Synchronicity.

One word blog titles rule OK

CLC Passagemaker dinghy

Around 3 months ago I had to report that I suffered a fairly minor stroke, saw my duty GP – who sent me straight to A&E – where I spent the next 28 hours waiting to be seen……anyway, since then I did 10 weeks intense work on the Pathfinder and just 2 weeks ago, as I write, took her for sea trials and a proving voyage. Unfortunately I also had a second clinically significant stroke ( my MRI scan seemed to show that i’d had several before) and I had to announce my intention to sell the Pathfinder and retire from sailing.

Today, not much is different : I have, so far, emptied the boat of all loose gear, given it a thorough wash inside and out and packed most of the gear that belongs with it ready to go. My partner though smartly suggested that knowing me she thinks that I need some form of vehicle or escape capsule so that I can get out on the water and also something to work on as and when I feel able.

What is really strange and spookily synchronous is that when I posted that short blog post I happened to mention that I might look for or build either a sailing canoe on Howard Rice’s lines or maybe look for a small sailing dinghy and mentioned, by chance the CLC boats Passagemaker as the kind of boat I was looking for : just to say that iv’e never laid eyes on one but a photograph of one appeared in my search engine. Lo and behold but less than 24 hours after that post one of my readers contacts me and tells me that he has one and would I like to come over and see it ? : the really spooky thing is that he lives only ‘across the moor’ (about 12 miles away)

The three new elements.

Today I have put aside nearly all of my previous plans and ambitions, notably so with my big idea of undertaking a Dylanesque (Dylan Winter) voyage by sail and oar : my grand plan was to row it and sail it while filming it. I had even started to script the first video’s and invest in the new camera and filming equipment that I thought I would need ; as I did some tidying of equipment and possessions today I ruefully packed away my trusty DSLR but also my new (secondhand) Gopro camera and my also new handy-cam.

I had pretty much tossed my toys out of the pram and my towel out of the ring, the big Pathfinder is still for sale but my new venture is possibly about to start with a first look at a much smaller boat, more limited plans and perhaps a more realistic look at whatever future I have.

As I see it today my new venture has 3 elements : a boat of course and including it’s set up and gear loadout. Secondly it will need a base to work from near to the river such that I can manhandle a small craft on and off the water. Third and most important it needs a mission or at least a sense of purpose. Iv’e briefly mentioned the potential boat and right now I am starting to scope out a place to keep it, near to the water and near to home such that it’s only a short journey away by available transport.

The crucial third element is now what I do with the boat and I have a sniff of a sense of what it might be like. I’m lucky in that I live in the river Tamar valley and my base of operations might be one of two potential venues – both with somewhere secure to keep the boat and both with some form of access onto the river,

The mission, What would this boat be for ?

As I said, I have a sniff of an idea of how I might use this kind of boat so I may as well lay out those thoughts here.

It’s obvious to me and even my partner noted that I need some kind of craft to get on the water with even if it is just locally – that’s the Tamar by the way. It sound pretentious even to me but the immediate mission might well be to row both ways on the river and just have that degree of escape. My slightly more adventurous plan is to row and sail to venues I know in the local rivers and there go and make a basic bivouac, bushcraft style : I was, at one time, a canoe coach and bushcraft instructor and often wrote about having a bushcraft boat.

An oddly synchronous weekend.

So, iv’e just had what felt like a rather incestuous weekend, synchrony or a synchronous one is a better description perhaps. First, I didn’t sell the Pathfinder although the bloke that came to see it either built or sold on the the one that I have been to see today – and just come to a deal on. Now of course I am ‘2 boat’ Steve once more : done a fair deal for the Passagemaker and it’s owner is very kindly going to drop it off here as and when it suits him. As yet it’s basically a rowing boat with rudder and centerboard and doesn’t come with a rig as he bought the boat mostly for it’s rig and uses it on another boat which he has (Skerry I think) – he owns at least 4 boats so i’m just the new boy in these parts.

Oddly the Passagemaker even has a name in my mind and it won’t be the fifth WABI – nor will it be Synchronicity……

Best wishes Y’awl