Yesterday at one point when I was in the yard office, Rand, a worker I’ve come to know a bit, asked me about Jessie’s time with me. “Did she think she was coming here for a vacation?” he asked nervously.
“Um, sort of… a working vacation?” I answered, explaining that we got to play in the early days of her time here, and then I needed her help for a few ‘two man jobs’ for closing up, as well as moving the boat around the Abacos in general. “Sheesh, remind me not to say ‘yes’ if you ever ask me to go on vacation with you!” was his response, laughing himself away. “You never stop!” It’s true at the yard, for sure. We ‘Chickadeeans’ tend to put our heads down and go for it, as opposed to the slower approach to most boat owners there. Do a couple of projects a day, take off for the afternoon, come back the next day to work a bit more, and so on. The difference? They’re all retired, and we have only a finite amount of time to play AND get the boat in and out of its storage mode. My goal for the last days here on Green Turtle was to work hard and swiftly, so that I could actually spent a day puttering around the island and enjoying my favorite bits before I head north.
After hauling on what was a grey and gross Tuesday morning, I can happily say that as of yesterday afternoon, the boat is completely put to bed, and ready to lie in wait for a long summer and fall before we see her again. Jessie left in the early afternoon, and I am whooped, but satisfyingly so. Today my plans flit between a visit to the settlement, a walk on the beach, and a nap by a pool before coming ‘home’ to read in a shaded swing chair to absorb all of the goodness of this year’s time here.
A completely different look to our trip this year, but wonderful nonetheless. Having our family time to form new memories together (I keep thinking of Violet’s “Geez, it smells like… hot” when I walk along the sea grapes and love vines baking in the sun, for one..), and then having both solo time onboard AND a chance to introduce someone dear to something dear was a true gift.
SO many lessons learned this winter. To start, FaceTime sessions with my family have been necessary part of the physical separation. How have the girls grown up so much in the short time we’ve been apart?! Seems impossible. I now understand the weight of full responsibility of keeping the boat in safe and working order in a way that I hadn’t shouldered before. (Those trips to the beach aren’t as relaxing when you’re thinking about your boat at anchor in a harbor on the opposed side of the island, you know?) I know what it’s like to ‘moisturize’ my hands and arms in the stank of bilge water (although if I’m being honest, I knew that before, I just mostly tried to avoid it and pass it off to you-know-who/previous captain), and the dozen other little challenges and tasks that all add up all day every day? They gave me a deeper connection to the boat’s systems, the Abaconian waters, my self-confidence, and the very strong network of wonderful people in this part of my life. So much to reflect upon with intense gratitude.
In short, it’s been turtley awesome, and I can’t wait to do it all over again very soon.
