Yea! Finally. I have a boat. My shiny new Adventure Island has been launched, trialed and all is good.
My prediction of cold weather is unfounded with unseasonal 82 degree air and 75 degree water and no air moving at all. Zero, zip, zilch wind. Hence, I am pedaling for two hours a day which is great for Derby work but not so much for exploring AI sailing.
My first insight is the Adventure Island uses different muscle group, than the recumbent gym machine and my antique bike efforts at Shiloh, not surprising, but interesting.
The second thought is all the new learning curves for GPS, SPOT, VHF, fitness routines, exploring energy issues, learning about monitoring body, survival, hypothermia and the many other issues associated with preparing for an event like the Everglades Challenge all changes once the boat is launched. It all pales, simply melts away, once I buckle up my ladened PFD, plop my butt into the pilots seat, pull the reverse cord, back, change gears then throttle up the pedals. My spacious world becomes quiet. The amas whisper with the water, the easy pulse of the drive immediately settles into a three mph cadence. As the world falls behind, I can feel myself, even now, becoming one with the vessel, I am walking across the water, the skin of the earth. I am at home in my new vessel the Skinwalker.
Capt Bones
Capt Bones and Miss Lynn's Excellent Adventure
