I’m almost finished with my morning writing and eagerly anticipating heading down to work on Sahula. On days like this, preparing to set off on a voyage feels almost as fulfilling as actually being “out there.”
When the cyclone season in the South Pacific draws to a
close about four months from now, David and I are headed across the Tasman Sea
again. This time our goal is the outer reaches of the Great Barrier Reef in
north Queensland. It has been almost a year since we last took Sahula
offshore so of course there is a list of to-do’s. Right now I have several
projects underway, the most challenging involve woodworking; building a new
front for the engine box, replacing bits
of trim that had to be removed by force to let David inspect the steel hull under
the floor in the loo, building a replacement strut to insure the cockpit seats stay
firmly in place when someone steps on them, creating another shelf in the china
teacup and glass locker. My voyage
preparation list started with 11 woodworking jobs, six rigging jobs and a dozen
general jobs. As of today, two of the
woodworking jobs are finished and crossed off, and I am minutes from completing
number three, a new front panel for the engine box.
David was helping me do the final fit on the slide bolts
that secure this replacement section earlier today. When the job was nearly finished,
he stood back and said, “That’s a real improvement. How about replacing the top
of the engine box – those stains and chips are even more obvious now the front
looks so smart.” Glowing from the compliment, I willingly add one more job to
the list. This one presents a new challenge – getting straight clean cuts on
the sides of the plywood. (Yes, the plywood edges will show as this surface is
also one of the working areas for the galley.) So now am thinking of how I will
practice using the jig saw. I’ve got lots of scruffy looking off-cuts of ply
around the shop I can use for my practice cuts. I am actually excited by this newest addition
to the list.
There are a few reasons I am particularly enjoying myself. First,
I am being forced to learn new skills.
In the past Larry, as a master boatbuilder, took care of any woodworking
projects – handing me beautifully shaped pieces of timber to inspect for any
pencil marks he might have missed. After a close inspection I would then sand
and varnish or paint each thing he had built until it glowed. Larry did teach
me how to do some simple woodworking jobs on my own, using the drill press to cut
wood plugs, then hammering each plug carefully in place, then using chisels to
cut them flush. He taught me how to sharpen a wood plane and use it to trim the
edges of the cedar planks that eventually became our bunk boards. But generally,
I was the perpetual apprentice and finisher.
Now I am sailing with David, a retired solicitor who taught
Environmental Law and worked as an environmental activist. He laughingly
describes himself as a “highly skilled pencil pusher.” David is willing to take
care of engine and systems maintenance and the sump of the bilge to the top of
the coach-roof rust chipping then recoating and repainting work that is necessary as owner of a steel cruising vessel.
But he has no patience at all with woodwork. We need to keep our costs in
control and there are no carpenters available here on the island where we live.
Thus, the relatively simple woodwork upgrades have fallen to me. It’s a case of - either I do it or I put up
with it.
This is the forward cabin on Taleisin. Her whole interior reflected Larry’s skills as a master boatbuilder and what many would call, “a traditionalist."
Furthermore, Taleisin’s interior was a stunning example of Larry’s boatbuilding/carpentry skills with features such as Birdseye maple raised panel cabinet doors surrounded by California black walnut set into solid teak tongue and groove cabinetry, all lovingly finished with six coats of varnish. I felt privileged to care for that beautiful interior, Larry had the skills to repair any small bits of wear and tear so even after 27 years of hard use, it looked almost like new. In contrast, an amateur built Sahula. He was more comfortable working with steel than with timber. Her woodwork, mostly plywood, was unsophisticated when it was built. After almost 30 years of use and abuse by three different male owners who sailed mostly on their own it had become, to put it bluntly, a bit shabby and patched looking by the time I met my wild Australian boy. The first time I offered to replace a broken bit of trim and build a paper towel holder, David said, “go for it. But remember, this isn’t Taleisin. Nothing has to be perfect.” His delight at what I felt was a mediocre result, encouraged me to try other projects. And David, over the ensuing 7 years, smartly fed my ego by pointing out my simple improvement efforts to everyone who came on board.
Sahula’s interior is a complete contrast, far less formal. It reflects David’s love of color.
Today, I am having a hard time concentrating on writing this blog post even though the early summer weather here in New Zealand is squally and wet, my office comfy. I keep mulling over how to fit the new engine box lid around the wiring that goes from the engine through the lid and on to the cockpit instruments, whether to paint the top of the new engine cover with white two-pot epoxy paint or a heavy-duty polyurethane varnish. I remember I have a can of white epoxy. Decision made, I finally turn 've read all of Lin and Larry Pardey's cruising chronicle books (all of Serrafyn's adventures and Taleisin's Tales). I loved this book for it's telling of tales of passages. But this book went a level deeper: Lin shares her anxieties, insecurities, and how she deals with some of life's most difficult moments in this memoir of the years after Taleisin's Tales. Her positivity continues to shine through despite it all, but the book provides plenty of food for thought about life and love, both on and off the water, making a choice that feels important at this moment, and finishing this blog post so I can share it with friends like you.
Lin Pardey
Kawau Island
P.S. Thank you to those who have written wonderful notes via
facebook and posted great reviews on Amazon and other sites after reading
Passages: Cape Horn and Beyond. (Yes, like most authors, I do watch reviews to
see how folks are reacting.) Here’s one of my favorite:
I've read all of Lin and Larry Pardey's cruising
chronicle books (all of Seraffyn’s adventures and Taleisin's Tales). I loved
this book for it's telling of tales of passages. But this book went a level
deeper: Lin shares her anxieties, insecurities, and how she deals with some of
life's most difficult moments in this memoir of the years after Taleisin's
Tales. Her positivity continues to shine through despite it all, but the book
provides plenty of food for thought about life and love, both on and off the water.
To order a copy of Passages, click here.
See all of Lin's available publications, click here.