I finished painting the deck areas between the Raptor nonskid this morning. GANNET is restored to respectability.
There is more to do, but this is enough for now. I am no longer living in moldy squalor. And the mad painter has left the room. Or boat.
Fifteen minutes or so ago I was sitting on deck sipping Plymouth gin and listening to Lucy Laplansky when two two person kayaks came past. People in these kayaks are pretty much at eye level with me sitting on GANNET and so I often speak with them. In this instance I said, “What a wonderful evening and how great it is to be on the water.” I should perhaps preference that by noting that a bit earlier I watched another two person kayak go past with a young man, perhaps boy, and young woman, perhaps, girl, who were clearly unfamiliar with being on the water and as clearly awed by the experience. They went out a short distance and just drifted overcome by the grace and beauty. One of the men in the two kayaks who were passing now responded, “How come you are not out sailing?” I would not have said this had he not asked, but I replied, “I sailed this boat around the world finishing a few months ago and that is enough for a while.” Gasps from four young people who of course had no idea of my other voyages. I suppose one of my purposes is to stretch imaginations.
