and the moral of the story is...

and the moral of the story is...

This delivery has been one of the most challenging experiences of my life, amd
for that, I am grateful. Sailing an 82-foot cat was physically challenging,
to be sure - staying up all day and night with no land in sight, grinding
those winches, hauling the dinghy, and the constant scrubbing and running around - but I know Robin will agree, the hardest part was the mental and emotional toll of this particular passage.

It was very difficult, indeed, to be put in a position where I was in well over my head, and therefore compelled
to follow orders, even when those
directives went against what little sailing knowledge I might have acquired.

This trip forced both of us, naturally non-confrontational, to listen to our gut instincts, trust them, and voice our thoughts, even at the risk of starting an argument. We learned to think more critically, and act more cautiously, and not once did we regret it. This is, after all, a dangerous undertaking for the careless.

As a result of our looking out for each other, we have avoided (or at least cannot be held responsible for): crashing the boat, running aground, falling overboard alone at night without a harness or lifejacket, being assaulted by a drunken charter guest, losing a hand in between the anchor chain and windlass (our fingers are forever grateful!), losing an eye to an exploding block, solo drift diving in unfamiliar waters with a 4 knot current and no dsmb, swimming while underway in the Atlantic moments before two large, possibly hungry sharks race by the boat, or falling from 80 feet up the mast while our trusty belayer sneaks off to the galley to snack on some mango slices...

so kids, just remember: TRUST YOUR GUT & SPEAK UP! ...you never know when that excessive 400 feet of anchor chain in 15 feet of water is the result of your captain falling asleep at the helm with his finger on the 'anchor down' button...

Music: Mishka - Above the Bones

PS: Mom & Dad, please don't freak out. We are both safe and sound, thanks to some common sense and teamwork. Ducks fly together.