Solo Ventures

the ride is arduous. Taking a thermos & boiled eggs helps break up the journey and quells my nerves. fitting the ladder &:sorting out the ground tackle are priorities. 

My windvane is still under construction. A few day's hard labour would have him in going order, but I'm not into hard labour. I've made one vane block, but it didn't work. Its a tricky piece to fashion from hardwood. There are holes drilled at odd angles, the clock is then thinned down to make the holes which house the vane sail, shallower. A metal clamp is then bolted over to hold the vane sail in place. Its complicated. I need to make another. So naming is a bit premature. he's had a working name of "Forest". I found Forest Gump's capacity to continue running across America and back, totally fitting. Having sailed with a Navic (aka Plastimo) windvane previously, I am aware of a windvane's capacity to endure.  This evening the fictional element of FG is bothering me. I need something real, something Scottish and hard. That nation's highland warriors would fit the bill, but I was hoping for an identity with better karma. So The Flying Scotsman

CFG reckons its better to spend money on these things than on marine insurance:- . a manual bilge pump. . a second anchor & rode. . a "big gun" anchor stored. . storm trisail, on dedicated track. . Jordan series drogue. . paratech  drogue. . shark  drogue.  . gale rider  drogue. Lots of anchors & drogues! . 

Old mates bike up top is a Custom. While I'm not sure what that means, I can see the pipes & solo saddle are not stock.  Purple, has 30k on it & comes with  Blue Slip for $9k. What I'm noticing is its lack of storage & the chrome straps either side of the rear guard have been removed (I think?). YouTube tells me that a sissy bar bolts through those straps, & probably backing plates. If they've been removed, we have a storage issue, but otherwise its a plush bike. With a 1450cc twin engine tucked in there, she will move along nicely.  Very nicely indeed. 

Here's Mia early on her first day at work, 350k away.  That photo was taken weeks ago. Since then she has returned home, to collect horses, while here she mentioned a cloud on her left lung which led to getting it checked out, which led to surgery.  A little over a week ago she was strong enough to resume her intention to move back out west with her horses. As she was a little sore, and the horses can be a handful, I went along to help out. I stayed 10 days and we had a wonderful time hanging out together. We worked with the horses, mainly fencing, we went shopping, shared meals and talked a lot. For me it was like a holiday and I got stuck in and helped renovate the house andxtidy the lawn and gardens. Together with regular dog walks and my morning self care routine, I had a whale of a time.  Now I'm home and feel flat, sad and depressed. Some of this will be a natural let down at resuming "normal transmission" after a great time out west. But I think I&#

some months ago i gave myself a deadline to quit work. well perhaps it was a line in the sand. I figured that Anzac day would mark the great reduction in mowing income, & the loss  of my "best customers".  here's how its going. * D day was 21 days ago. * it has rained ever since, I have been unable to work. * those three customers are still active. so apart from a great reduction in income, I still have a responsibility to those customers & feel obliged. but o have more time to get boat work done.  but, I really feel like time is rushing by. to drive the point home, I'm reminded daily that younger people are at risk of lethal diseases & accidents, & people even younger than me are failing on their health. the option to go sailing is something that may be snapped from my grasp. I just have to keep pushing. Keep getting a boat work done, keep visiting more frequently. Keep stoking my dream! Thanks to  Wayne's Diaries on YouTube.