Argh a hole in my boat!
Posted: Sunday, 20 January 2008 |
Suddenly I feel like a deckhand rather than a farm hand again, the smell of lamb poo and milk is replaced with diesel and that strange smell you get when an angle grinder gets really rather warm.
After a lot of deliberating we have decided to modify the galley of the boat and extend it out right to the sides and stern making it a much larger space. The galley i have is great, much bigger than many. However, sometimes i feel as if i am chained to the sink and the walls are closing in around me. There are probably pills you can take for that......or maybe alcohol. Anyhow, the process has begun to take the insides to bits and gradually move the steel walls outward several feet.
We have also decided to get something made to allow the anchor to be deployed easily. Before this modification it would have been a two person job and a pain in the bum to recover. Now it has its own little chute to plop it into the water. Now obviously this wouldnt be good in a big blow, but to be honest i dont care about the state of the whaleback if i am having to drop the hook in a big blow!
Someone much wiser than me once showed me the meaning of Tao. Before this i had looked at the sheer beauty and simplicity of the Zen. This passage, a Koan, is really rather apt at the moment.
There is a Taoist story of an old farmer who had worked his crops for many years. One day his horse ran away. Upon hearing the news, his neighbors came to visit. “Such bad luck,” they said sympathetically.
“Maybe,” the farmer replied.
The next morning the horse returned, bringing with it three other wild horses. “How wonderful,” the neighbors exclaimed.
“Maybe,” replied the old man.
The following day, his son tried to ride one of the untamed horses, was thrown, and broke his leg. The neighbors again came to offer their sympathy on his misfortune.
“Maybe,” answered the farmer.
The day after, military officials came to the village to draft young men into the army. Seeing that the son’s leg was broken, they passed him by. The neighbors congratulated the farmer on how well things had turned out.
“Maybe,” said the farmer.
After a lot of deliberating we have decided to modify the galley of the boat and extend it out right to the sides and stern making it a much larger space. The galley i have is great, much bigger than many. However, sometimes i feel as if i am chained to the sink and the walls are closing in around me. There are probably pills you can take for that......or maybe alcohol. Anyhow, the process has begun to take the insides to bits and gradually move the steel walls outward several feet.
We have also decided to get something made to allow the anchor to be deployed easily. Before this modification it would have been a two person job and a pain in the bum to recover. Now it has its own little chute to plop it into the water. Now obviously this wouldnt be good in a big blow, but to be honest i dont care about the state of the whaleback if i am having to drop the hook in a big blow!
Someone much wiser than me once showed me the meaning of Tao. Before this i had looked at the sheer beauty and simplicity of the Zen. This passage, a Koan, is really rather apt at the moment.
There is a Taoist story of an old farmer who had worked his crops for many years. One day his horse ran away. Upon hearing the news, his neighbors came to visit. “Such bad luck,” they said sympathetically.
“Maybe,” the farmer replied.
The next morning the horse returned, bringing with it three other wild horses. “How wonderful,” the neighbors exclaimed.
“Maybe,” replied the old man.
The following day, his son tried to ride one of the untamed horses, was thrown, and broke his leg. The neighbors again came to offer their sympathy on his misfortune.
“Maybe,” answered the farmer.
The day after, military officials came to the village to draft young men into the army. Seeing that the son’s leg was broken, they passed him by. The neighbors congratulated the farmer on how well things had turned out.
“Maybe,” said the farmer.
Comments
Sic Transit Gloria Mundi - Translated means the things of this world will slowly pass away. Seems apt for your story.
Muness from Fetlar
Just walked past in the rain and saw the stream of sparks blowing in the wind. I presume you are repeating the hole making down aft. Tell you what though, I wouldn't like to wield an angle grinder in the current weather.
Hyper-Borean from Back in the dry
After coming to Orkney in May 2006 for 8 months, somehow I am still here. Running the MV Valkyrie in the summer and helping on the farm in winter is now my life. 
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