CHANGES IN OUR LIVES

AUGUST 1, 2017

ROD'S NEW MOUNTAIN SHOP

Our new life on the mountain came to an end after more than 7 months.  We had worked hard building, clearing, trimming trees and planting flower beds.  We are very pleased that we chose this out of the way property to call our own.  As spring turned into summer it was time to make the journey back to our home on the water, It's Perfect.

We arrived in mid June to Chesapeake Boat Works to get It's Perfect ready for the water.  It took a few days of organizing and cleaning before we moved aboard.  She sat patiently in the yard awaiting her bottom job and hull polish.

Living on the hard in not really fun any time of the year.  The summer heat makes it very hard.  The 2 air conditioners aboard do not function unless the boat is in the water.  We were soon at our local WM purchasing a small air conditioning window unit designed for homes.  Rod fabricated a stand for it out of plywood.  It was soon standing in the cockpit floor blowing cold refreshing air into the main salon.  Life on It's Perfect just improved. 

PAINTED & POLISHED IT'S PERFECT READY FOR THE WATER

We spent two weeks doing small repairs, sanding the deck, doing the bottom job, polishing the freeboard and organizing below decks.  Soon It's Perfect was ready to go into the waters of Fishing Bay, Virginia.  The first couple of nights we stayed on the dock and checked all our systems.  After putting the last things away we were once again living aboard on the water.  I cannot even begin to explain how much I have missed life on It's Perfect.

Before leaving the mountain Rod put a few resume's out on the internet.  Within days he was contacted by more than one marina in Virginia.  So after getting settled on the boat we moved It's Perfect to the Deltaville Yachting Center and took up residence on their dock.  Rod has taken a short term position working for the marina and they are keeping him very busy.  He is everything from a electrician or mechanic to machinist.  He started the first of July and for the most part enjoys it.  Living on the dock is convenient but we miss being anchored and the cool ocean breeze.
Life attached to a dock has some definite attractions.  There are other sailors working on their boats getting ready to depart.  Having a gathering on deck or at the pool, we have a chance to swap stories.  Lou who is over 80 and Ann who is 76 have wonderful tales.  They have sailed the world for the past 20 years.  Life for them is finally going to slow down a bit.  Their boating will be done on the east coast and their island living in Roatan, Honduras.

DELTAVILL'S OLD MAN FROM THE SEA

Our dock neighbors Larry and his wife Olga are in their late 50's and new to sailing and living aboard.  Their 42ft Pearson is named Mystery.  After a month of making progress on the boat they were getting ready to move off the dock and beginning their new life on the water. Our lives rarely work out the way we imagined they will.  Last week after finishing more projects life changed forever.  Larry got up one morning to find his wife unresponsive.  911 was called and an ambulance soon arrived.  After more than 25 years of marriage Larry was alone.  His wife had a heart attack and died on the boat.  We were all stunned.

Life is so very short and you never know what the next day will bring.  Rod and I have done many things in our lives, seen some of the world and met amazing people.  We are again reminded to live life to it's fullest.  There is still so much left to do.

For now we are enjoying life living on the dock.  We are taking this new type of living aboard one day at a time.  Until things change the Deltaville Yachting Center has become home aboard It's Perfect.