The Art and Zen of Yacht Maintenance

R Rated 56

Part 1

Getting too where I got to now.

One of my life ambitions is to write a book of some sorts. But I didn't know what I know or have experienced up to now. Funny how a change in a life situation chucks you a massive curve ball and you finally begin to wake the fuck up. Yeap……after 14 year relationship with a fiery RedHead, one child of our own and a part time child of another father and a house, all comes to an end. Well house and partner part that is. So let's not dwell on that part. I sooner forget the shit times and dwell on the wonderful times. A good side of this relationship, I must say is, I have a wonderful 13 year old son who means the world to me. Oh I can't forget his 20 plus year old sis. Seeing kids grow can be challenging and fun at the same time.

SO BACK TO THE CURVE BALL. Shit its a biggy. Damn I've had some stressful shit in my life but this is the most profound. While in this relationship I did not have a chance to look inwardly, as I have had to do now. How did I get here? and What's next? and What do I need to do that will make me happy? 

How did I get here? Back in 93 I hit the road with my head. What hurt the most while somersaulting through the air I saw my Candy Apple Road bike hit the road. BANG out like a light. FUCKEN crushed. After a few months on shitty hospital prescriptions I have had enough. I needed to go natural. At the time I was living with a herbalist and he introduced me to the medical properties of weed and mushrooms. This changed my perception on the use of these drugs. Earlier in my late teens I would easily smoke a bag or 2 of weed and take copious mushrooms and get so high I thought I was a Jedi Master like Yoda. Time to get my brain in order and I slipped into a world of Don Juan and Carlos Castaneda. Wild times meditation and full moon drummings and cocoon hallucinations. After all that I continued meditation and connecting with healers and more meditations until I felt satisfied that my head injury was cured. This was over a 4 year period and while at Art School. Just like a Blackbird learning to fly. I flew, hit the ground and got up again. During this time I connected with wonderful people, some who continue to be good friends. One was the fiery RedHead. Summer fling and let her fly off. Seeing those Dragon Wings take flight hurt back then but not as much as it has recently.  

After Art School I moved to the Big Smoke of Auckland (JAFA town). Was an eye opener to the small provincial town of down country. Anyway, I continued to connect to likely minded people in a spiritual, musical and artistic sense. These were great times. Life flowed naturally. I would meditate regularly on top of Black Rock Dam. The energies of nature surrounded me and consumed me.  I was centered and healed. THEN……. Like 7 or so years later the global financial markets took a hit and my art was not selling. Quick thinking and having the right qualifications took me into the world of being a teacher. Money, money money………I lived in Westmere by the Harbor. I took to the water on Kayak past the moored yachts time and time again. DREAM REALISED. I want to buy a Yacht. Checked out a couple but changed my mind and flew to the UK. Wonderful little OE. What a discovery mission: art, bricks, castles, coastal walks. Including a partial coastal journey described in a best seller the Salt Path. Good read. May get back to that later. Lived in a town of Tikka Masala and Mushy Peas. Ate Haggis with a single malt whiskey and discovered why the crust on the Cornish Pasty was how it was. Had scollops by a Rick Stein ex Chef who claimed he had the receipt tattooed on the inside of his eyelids. Then he cooked up some roadkill Badger. Some guy called Trev dropped it off 3 hours prior. Thanks, Trev. I wonder if that was the same Trev I met while walking from Saint Ives to Lands End. He talked alot about the old tin mines and how the Cornish Pasty came about. Met a guy that looked like a pirate who owns a Bookshop in Hasting. Claims that Spike Milligan used to come by quite regularly.  Back home I ended up teaching in my home town and later on in the year the Fire was lit for the second time by the same RedHead. It wasn't long and I was holding my first and only child.  Man, what a feeling. It's so wonderful to finally experience it at the age of 42. New journey…….Rather than getting into the nitty gritty of this sometimes wonderful and not so wonderful relationship. Bringing up a wonderful child was the most important thing in my life. In hindsight I think my focus on child rearing neglected the relationship with the RedHead. I also think I have neglected taking care of myself as well.  

And so here I am. Trying to begin a book. Beginning a journey unlike I have ever experienced before. As I write I am waiting for the Boat Report so I can put down the rest of the money. Her name is “Hi Tension” a 33 ft yacht. The unknown journey with 56 years of experiences and knowledge. What is this going to be about well? In short, navigating a new life free from the bounds of the recent relationship. Meeting my true self again, building a relationship with the sea, meeting new people, traveling / sailing, sharing, healing and reconnection to nature. Living off the grid. I most importantly, taking my son on some of those journeys. 

A couple weeks prior making the jump I had the opportunity to go out sailing for the first time in my life. And WOW wow. It was the most thrilling thing I have done for some time. And for the first time in many weeks I smiled from ear lobe to ear lobe. The owner said I was a natural. So I took this as a good sign.
Earlier on during the separation processing a friend of mine handed me a piece of paper relating to a Ruldolf Steiner Philosophy "The 7 Year Cycles of Life". Why Steiner you may be thinking reader. Well my son has done all of his schooling thus far at a Steiner School and the RedHead is a Teacher there. Not only that I have in the past 4 years completed some far out projects that reflect and organic architectural bent. So.. below is the passage relating to my age group. And far out man some of it seems to resonate with what I am going through.    
  

AGES 56 TO 63.  The Crossroads: Mastery or Reevaluation.

Steiner maintained that 56 is a major turning point in life. At this point, new intuitive and spiritual powers emerge into consciousness, especially if you have been guided through life by your heart and soul. Your intuition is now the single most important sense, guiding you to your answers and giving you direction in life.  It is the basis for your sense of connection with the Source. And as that connection grows, you experience greater relaxation and comfort with life. All of this occurs as your true dream for living emerges into consciousness with greater clarity and power. You feel called to a mission and you begin to devote all your talents, understanding, and wisdom to a cause greater than your own personal needs and ambitions. 

For those who have neglected their spiritual life, Steiner said that the age of 56 marks a turning point in which life forces a reassessment. This time is often accompanied by some form of crisis that makes us self-reflect and return to a more heart-centered and spiritually based life. In the face of that crisis, we can experience a loss of direction, a desperate fear of mortality, which can awaken the need to return to a more spiritual life. 

Steiner said that Spirit forces a good hard look at your life at this time, which can be painful and confusing, especially if we have not spent a lot of time working to develop our souls   

Hence Rating this R56 

Hmm. I'm learning the hard way. Getting close to the deal with Hi Tension I discovered some rot on the Companionway. Thats the entrance into the inside. As the saying goes "can of worms" going around my head. So I went to have a closer look. FUCK@# $$%#. Found fresh water evidence on the haul, timbers going black from water staining and also found a leaky seal on the motor.  Without the knowledge of how water effect wood I could have missed this. So I made the call and stopped the deal going ahead. While I was there the day prior with my son hanging out and playing cards I had, what could be described as an allergic reaction to something. Me eyes 👀 were burning 🔥.  As soon as I left they cleared up. So to those out there looking to buy a Yacht my advice is to get an expert to look over it. Or if you are a woodman like me, look it over like a fine tooth comb. Plus spend some time in the boat and listen to your body. 

After checking out and making the call I went to check out another yacht. This one 37ft Jim Young. Nicer boat, clean, good rigging and motor. It's a yacht I checked out before. I called the owner and said I'm keen and we are going out for a sail in the weekend. 

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Part 2

Hmm. Haven't though of a title yet but it will come to me. 

Its been a busy wee time and many conversation have be had. So the next part of the journey has began. I am now free of a mortgage, council rates and all the money that is tied into owning a property. So Im ready to buy. Just a couple hurdles to jump and I could be sailing away by the end of the month. 

Conversation Ive had......Asked the other day "do you have sea legs?' Which lead me to a funny experience from the mid 80s while crossing the Cook Straights on the Aramoana. It was a stormy day and when we hit the Straights it was more so. Like many crossings I had a good lunch prior getting aboard. That just in case I need to vomit. Better to vomit on a full tummy than an empty one. Like most crossings I would hang out in the observation lounge at the Bow of the ship. She was rough the sea was tossing the ship this way a that. Plates were flying people looking sick everywhere. I then went to the only bar open at the stern as the other was closed. Where I sat I had a clear view of an entrance below. Nic minute this bloke came through the door and spewed everywhere. A moment later another stumbled through the door and skidded on his arse right in the pile of vile. It was like watching a Monty Python movie, classic. So does that answer your question? 

Another conversation lead me to explaining "Why a Yacht?' I have always been drawn to the water. Whether it is swimming in Rivers, Lakes or Sea, a little bit of surfing in my younger days, which I spent more time falling off than on the board. Kayaking in Auckland and other areas or just being by the water. It has an unexplained sense of belonging. Hell, they say we are made up of water, maybe that's why. Its like a magnet that is attracted to iron. Over the years being so attached to this earth I feel a lacking of understanding of the Water element. With the prospects of learning to sail I will gain a better understanding of Water, Air and how it is influenced by the Earth/Land. 

Gaining the understanding of the elements will define my spiritual powers. To breakdown the elements into human interaction lets look firstly at the Earth. 

Connection to the Earth can manifest in many forms. Think about it. When you are preparing the ground to plant a seed what do you feel? You feel a sense of connection the moment you put your hand on the soil. You then nurture the plant. Talk to it and put your energy into it. And the prize. Harvest time. You get a sense of gratitude. This is the same when you go hunting. Your senses are alerted to the energy of the bush. You listen to your surroundings, you begin to see things more clearly. You are attentive. Your prize a deer, and goat or a pig. You give thanks to the Earth Mother or Father for the protein. 

Many years ago I would sit and focus on the energies of nature. I would see shimmers coming from the tops of the trees. All this, while fantails flitter about. The place I sat was on a rock in the middle of the top of a waterfall. It become a ritual weekend thing. Sometimes I felt like I was hovering. The energies were so immense. I was connected. This will be one of my goals in the near future to begin again. 

The connection to water will be a major factor when I begin my journey of sailing. Water has always been my healer. Being a water sign a Scorpio seems important. A recent conversation the person talked about "water bearers". These people are important especially during this global change we are going through. Water bearers are the ones who will have the skills to help change. They are here to connect the dots so to speak. They have if spiritually connected, the ability to speak the wise words and open others up who are willing to become connected. Another jump back in time. I remember many occasions talking spiritual truthfulness to people. During these conversations it felt like I had drawn them into a cocoon like state surrounding them in white light. Very powerful stuff. One conversation I asked the person the next day if he remembered the conversation. He said "no" but felt a strange sense of being. A teacher of mine said "you are a holder of keys". After 25 years I am beginning to see again that this is my calling. 

So with the life on the water looming I will learn more about the Air element. I will learn to breathe again. Begin to meditate. Above all, learn about wind. This is the most important element to sail a yacht. 

The Fire element. Ugh. The warmth of the flame. The meeting of people. The taste of food. A time long ago I would go to full moon drummings, dance around the flames while on mushrooms or catus. These energies were also immense. I remember during one of these a shamanic experience everyone present were not of physical form but of luminous beings. All surrounded by white light. Cocoon hallucinations I would call them. This happen only a few times in my mid 20s, oh to happen again now, that would be amazing to feel. So you see Fire is connected to the spiritual realm as fire brings people around to share and connect. Whether on a social level or spiritual level. Fire itself has an energy to assist the water bearer to hand out the keys. 

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Part 3 

Nizam. 

Waking up to the waves lapping is so calming. Nizam is a 37ft Jim Young yacht that has a 50 year old story. Named after a ruler of Hyderabad. This yacht has seen more water than I have had baths. 

I've now owned Nizam for a month. Stayed on it a few times with my son and now preparing it for a sail across the Cook Straight into the Marlborough Sounds at Labour Weekend. Spring has sprung and that has so far bought strong winds and thunderstorms. So the best thing is to wait until the time is best. So its time to change a few things give the yacht a personal touch check this and that and learn from the manuals. Thanks Temu. There is some bargains to be had and to my surprise many quality stainless bits and pieces that are handy for boats. 

6 Months since its been official as regards to being separated. Wow how time flies. It has not been always rosy. Life just roller coasters away. Looking inwardly more so than before and slowly becoming myself. One thing that has been a wonderful thing is meeting the boating community. As once I mention that I have purchased Nizam I get a new story. This yacht is world famous in the waters of NZ and now I'm the owner. I was pinching myself for a couple weeks just to see if this was a dream. And yes I was awake and I made this dream come thru. A few weeks ago I came home and saw a box of Fortune Cookies sitting on the bench. I thought what the fuck" I have one of those. This is what it read "Live by what you trust, not by what you fear". So poignant. To follow your intuition gives you a sense of meaning. It is this meaning I am becoming to understand.