Making Progress - by Pat

I don't know why but getting certain things done gives me a greater feeling of progress than others. We have been working for weeks, one step at a time, to remount the mainsheet traveler, which is what controls the position of the boom. It is very important to being able to sail Remedios well, and we have modified it so that we can control it from the safe and dry confines of the cockpit. Getting this done involved a lot, including an elaborate process for making sure the holes for the mounting bolts don't leak, custom shims to get the angles just right, and multiple points where we had to let epoxy or adhesive sealants cure. That meant we had to stage the work over several weeks. This past Saturday, I bolted it in place for the final time. Once that was done, I could start putting up the ceiling panels I had removed to gain access to the underside of the deck.



The weird thing is, the biggest "thrill of progress" feeling I had was that I installed three new cabin lights, which I couldn't do until I reinstalled the ceiling panels. I can't explain it but I have been very excited to flip the switch on those new lights and at a certain point, getting the traveler done just became an obstacle to getting those pretty new lights to illuminate the cabin.
I even feel a little guilty that I am not as delighted as I should be that Tom installed the new stereo. The stereo will surely do more to keep us sane on the trip than the lights and the traveler is key to safe and effective sailing.



Maybe it is the warm comforting glow the new lights give the main cabin. Maybe it is the fact that installing the lights is often one of the final steps in a bathroom or kitchen remodel. I don't care, all I can say is it was great to get them in. Now, I have some toilet plumbing to finish. Hmmm, wait, I think we could use some new curtains...

Pat