I landed in San Diego 13 days ago. As usual, I was hopelessly and foolishly blinded by dreams of another grand adventure. Refusing to listen to reason, I was convinced I could and would learn to sail a 50 ft sailboat (I grew up in Colorado... a fair ways from any sailing opportunities), and determined to take on any repairs the old girl required (my mechanical background is, well, I was an English major. Enough said.) Never the less, I stepped foot onto the dock, and walked with unfounded determination towards my new home, which the yacht owners around me fondly call, The Pirate Ship. I threw myself up over the railing, and slid the cabin door open. She was dusty. She was dirty. Mildew and age had taken hold, and taken hold with a firm hand. But had anyone been in the cabin with me, theyd have thought Id just stepped aboard the Titanic. My ridiculous smile refused to subside, and as I looked around, through the water damage, mold, and scattered junk, I saw one thing: POTENTIAL. When I flicked the breaker to try to get some power, I quickly discovered the batteries were shot. After the massive task of removing/installing 600 lbs of batteries, I looked at the circuit panel. A red light meant I had power and that the labeled item potentially worked. No light meant I needed to get to fixing. Out over 30 lights, 2 were lit, one of which was the radio. I took it as a sign- bump the tunes! There was no water. No lights. No fridge. No bilge pumps to keep the boat from sinking god forbid I took on water. Nothing. But still, POTENTIAL. The first 2 days on the boat were spent taking a sailing course during the day, and cleaning the boat to be somewhat livable at night. On the 3rd day I met Steve, Captain Ron, or Mr Nasa. Whichever you prefer. Heres a 60 year old man who worked for NASA for 30 years yet has the strut and swagger of Captain Ron. He can look at any single piece of machinery, and not only tell me what it is, but what it does, why it does it, and how. He laughed at me (and still does) for my over ambitious dreams for the boat, but he was intrigued by the project and perplexed by my enthusiasm. Lucky for me, he wasnt scared off by my complete lack of mechanical background, and seemed content that I was willing to listen, and eager to learn. For the past week and a half he has stood over my shoulder, informing me that Homie doesnt get dirty on other peoples boats, as I crawled under engines, sinks, toilets, and every other nook and cranny a boat possesses, and instructed me how to fix every single trouble I encountered. He made lists of supplies I needed to pick up. Introduced me to the right people. Took me through his boat to give me perspective on what I was shooting for, and lent me every tool known to god, and then a couple, to work on the boats numerous issues. Ive learned an insane amount in such a short time, and its a 100% because of him. After almost two weeks, nearly all those red lights are lit, I have running water, fridge & freezer, microwave, lights, and a running engine... ironically, the stereo just went out. I guess she knew the hard work was over and it was time to turn the music down. I couldnt have done it without Mr Nasa, and Im incredibly grateful for not only this experience and all Ive learned, but the people Ive met along the way. 5 more days and loads more to do, but I cant believe weve made it this far. BIG adventures to come aboard the pirate ship!!!
Posted on: Thu, 29 May 2014 04:53:35 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015