5/12/16      Thursday        Onset, MA

Pine Island Sunrise

This was an easy one, though long, with lots of alone time at the helm while David napped. Reflection and fantasy and ambition investigation time. We decided that long, restful, time-off, naps were more valuable than our short cat naps of days past. This decision to rest longer and really be off watch is a sign of our confidence in each other's abilities and decision-making. I'm honored that he has that confidence in me even though we don't necessarily agree on how/when/where of boating decisions.

Due to good luck and David's planning we flew along Fisher Island and into RI Sound on up to Buzzards Bay. Figured we averaged 8.5 mph which is pretty clipping along for Grace. Still a 10 hour travel day so we were ready to be in our port of the evening.

We were in Onset on our way south but I was so traumatized by Cape Cod Canal entrance (extreme washing machine with stuff sliding and flying everywhere, me at helm) that I don't remember Onset at all. A true "cheated death again" experience as I recall. We'll enter differently going north, timing the current and watching the wind wind more appropriately now that we have more experience.

We arrived around 4:00 PM (1600 nautical time) and needed to change the oil. Perfect. Lots of time before dark to change oil and have relaxed dinner, maybe on aft deck. Oil change with new adapter should be a piece of cake. I'll start dinner prep. Oops! Three hours later, much swearing and sweat, new adapted tools which included a large, sturdy screw driver, LOTS of paper towels and unfortunately few deep breathes......

Snarl!

Kill that filter

What a mess. The filter was stuck on the adapter, the same adapter that was supposed to make oil change more simple. David's masculine strength did him/us in. After removing the adapter from the engine block we stabbed the filter with the screw driver in order to get enough leverage (using other improvised tools) to unscrew it. SUCCESS!!! New oil filter. New oil. Good to go....after clean up.

Chatted w/Shannon (she called to tell us about bills) and told her David and I were about to have a fight now, that we were both tired. I said we were almost in New England - me defining NE as through the Cape Cod Canal. David corrected me saying "we are already in New England." "I'll define New England anyway I want," I said. Our fights are sort of like which side of the plate the peas go on. Besides, what does conventional wisdom and agreement about geography have to do with emotional wisdom about geography?!? I maintain: the north side of the Cape Cod Canal is where New England starts for me! And I'm sticking to it.

My knee is injured, swollen, tender behind, above and beside. Wearing my dance knee pad for support. Going up and down stairs, always leading w/left leg so I don't have to bend that knee. Soft tissue injury, I think from so much extreme flexion - squatting to pee of all things. Contacted friend, Steve, for advice and appointment for him to investigate, maybe manipulate. Feeling more vulnerable than any time this journey, relative to my own strength and flexibility. Oh No! Steve's office said he was out with an injury for several months. Left him a message on his cell phone.

Thinking of getting home and the rather LARGE task of redistributing  or releasing (my new best word!) to others, resell store or dump so much stuff from our house, basement and boat shed. We’ve been away from lots of stuff. Hoping to take this sabbatical-from-stuff experience as an opportunity to downsize. An article from Next Avenue suggests that at some point there is “more past than future” to our lives. Downsizing allows us to live more in the present. I'm going with that knowing I have strong attachments to some of my stuff.

We're back in the land of lobster traps!

Port Judith, harbor of refuge
Didn't need it this trip. Grateful