Today I Am Feeling Overwhelmed

[Ex-Calif]

Do the easy stuff first.
1 - Get the halyard
2 - Go sailing
3 - Enjoy the overcast
4 - Enjoy the sail

Everything else is important and will get done in its time. And when it is done there will be something else to do.

Everyone is time stamped and its too important to enjoy each day to be frustrated by a little sunbrella and a freakin' oven for God's sake...

[Pblais]

I guess I have been working on this for 2 months now, so I can forgive myself a momentary lapse.

We have been doing a major work over. I thought 2 weeks maybe 3. We are coming close to 2 months. Delays compound and frustrate intermixed with torrential rains and heat. Followed by high humidity and grass mowing.

It's August! You get to feeling anxious in August here. Looking forward to better wind and cooler September / October sailing! Anxious to be ready not to miss any of it and maximize the effort.

Sailing is more about not pushing the time scale. It's OK to try and make it move along but you can't feel bad about things that you can't control.

[sarafina]

oh isn't funny and ironic... I was feeling so overwhelmed the day I started this thread. and then on Friday Himself and I did our little deck dance in semi hysteria when the tiller froze. Now that I have a REAL problem to work on I feel so much better!

Go figger ; -}

[Pacific Jewel]

Hello Sara,
I too, had to chuckle when I read your post. I have also felt your pain! Don't you worry girlfriend. One task at a time. It will get done. And if it's not perfect, so what? Get out there and enjoy life! You deserve it. :-)

[Sandero]

The lists never end and when you tick off something you add more.

You have to accept that there will always be a to do list on a boat. And then go sailing and work on the list when you have the time.

The big important things, like life safety you need to have done, and then decide what you can do on the fly, along the way and what you absolutely can't do on the way.

Things always take longer than expected.

And it's never too late to screw something up. There always time for that.

[Pacific Jewel]

I remember when we first left the dock, family, job (good ones too), home, country, to go cruising. Gave it all up. Our boat had many, many chores on it. Never ending. In fact, I told my husband that cruising was nothing more than sailing from one exotic port to another to collect boat parts. Even years later, as professional crew on the luxury - no budget - yachts, it was still the same.

Do what you must, and get out there. Don't worry, you won't screw something up. Things just happen. That's life on a boat.
Cheers,
Leilani

[Tropic Cat]

Originally Posted by anjou

Oh you cynic. Think happy, be happy.

Hell, he's not a cynic, he's a realist.

[Morgan Paul]

Hey Sara ! Check out this guy. This might give you inspiration.
This dude is amazing. A paralyzed guy restoring a Cal 28

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lehiem

Paul

[zeehag]

i own a formosa 41 and i just repowered--i was sooohappy to be able to use boat !!!! THEN i found my shaft log needs replacement and my cutlass bearing is toast. i am now out on another persons boat ----when i get back i go to my formosa and get it ready for winter and leave her again until i have more time and money to repair her. cannot do it yet---dangit..too expensive to haul her out--i want to bring her to caribean.....so i will just go there with a friend for a bit then go in my own when i am able........

[sarafina]

ah zeehag... if it ain't one thang, it's another... if it ain't that it's usually m' mother ; -}

Keep chanting your mantra... mine is;

I love my little hole in the water, I love my little hole in the water, I love my....

[zeehag]

Originally Posted by sarafina

ah zeehag... if it ain't one thang, it's another... if it ain't that it's usually m' mother ; -}

Keep chanting your mantra... mine is;

I love my little hole in the water, I love my little hole in the water, I love my....

LOL is a goood one--i donot really have one--i just go sailing for extended durations with friends and come back refreshed for a minuet and do more work then leave again...that way i can have my cake and eat it too..LOL

[sarafina]

maybe that means yours is "I'd rather be sailing, I'd rather be sailing..."!

That's a good one too!

[zeehag]

Originally Posted by sarafina

maybe that means yours is "I'd rather be sailing, I'd rather be sailing..."!

That's a good one too!

what ever includes having cake and eating it too---i like chocolate.....LOL....makes boat work more fun!!!!

[sarafina]

Well, in recent weeks we have worked thru a bunch of stuff. The rudder is swinging free now and the halyard has been recovered. We actually sailed her yesterday and it was wonderful.

While we were out I noticed my general sense of dissatisfaction with the rigging begin to grow, so this morning I sat down with my boat drawings (to scale) and began to search and read on the forums about rigging and rope choices.

Himself has an account with R&W Ropes, so we are going to get the ropes thru them at wholesale.

After an hour or so of reading I have that overwhelmed feeling again, because now of course I can see how much I have to learn to make intelligent decisions on what rope I want for each job. Size for load and for handling characteristics, colour for coding, or not. poly or nylon, 3 cord or braided, length with or with out self tailing.

AKKKKKKKKK!

Suddenly the old scungy ropes don't seem so bad. I think I'll live with them until I have the energy to master this arena. I just can't wrap my brain around making that many decisions.

I want a cool application where I put in the model of my boat and it spits out a list of the perfect ropes to buy and what hardware and splicing needs they have. All ready done and figgered out!

[cantxsailor]

If all else fails, piss on it, have a beer/wine/ bourbon/cuppa tea. Take a break from the grind. Go back another hour/day/week and you'll remember why you are doing it. My "Turtle" is still sitting in the yard finished and ready to sail but for finances. Ike ate my lunch and it has been hard to snap out of the doldrums he put me in but I think I'm getting closer. I hope it doesn't last as long as those Katrina victims, still not happy 4 years later........m