It's Almost Reality
The Boat...
...is almost a reality! We have signed the counter-offer we received and are moving on to the next step, the downpayment! Somebody, please, stop us if you think (know?) we are NUTS! There can be no "I told you so's" unless you speak now. Let it be known that I do not have much (any) sailing experience (well, none that I would brag about anyway), but as I told my husband on the day we first met, "Yes, I like boats." Who among you asked your prospective mate this particular question on your first date? It was not for lack of conversational skilz that my husband asked if I liked boats. It's just that this was a very important question. In fact, this may have been his first question, but I think he first wanted to know my name. It's a little fuzzy now. Anyway, this has been his lifelong dream and he has worked very hard for this, squirreling away every nickel he could to make his dream come true so it is well-deserved. And if I can go along for the ride, well, all the better. :-)Next steps...
Plan another trip to Seattle to have the boat surveyed (by someone that actually knows something about boats) and go for a sea trial (to make sure it actually works...floats, sails, etc.).
Then, find a place to temporarily moor it until we can find a permanent slip.
Then, use it (and take sailing lessons...aha, and you thought I was really nuts)!
And decorate it (heh, Hi, Honey!)...this is the woman's job. My first order of business will be to decide which one piece of art I will hang in the salon to make this boat "ours." And then decide which 10 personal items we will take along. I know the first two things on my list besides bedding (fluffy down comforters and pillows...mmm) are my computer and the Bose iPod docking station (between our two iPods, we will be blasting Dalmatian music across the marina...no, not that Dalmatian music). I'm not counting any of these things as "personal" items yet. ;-)
And if all goes well and we decide we really do like sailing, and can stand living in tight quarters together (I may find myself living on a small inflatable dinghy, but it comes with its own set of oars, so I'll be fine, really), then we begin the various stages of "living" on the boat. First, long weekends, then months, then years.
We won't sell our house and everything in it until we decide that this is really what we want to do.
That's the "plan" anyway, such as it is.
Labels: Sailing
posted by Gwynne @ 1:55 PM
18 Comments:
I think it sounds awesome! Kudos for knowing what your dream is, working toward it, and then going ahead to take the leap. :)
Just make sure you figure out a way to have Internet connectivity ;)
I've got some back-tracking to do. Sell the house and live on a boat? In-con-ceiv-a-ble!!
But don't mind me. When Turtle informed me that we'd be spending a week with her folks in Destin, the first thing I wanted to know is whether there'd be a Wi-Fi connection anywhere close. I've never been much impressed by the ocean, nor sand of any color.
I know nothing about boats, but that looks like a nice one. Like something right out of an episode of Miami Vice.
Awesome! Totally awesome!
Um, you haven't seen Dead Calm, have you? ;-)
Beth, there's no doubt that internet connectivity will be part of the "package." :-)
Heh, Foo. I'll consider that a vote for "NUTS" then. ;-) I don't like sand either, but oceans, I love. I also have a deep respect for the ocean's power. I won't be taking any offshore passage-making lightly.
Eric, it's been awhile, but yes...scary movie! There shall be no picking up of strangers on our boat! Maybe I need to work on the 10 commandments of our boat before working up the list of personal items I'd like to take on board. ;-)
Gwynne,
I think there may be a really really bad mis-understanding happening here.
Your husband, who sounds like a gentlemanly kind of guy, asked you a question that we of Croatian extraction usually ask of our prospective mates/wives/comrades.
Do you like boots ?
Depending on how long it's been since we came off the ship, this question may sound to an American as Do you like boats? It should have been apparent ot you that "boots" not "boats" was his intended subject as evidenced by his full show closet. Any self-respecting Croatian guy has at least enough footwear to take him through 2 weeks of shoe wearing without a day of repetition.
That being said, this whole sailboat buying thing is probably confusing him and he's being quite polite about it and is assuming that you really really like sailing.
"Perhaps", he's thinking," if I agree to buy this sailboat for her happiness, she'll let me buy her those deer skin high calf leather moccasins to make me happy?"
Sorry, Gwynne, it's all about the boots. Hope you haven't put the downpayment down yet. Heck, you may even be able to get yourself some Manolo boots with that money!
Hey!
There's a problem with that link to Dave and the Dalmatians. Well, not that the link doesn't work; it's that one of the songs,in fact the first song,is out of place. Seriously, check this out with the hubby.
The name of the song is "Baska", which is about a village on the island of Krk called...Baska.
The problem is this. Krk is in the part of the Croatian coast that is called Primorje. My father, who was born on Krk, sat me on his knee quite a few times to explain the difference between Primorje and Dalmacija (Dalmatia) and let me know in no uncertain terms that, while certainly hale and good fellows they may be, Dalmatians are not Primorci. So, for a group labelling themselves as "Dalamatians" to be singing a song about a village in Primorje is like the Confederate Victory Choir belting out "Yankee Doodle Dandy".
Just noting this...but check it out with your husband for confirmation.
Oh wow! What a crazy leap of faith! It's a good thing you like water.. :) Surely you can't get internet connection out at sea?
Ohhhh....boots! Of course. I should have known. Boots, yes. The beloved husband does love his boots. But the obsession with boots does not run as deep as with boats, I assure you. ;-)
Okay, I checked in with the hubby and he tells me that while he agrees that the Dalmatians cannot all be Primorje (ahh, to live on and sail around the island of Krk would be a dream come true), the Primorje are most definitely still Dalmatian. I take this to mean that the Primorje are a most fortunate subspecies (or superspecies if you prefer) of the Dalmatian. In other words, not mutually exclusive like the Confederates and the Yankee Doodle Dandies.
Mis_nomer, I'm hopeful that with satellite, we will be able to get internet just about anywhere, but I haven't done all the research yet. Like, for example, just how does one raise a sail anyway? ;-)
Gwynne,
To minimize the hubbub coming from my father's turning in his grave (well, actually from the ashes rising in his vase), as a good and faithful son, I'll have to disagree with your husband.
The lower case word "primorje" means "before the sea" or "by the sea", i.e., seashore. The upper case Primorje specifically, politically, and geographically applies to a part of the Croatian coastline that
There is the Dubrovacko Primorje which specifically refers to the coastline around Dubrovnik, but, again, the upper case Primorje (by itself) refers to the area around Rijeka and Krk>. It's also known aa Kvarner after the Bay of Kvarner.
If you don't believe me, next time you're sailing around Crikvenica, Rijeka, or Krk come to port and announce in a loud voice that you're glad to be in Dalmatia. I'd say it would be 10 minutes, tops, before your fine sailing vessel has sprung unexpected leaks and is slowly sinking into the harbor.
Test #2 would be to wear a t-shirt with Split's football team "Hajduk" emblazoned on your chest. Those quips thrown in your general direction will not be notes of encouragement.
Now, a loaded question. Your husband? He doesn't happen to be from Dalmatia? It is the regional characteristic of Dalmatians to think that all locations beautiful are necessarily Dalmatian. That would explain why the temptation to label the island of Krk> as Dalmatian. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if he has convinced you that certain part of California and the Washington coastline are also Dalmatian. I would be disappointed if he hadn't at least tried; that would indicate that he's become too American and has lost touch with his Dalmatian heritage. The only cure for that is for the two of your to immediately fly off to Dubrovnik and lollygag around the water.
Darko, here's the thing. My husband is from the town of Senj which, as you may know, is very close to the islands of Krk and Rab (in fact, it may even be considered part of the Primorje region...but I can't confirm this and my husband denies it). He clearly labels himself a Dalmatian. It is possible that the residents of Senj find themselves geographically forced to pick sides...Dalmatia or Primorje, and my husband has announced under no uncertain terms that he is Dalmatian (this is preferable to saying that he is "in Senj," if you know what I mean). I would say that his definition of Dalmatia, as you suggest, includes all of the coastal regions of Croatia, and some places beyond...Big Sur California is of course, also Dalmatian. ;-)
Okay, when pressed further, my husband says that, of course, he is Primorje (aka Croatian). In other words, he uses "Primorje" and "Croatian" interchangeably. Heh. Take that!
He concedes that Dalmatia is technically further south but that Senj is as much Dalmatian as it is Primorje. In other words, he has not had the benefit of your dad's talk about Primorje pride, to the exclusion of all things Dalmatian. Frankly, he's just happy not to be called Yugoslavian anymore. Nothing hurts a Croatian's pride more than that!
Gwynne,
After you wrote that he was born & raised in Senj (an absolutely beautiful town parked on a small peninsula with gorgeous beaches on both sides, as you well know), I didn't want to push my point too much. But, your last comment did affirm for me that he is a "Primorac". A "Dalmatinac" would not have the self-assuredness to admit a mis-understanding. Your husband, on the other hand, obviously has a self-assured air about himself.
I think this calls for a round of Katunar Zlahtina all around.
Ziveli!
Yes, ziveli!
And self-assuredness does come with the territory, I am learning. Last night, hubby announced that the "first city" we will sail to is Dubrovnik. "First," I asked in a state of shock? I was kind of thinking we might first try sailing as far as Tacoma (out of Seattle). He assured me that he only meant "first" as in, before we continue sailing up the coast to other various Croatian cities, towns, villages and islands. The idea of first getting across the Atlantic doesn't seem to phase him at all. Is that the kind of self-assuredness that Primoracs possess? ;-)
Gwynne,
???? What's the problem? I don't get it? He sounds like he's got it all figured out. Besides, that Atlantic thing? It's called just a pond for a reason, no?
Sounds to me as if he's flying his Primorac flag high!
Hey Gwynne,
I wanted to make sure that I wasn't just relying on Google and books obtainable in the States for my Primorje/Dalmatia harangue.
So, I wrote to one of my cousins, a prof at a university back in the Old Country. Your husband's insistnece was throwing some doubt into my opinion as he was born in Senj and I wasn't.
Here's her reply, which you can show to your husband, all the while telling him that it is a good thing to be a Primorac.
Dragi Darko,
Jasno da si ti u pravu. Senj nije nikako u Dalmaciji. Senj spada u Primorje. Sve sjevernije na obali od Trogira pripada Primorju. To što se u povijesti taj naš dio cijele obale nazivao Dalmatinskom pokrajinom ne znači da je taj dio zaista Dalmacija. Sve tvoje informacije su točne i svakako mu možeš reći i tvrditi da je on Primorac, a ne Dalmatinac
I have been duly chastised by my husband for the embarrassment this has caused the family. ;-)
And he agrees to be more judicious in his use of all references to Dalmatia in the future. ;-)
Gwynne!!!!
I thought this was all a light word pattering back and forth.
If any of my comments were taken too seriously, it is I who is embarrassed.
My sincere apologies to the both of you; I'll volunteer to scrap barnacles off the new boat.
Besides, especially when it comes to things like dependability and work habits, over in the Old Country, it is always better to eb considered a Primorac than a Dalamatian....
.....although, it is also a given that if you want to have a great party, you find yourself a bunch of Dalmatians.
No worries, there was much laughter over here when MBH read your cousin's comments. And much feigned humiliation that he had embarrassed himself and worse, his entire family. ;-) Then he transferred the blame to me, because something tells me that when a Primorac makes this kind of blunder, he is liable to be excised from the family.
But the work ethic does seem to run deep. Now see, if you had outlined the difference between Primoracs and Dalmatians for me like that in the beginning, I may not have misinterpreted my husband's casual comments.
But we'll still accept your offer to help remove barnacles. ;-)
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