, and then there’s sailing on a whim (hoping it all works out and that there’s someone to tow us into our slip).
For the last month, I’ve been a bit stressed about the broken engine situation, but not nearly as stressed as I could’ve been, or as I’ve been before when we’ve encountered boat issues. However, when Steve mentioned this idea to sail down on Saturday, engineless, I was not ready to deal with that. So began a very stressful and anxiety filled couple of days.
Luckily for mom and dad, they got to sit there and watch us contemplate the best way to get there, get the car to Norfolk, who would tow us in, etc.
Lucky for us, mom offered to ride with us to Norfolk on Friday, stay the night at Steve’s grandparents’ house, leave for the boat at 5:30am, push us off the dock, and pick us up in Norfolk when we got there many hours later.
And so, on Friday, we made our way to Virginia, mom in tow, with a whole lot of nervous energy.
Again, luckily, we called the neighbors that lived next to where the boat was docked, and they offered to tow us into the creek, taking away one of our biggest stressors (getting off the dock and into the bay).
Needless to say, this trip was based a lot on luck. We didn’t know we’d have help getting out. We didn’t know mom would help us take the car to Norfolk so that we didn’t have to drive an extra 4 hours borrowing someone’s car. We didn’t know we’d get towed into our slip. And yet, it all worked out.
Once we were off of the dock and the neighbors untied us from their boat, the sails were up and we were wing to wing until we turned South in the bay.
The wind picked up as soon as we were past the land masses on both sides, letting us move faster and faster as the day went on.
The wind was Northern for the most part, but we had 2-4 foot swells behind us. Luckily (there’s that word again), we could surf the waves. With the wind behind us, everything was pushing us home to Norfolk.
It’s funny how things work out that way sometimes. It’s like the water and wind and every element knew we needed to get South. The wind looked at the waves and said, “one way or another, we’re getting them out of our hair and back home!” And they did. After about 10 hours of sailing, we made it to our home port safe and sound.
SeaTow was able to pull us in the last little bit (and I mean little). We called them when we were about three nautical miles to our slip. They showed up when we were a few hundred feet from our slip. Luckily, it was an easy job to throw some lines on, and slide us into our slip.
Some of our friends and workers from the marina caught our lines, and we were tied up and home safe. One of the guys even asked, “Alright, how many parts do you need?” before we even said “Hello”! It was quite the laugh after a long sail. What I should’ve said was, “How much time ya got?”
In truth, we have no idea how many parts we need. We don’t even know if what we think is wrong is wrong! However, if it is, that means the whole engine has to come out, be turned upside down, just to get a piston ring out that may need replacing.
To be quite honest, we’ve had three people look at our engine. Every time there was something else wrong. And there really was something new wrong each time, it’s not like they were all just doing quick fixes! Every person would tell us the issue, we’d order the parts, the engine would start, and then when we had plans to move the boat it wouldn’t turn over. And thus, a new guy was called and a new issue was found.
Boats really are tough on you sometimes. Especially when you live on one. I love that thing. I love the smell and the feel and how cozy it is. I love our pictures all over the sides and the “fridge wall” that we’ve created above the sink (not really on the fridge because we don’t have one that we can put things on) that has holiday cards and wedding invites and baby announcements on it.
I love the way it was the beginning of Steve and I, where we fell in love, where we got married. I love our sweet Batland.
But it does get hard sometimes. And honestly, I think most things get hard sometimes. Owning a home, working the yard, buying a car, working a 9-5. All of those things are tough sometimes. So we take the good things where we can find them.
We look at the glimmers and admire them as they shine. We should always find the beauty in the simple and mundane moments, not just the incredible and wild ones. Life is made up of so many things, sadness included, but if we can only see the light and let it in when it comes, maybe then we will not focus on the terrible, no good, bad days, but on the beauty of it all – of the every day.
That got much more philosophical than I planned for it to, but honestly, that means I’m back on my writing BS, and man does it feel good.
I’m doing this again, partly to document our memories, but mainly just for me. I needed writing (for fun) back in my life. So maybe, if there’s something you’ve been wanting to do, or something you need back in your life, just start small. I did. Last week’s blog was nothing compared to some that I’ve written, but it made me remember that I love it, and that I can do these things (and that I’m good at it).
You’ve got this. I believe in you.
Let the light in. Do something for you.
With love,
Skye
Mentally Sailing 