Full Circle!

HOLY %$@

Ok, ok… let’s back up a minute. Here what I’m listening to writing. Enjoy!

So… now that we’re in a groovy mood..

Last week, worky smerky and the weather wasn’t helping much. I get a call from Kostas (yikes… am I on the rocks?!?) and he asks if I want a haulout on Monday. It was time. The winds would be down and others are hauling too.  Friday, back to Zoot Allures. Dark, windy and rockin’. Saturday, more of the same. Cooked lentils with rice, the last onion, garlic etc. That night hung out at Kostas with Alex and others. Quite windy, cold and lots of swell (poor dinghy on the rocks!). Sunday, the sun came out, still windy but real nice. I took my last swim of the year! Had a quick lunch at Vickys with Ioanna (they also came for a swim!) who had made lentils with rice! Go figure. No problem, I consider it the best power food… and I was gonna need it. Got back on the water by 4. Helped Alex get his sails down, then he helped me (arg, Sue, my hands!). It was dark by now and we proceeded to our preps. Later Alex had me over for wine and salad and we contemplated the next day listening to the wind not letting up. That night I slept to the sound of my mainsail furling banging inside the behind-mast housing. Chinese torture would have been sweeter.

Monday. I’m second out after Dimitri’s 27ft Dromor “Argo”. I rendezvous with Kostas. Ready to rock.

Hey! There’s another crane and fishing boat launching. Gotta wait my turn

Amazing! The guy plopped in and went fishing… no fuss. Me on the other hand, prep, prep, prep. Pins out, lower shrouds and back stay released, topping lift a temporary holding (just ask me what this means). Here we go!!

And the stress level increases

Phase one… check. Now the mast.

Phase two… check. Time for ol’ Zoot’s  “putting to bed”. First, squeeeeeeze in!

HEY! My baby’s butt got nicked on a crane fixture!!! WTF!! Ok…. cosmetic, we’ll fix it with the bow. No need to tip the crane dudes. Time to stress out… big time!

Ol’ Zoot’s a whale!

Eeeeeeeeeeeeasy….!

Plop!

Before I say anything….

Having said that, All went well. When we were done, it was Alex’s turn. I don’t want to bore you, easy lift, complicated rigging, had to remove windex high up, boat already on crane

And some more squeezing

All well. We proceeded securing props, tidied up our boats. Physically beat and happy, we hung out, drank some raki, went for food with Alex…. yes, sardines again with beets, skordalia, black eyed beans, horta salad, wine (one day I’ll explain with a picture). It started to rain, I drove back to my dwelling back in the city.

Monday morn, I walked to work. It was like I just came back from a long journey. And indeed I have. A year ago I didn’t have a boat. Since then I bought one, refitted, launched, sorta voyaged and lived aboard and hauled out. Full circle! I’m not the “fresh”  guy any more. I got a ton of work to do but now I know what ol’ Zoot really needs and wants (another post with a list). No more guessing, surprises  (yeah, right), and being a dumb ass (ha!). A new chapter has begun and I am quite content (methinkith).

I really want everyone who has helped me out, physically,  mentally and  patients in this process. My emotions are going nuts on me so I wont write any more. Music works.

no ps, I’m pooped!