I had a boat, now I have a hole - in my head.

[Steelhands]

We are moving from the PNW to the SE as soon as this virus thing settles down. I had to sell my Haida 26 and now I have this place in my mind where she should be. I should be able to go mess around on my boat. It feels like I was forced to sell my favorite dog. You know, she and I went through alot these past four years.

I'll get another boat in X months but for now, I'm in boat loss grief. Ouch.

Good seamanship is the height of human achievement.

[JPA Cate]

Aaah, Steelhands,

Not only is your whole life all stirred up in a not so fun way, but you miss your boat, too. Bless them, they take care of us in bad wx, and see us home safe at the end.

Sorry for your pain.

Ann

[Steelhands]

Thanks Ann, after I posted that I felt a little silly, but I still think of her. I was ALWAYS thinking about her future, what she needed, etc. Now, that's someone else's job. My wife says we should get a house before boat. Hmm. I say live on the boat until we find a house. Lol.

I watched a to me really bad movie called "get away", when on guy says the usual line, "best days are when you buy and when you sell the boat". He replied, "don't know, just have the one day".

I think also there was some security in having another place to stay for awhile. And mobile, somewhat self sustaining. Oh well. Sigh.

[Cheechako]

You'll have fun with a change to the SE. Did that for a while and it was great. Replacing the Haida with something similar size should be pretty easy too. We have some great cruising up here in the PNW but Fl/Bahamas and the SE is fun too... and different!

[Steelhands]

The cruising up here is world class, in my limited experience. 100's of islands, snow covered mountains, clean water, and fantastic summer weather. There's a reason Oprah has a home on Orcas Island. I will miss it but I will be back this summer and hope to charter.

I'm kinda looking for a larger cruiser, say a Catalina 34, or the like. Coastal cruisers but set up for hard service. No boat of mine will become a dock lover. That's what I loved about the Haida, she always seemed to want to sail, to move, to go somewhere. Like me.

[smilan]

I have a C&C Landfall 38 in Wilmington, NC, looking for partners. Are you moving near there?

[Steelhands]

Maybe. My wife wants to explore NC house opportunity but I wanted warmer water. We both like to scuba dive. At this point, I miss my boat so bad I've gone down to the marina and bailed a buddies dink, then sat in the cockpit and dreamed. I'd ask him if I could take her out but her motor is frozen. (Lancer 30).

Very odd that recreational fishing is prohibited in Washington state but boating is not. I know I had to sell mine but DAMN I miss her. Sequim Bay looks beautiful.

[GordMay]

Greetings and belated welcome aboard the CF, smilan.

[smilan]

Thanks. I'm not a real cruiser - just a weekender - but do love reading the info and opinions posted here. Even the flame wars are sometimes interesting.

[Steelhands]

I almost hate to reactivate this (I'm the op) but I am starting to wonder if something is wrong with me. I am becoming depressed about not having my (read any) boat.

It may be part of the stay at home orders but for me, living in a RV, not too much problem. No boat, no salt water, no passage, no plan, no maintenance (believe it or not, you can miss that) is leaving me with this missing portion of my existence.

For SO long, I've been able to focus my thoughts on the boat and what she needed and where we would go, now? What? This BS?

I had been contacting vendors for a charter in the BVI this late summer. Maybe, maybe not. I almost can't stand to be crew around here. Too serious about racing.

Plus, there is no one around here to talk sailing. I bring it up at EVERY occasion to see if I can get a response. Lol.

I know there are people who have REAL health and otherwise problems. I and my wife do what we can in ways we don't discuss in public. Mine is an unmet craving. Not life or death.

But have you ever had a craving like that? Someone said "The call of the sea is incessant until obeyed". Dang. I know what they mean. I did 10 years on destroyers and clg's. Then 10 on power boats, then, I found salvation. Sailing. No kidding.

My wife thinks I'm crazy. I'm old and handicapped from a rock climbing accident (don't mention this to the charter CO's, please, they go all legal) but the thought of a future without sailing is unappealing. Life without a boat AT All? I'll be hungry and have no teeth first

[Adelie]

Two weeks is nothing. I’ve seen a thread 8yr dormant suddenly come back.

[gamayun]

Can you buy a model boat? I have heard about a group in San Francisco that has mock "battles" with remote control ships. It would not be exactly the same, but nothing is going to be exactly the same for a while.

Or ever

Be strong!

[smilan]

Steelhands, where are you currently located?

[Steelhands]

We're in NW Washington state on the Staits of Juan de Fuca. We are moving somewhere on the 19th. We need to buy a house and a boat in the next few months. Florida maybe. We lived in West Palm Beach for 20 years.

I rented little sloops in San Diego and wish I could here. I discovered that my RV neighbors are sailors so I'll go over there and tell sea stories.

[ScottMeilicke]

I know exactly what you mean. I miss our boat life quite a bit.