An interesting couple of days, to say the least! Boats, eh? Between engines, storms, and busy ports, it has been a challenge. Let me elaborate…
Thanks to school exams for Ben, and the small matter of a global pandemic, this was our first visit to Nikea since 2018. Well, that’s strictly not true - I did a quick trip with Tim and Asta in 2021, ostensibly to do some repair work. We are not fans of the high summer heat in Greece, and with Ben’s school year, the only available month was June. Even that has been hard to manage, in recent years. Now that he is away in college, we were free to schedule a more convenient time to visit the boat. It’s not just the heat, though. We’re not huge fans of searching for the last available slot on the quay, and would prefer earlier or later in the season. We chose September, which hasn’t worked out as well as we might have hoped.
So, it’s been a while since I posted a blog entry. In my defence, there’s not much to report. I didn’t get to do much on the boat in the last few months, but 2019 is here now, and once again, work has re-commenced. I will say, however, I’m no fan of blogging for the sake of it. I’d prefer fewer updates with more data than those blogs that have to post daily even if it’s only to tell you what they had for lunch.
But, I digress. I thought I’d describe how I ended up with an Achilles 24 with inboard diesel engine. Especially as there is a small bit of news on that front, but more on that later. Also, my experiences with the horror of TODO lists.
On Sunday, May 6th, 2018, a good friend of mine lost his six year battle with cancer. The following is a copy of an email I sent to club members, about Henry Lupton.
I remember having a conversation with Henry after Wednesday night racing. We were discussing the relative merits of a Hallberg Rassy 42 over a similar sized Najad. The abstract debate covered things like build quality versus brand premium. I neatly segued into a series of complaints about my own boat, an Achilles 24. A boat which is still by the side of the house, unfit for sea, despite Henry’s best efforts. I compared my own humble craft with the salubrious Rassy.
Henry looked at me incredulously. “Sail the boat you have, Dermot. Not the boat you want!”