Syzygy Sailing

Let me tell you how I have been dealing with the situation. Since the boat has been two-thousand miles away, all I have been able to do is prepare. I have prepared until I have nothing left to prepare.

I have made lists. I have made a list of all the tasks that need to be done while the boat is out of the water in the work area. I have made a list of all the tasks that need to be done when the boat gets back in the water but before it reaches the marina. I have made a list of tasks to be done when the boat reaches the Emeryville marina. I have made a list of EVERY SINGLE THING we want to do to the boat for the next YEAR. I have made a list of the tools that we need to obtain, organized by task. I have made a list of the tools and materials to gather together before starting each task. I have made a list of each step to do to complete each task.

Most of these lists I have rewritten and recopied over at least twice.

I made a spreadsheet with the precise measurements of all our rigging, a diagram of the location of all our through hulls, another diagram locating just the underwater through hulls, a diagram of how to rebuild the plumbing for the new head, two diagrams with brainstorms of how to rearrange the electrical system, a diagram of the mast steps I want to build.

I have been to two tool supply places today, five yesterday, and three the day before that. I have been to Svendsen’s Marine Center three times in the past week, without buying a single item.

Clearly, making lists and over-preparing is my thing. Clearly, I like this. But now I’m ready to be done with lists. Now I’m ready to check things off of lists. I’m ready to be too busy to make any more lists.

BOAT: ARRIVE NOW. MATT: NO MORE LISTS.