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  • 27.07.2012

    Planning for the future.

    This morning I sucessfully passed a very important milestone. I passed the Life in the UK test and will now be eligible to recieve my UK Citizenship.

    I could not be more pleased.

    Last night, after realising the Miracle was NOT likely to become a money hemmoraging concern in the near future, I gave myself permission to er, splash out if you will.

    I have allocated a small amount of money for "boat beautification."

    Originally, I intended to move off her within six months.

    Originally, I thought a lot of things, like that I would purchase a bigger boat by now.

    But this has been coupled other realisations, like:

    • Miracle is, unusally (it seems) nicely fitted
    • she's got no major issues
    • nothing is about to go "BOOM" or surprise me
    • everything works as it should

    In short, I've really landed on my feet with this boat. The "other rookie" of last winter was my now good friend, the OC teacher. OC Teacher also bought a Springer.

    **They couldn't be anymore different. **

    OC Teacher has already had to replate 3/4 of his hull. He has entirely gutted his interior. The wiring was a tangle of 20 years rewiring by amatures, none of which worked. His gas doesn't work.

    Despite all of this, he is one of the most upbeat and positive people I've ever known. This morning when I saw him he hung his head.

    *What's wrong?
    I've got a leak in my water tank.
    Oh.
    And my stern gland is fucked, again.
    Oh.
    And my deisel is dripping.
    Oh.
    And the new hatch is letting in water. *

    No wonder he's down.

    All of these things are managable, one at a time.

    To wake up and realise you live in a empty shell and ALL of these other things need attention before you can isulate, is like being hit with an avalanche.
    He's scared, understandably.
    More than that, he's overwhelmed.

    I walk back to my boat. I'd always wondered if he' d gotten a better deal than I did with that boat. Now I know.

    I was incredibly lucky with Miracle.
    She's something I can handle.
    I now know a bigger boat will have to wait. I am not they sort to take on a project like OC Teacher has. That means either being incredibly lucky, again, or saving quite a bit more to get a bigger boat that is in the same sort of solid condition that Miracle is.

    So, what's my boat beautification fund getting?
    I've decided on retro-fitting a hatch.
    I've found a ship builder who does this and brings the fitting to you.
    I'm very excited.

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