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Our weekend on the water.....

7/19/2016

1 Comment

 
Planning a trip, no matter how small takes a great deal of thought, organization and lists, but there’s that old saying "the best laid plans".....things can go wrong no matter how much effort one puts out.  This past weekend was a prime example, and although not all was lost, literally and figuratively, it was a lesson learned.

I worked Saturday till four with the plan to head out on the water as close to 6:00PM as possible.  Although I stayed up late the night before doing prep, boiling potatoes and eggs for salad and simmering my ham to tenderize and reduce the saltiness, I still needed to shop and gather all the other items and pack them in the most condensed version possible.  I cooked the pups liver at breakfast and put the ham in the oven with instructions for hubby to baste every half hour until noon with the mustard and maple glaze I’d prepared.   After work we would buy the extras, bread, English muffins for the breakfast sunrise sandwiches, chocolate and snacks to satisfy any peckishness.   
 
The boat hadn’t yet been equipped with dishes, cutlery and sheets or towels so that needed packing.  I went through the three large Rubbermaid containers of things taken off the boat in the fall and downsized to what we needed for this weekend into the one container.  The rest can be taken out later.  All in all we had one large and one small cooler with chilled items, one large Sobey’s recycled grocery bag filled with dry items such as the bread, coffee grinds, treats etc, a duffle bag of clothing and toiletries, kettle and Bodum to make coffee, and the large Rubbermaid containing dishes and cutlery and galley items, and a plastic bag with blankets, sheets and towels.  We packed mostly prepared food, Greek salad, potato salad and ham that would serve triple duty for a cold cut dinner, breakfast sunrise sandwiches with English muffins, cheese and egg, and then bread sandwiches for lunch.  We had a Save Easy roasted chicken, pepperoni, cheese, crackers and a veggie tray.   We wanted the option to stay out again on Sunday even if we were only on our Mahone Bay mooring for the night.  Once we’re on the boat it’s difficult to get us off so we left it open, no time constraints, just total relaxation, go with the flow kind of attitude.  It’s amazing how much stress we build from day to day, working, rushing from post to pillar, conforming to time limits and getting things done on the list that grows like an exuberant weed.  Out on the water there is none of that, nothing to rush to or panic over.  There is an old saying, power boaters are always trying to get somewhere fast while sail boaters are where they want to be.  That pretty much sums it up.

Because we have four pups that need bathroom breaks, we haul our rubber zodiac behind the boat.  We anchor somewhere near an island and row them out whenever nature calls.  We do have a pee pad I bought a couple of years ago but except for Fiz squatting on it once, we’ve never been able to get them to use it.

So hubby filled up the dingy with all our necessities so the Mahone Bay Civic Marina tender would tow it out to the boat with us.  We had a few problems, it was hot as Hades once again and the pups were jumping with excitement like fleas at a dog and cat convention.  I watched over them while hubby loaded up the dingy.  It was a lot of lugging and loading in shirt soaking temperatures.  I smiled at him sweetly, knowing how I would feel having to lug all our stuff on my own.  His mood screamed how much fun he was having and at one point we misplaced his car keys.  Great!  The driver’s side window was down so there was a scramble to find them in the bags.  I think that was when the confusion began but we wouldn’t know anything happened until much later in the evening. 

So we all piled into the tender and were taxied out to the boat, dragging our dingy behind it filled to the gunnels with our weekend supplies.  I spent an hour putting everything away and by then the wind died a bit as it always seems to do in the early evening, so we motored out to Covey Island where another Nonsuch boat with friends were waiting to raft up with us for the night.  We were late arriving and they had just finished their dinner which we could smell as we approached.  They have a nifty boat BBQ that fastens to the rail, something on our list for next year. 

So we tied up and chatted a bit, then we made up the beds and I prepared dinner.  That’s when I noticed there were things missing.  The entire bag with coffee and bread, chocolate and snacks wasn’t below deck.  We searched everywhere, several times in the same place hoping for a different result.  We built scenarios for what might have happened.  Did it fall overboard being hauled behind the tender or was it left in the car, or on the floating dock?   Perhaps left on the port side of the boat were it tumbled into the sea as we motored?  We finally had to quit wondering and moved on with our evening.  We were thankful all the main food was with us so we wouldn’t starve.  I made a joke that perhaps the wise universe didn’t want me eating chocolate.  Ha!

Of course the menu changed.  Instead of sunrise sandwiches we would have fried ham and eggs for breakfast, not a difficult substitute to live with.  And there wouldn’t be any sandwiches for lunch the following day but once again nothing life threatening or immoral. 

After we rafted up, the air was beginning to cool and I thought it was time to change from my sleeveless shirt to put on something warmer.  I looked for the duffle bag that contained our essentials; dental floss, tooth brush, hair brush, eye drops, prescription reading glasses, pajamas, clean underwear, changes of clothing and jackets but that bag was also among the missing.  Once again we searched the boat top to bottom.  This was more of a loss than the bag of food and now it was dark, the wind had died and we really didn’t want to motor back.  Now we were roughing it. 

Losing two bags seemed a bit much so we figured they were never taken out of the car, at least that’s what we hoped.   I’m not one to sleep in the nude but wearing soiled and damp clothing from the moist night air wasn’t an option.  Not brushing my teeth before bed was difficult; it felt like fuzz was growing in my mouth. I like them smooth and squeaky clean so I rubbed them with paper towel and that seemed to help but that fresh scent of wintergreen that lulls me into a restful night was missing.  

I slept in the forward berth with Henri and Jake and hubby was in the aft berth with the Honey and Fiz.   Jake is a licker and any time bare flesh is exposed he likes to wash you.  Of course I’m talking arms and neck normally, but on this night I had to keep the blankets up around my neck the entire night so he wouldn’t try to wash my chest.  It was warm so I wasn’t happy about being so covered up but you do what you have to do to get by. 

For the first time out this year, the mattress seemed overly hard against my soft frame so it took time to find the right position.   I have feather pillows at home that are firm but they aren’t good with the boat’s propensity for dampness and would get moldy.  I like my head propped up and the manmade fiber ones were way too soft and didn’t offer much support.  Two of them together and my head sunk almost to the bottom with the sides pushed up to hug my ears. There was a lot of tossing and turning to keep my knee comfortable that sometimes gets twisted and hurts, but I finally drifted off and quite frankly didn’t hear a thing until eight the next morning.

One of the first things I usually do after I rise is brush away the night’s taste in my mouth but that couldn’t happen and even worse, there was no coffee to wash it away either!  Hubby is the big java drinker but let me tell you, when I couldn’t have it, I wanted it more than winning the lottery.  We borrowed some from our friends but it wasn’t the same although we couldn’t be looking a gift horse in the mouth. We put a bit of Bailey’s in it for extra flavour.  We like the darkest blends we can find whereas our friends go for the mediums which didn’t pack the same punch.  Our friends were in need of and extra egg so we were more than happy to trade protein for caffeine. 
  
With all the work we’ve been doing on the boat for the launch and then cleaning the interior, I haven’t been doing the coats of varnish on the teak cockpit and cabin tables so we had no surface to eat our breakfast on.  We’d packed trays for our laps and the large cooler acted as a table to put our drinks on.  I glanced over at our friends fully equipped boat and saw them dining in luxury in the cockpit with their eggs benny and lovely napkins on their beautiful table that he made with a Nonsuch insignia logo inlaid on the top.  It looked so bloody comfortable and civilized a bit of envy crept in.  I shook it off knowing that ours will come, I can’t begrudge my friends their comfort and it’s not like we’re the poor boat cousins that will never amount to anything, we have the goods, I just need to get cracking on the work. 

We took the pups out first thing for their morning ablutions.  They loved running up and down the beach and in the waves on the shore.   They found sunbaked crabs and muscle shells and all the interesting smells drove them insane with excitement.  We let them spend a half hour exploring and stretching their legs.  On the way back to the boat Fiz, who is fearless and continually tries to sit on the edge of the pontoon-like sides of the zodiac, fell off into the shallow water.  Hubby was still walking us out in his rubber boots until the bottom floated off the sand and grabbed her before she was totally submerged.  Her face and legs were wet but her back was still dry.  She didn’t seem concerned and jumped immediately back to the spot where she fell off.  I think another time when the sun is out we will let them swim a bit.  The day was damp which wasn’t good for drying so she was wet quite a while even though I rinsed and toweled her off. 

The absolute highlight of the trip was the pups.  Before our friends untied and left for home Sunday afternoon, all four of our guys peed on the fake grass pad on the bow of the boat and then their dog came on board and peed there as well.  That was a feat for sure as Widget has been sailing for years and they haven’t been able to get her to pee onboard.   This is huge for us as it will make our weekend jaunts so much easier if they use the pad instead of being taken to shore all the time, especially the after dark trips before bedtime.  All we had to do was get one to go first and then they all piled on to add to the golden stream.  Hallelujah! 

Despite the lack of clothing change and some of our food, we had a splendid time and didn’t want to come home.  Truthfully, if we hadn’t goofed we would have stayed Sunday night off Covey’s as well but it was probably good this happened so early in the season because now we can work the bumps out, know to double check things before boarding.  Rushing and getting rattled doesn’t make the job go any easier or faster and we’ve proved that.  Unfortunately the person that found the bag of goodies didn’t turn it in at the Marina office.  I suppose it was too tempting to give up, with chocolate covered almonds and the Lindt Orange Chocolate bar on the top in full view.   I sure hope they had a dog for the food in the bag and enjoy quality bread and expensive chocolate.  I hope they appreciate the high end, full bodied coffee beans that we buy and grind although part of me wants you to choke on it, but then again, it was our fault for leaving it for the taking.  Not all folks are honest enough to turn it in, I know we would have but then that’s who we are.  For the life of me I can’t remember everything I packed into the bag and it was full to the top.  I suppose I’ll find things missing in the days to come and it will tweak my memory.    

We did find the duffle bag of clothes and toiletries in the backseat of the car which of course would have been a far greater loss.  Luckily, I don’t have to think of some gal or perhaps a guy, out there wearing my underwear....and on that note I'll call it THE END. 


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Although a sweetie, this pup is not one of ours, nor is this our home.  I don't have a picture of the boat and the pee pad, but this is what it looks like. 
1 Comment

Can see the finish line.....

7/14/2016

5 Comments

 
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Today is the last day for cleaning.  I have to cut it off somewhere so the fun begins.  Just when I think things are looking good, that I can come up for air, I see another spot, or spots that is.  Mold is my nemesis this year.  Last year was the Cetol.  What will it be next year?  I’m not being negative; it’s a fact of life with boat ownership with their need for continual maintenance. 

I thought yesterday would be the end to this cleaning blitz, but the list we entered the boat with remained untouched while we were sent in different directions.  The VHS didn’t work which is important for a sense of safety.  If something goes wrong we want the GPS to know our last position to call for help.  It wasn’t working for tender calls so we resorted to using the phone. Gregg ended up working on that for most of the evening and we didn’t get home until midnight, almost stupid with tiredness.  We cleaned and inflated our Zodiac tender so we didn’t have to get off the water at 9:00 pm, the tenders last pick-up of the evening. 
 
I had planned to clean the bilge, the last of the clean jobs, everything I’ve been cleaning till now drains into that area so it only makes sense to tackle it last, but ended up literally upside-down in the freezer scouring out the winter smell.  Now I won’t be creeped out about storing our food in it.  Then I noticed the doors needed a toothbrush cleaning and the weather stripping all around the edge was grey from years of use so that needed to be removed which was no small feat.  The stuff held on as if its life depended on it and perhaps it did, but I was determined and piece by piece it scraped away with a chisel. It was sticky and gross and I fought to get it off my fingers. The teak along the edge is now cleaned and smooth, waiting for a new strip to be applied today, a beautiful white strip, to give it a new freshness one would associate with an appliance that contains food.  The freezer works well and once running the diesel engine for a while it gets nice and cold that will last quite a while, perhaps a day.  It won’t be fit for ice cream but it will keep things chilly like cream for our coffee.  If we put frozen soup in it that should keep things chilled for even longer and of course we would fire up the engine for a periodic cap on the cold.  We also take ice packs we bought at the dollar store, large flat ones to lay items on for extra cool.  We also have ones that wrap around drinks.  A nice cold beer after a day on the water hits the spot and is now the only alcohol I care to enjoy.  It’s zippy and refreshing.  I’ve found a beer called Modela and it’s totally refreshing with no skunky aftertaste that some beers seem to leave.  I’m not a fan of booze in general so I can live without it. My favourite drink is water but I crave for something zippy every now and then and I can’t drink pop because of all the sugar and the diet version is worse  because of the aspartame, which in case you didn’t know, destroys your pancreas and causes diabetes, interesting isn’t it, what they flog as a diabetic drink will cause further damage and send you down the insulin highway even faster. 

Picking away at the cleaning in small doses each evening isn’t enough, we need to blitz an entire day so I‘m playing hooky at work and heading down to the boat shortly where we won’t be surfacing until that cabin is ready for our dishes, pots and pans, cutlery, cushions and bedding.  Them I’m going to put on my rose coloured sunglasses so all looks perfect and bright and not think about the remaining work as thoughts of fun push  all else aside. 

I still have to remove the oxidation on the combing area and deck but that can be achieved while sailing, and then waxed to a lovely shine.   I have the entire summer for that so I’m not panicked. Its days like this that make a person hanker for more so I have to squash my anal, perfectionist angst and learn to relax a bit.  No sense having a boat that never sees action. 

We are going out for a sail and dinner on the water this evening.  The pups will be with us for the first time, now that the boat is fit for them.   They’ve been left alone a lot lately, those four sets of sad eyes staring up from the sofa as we close the door behind us break my heart but I tell them we are doing all of this for them.  I’m not sure they get it or care, all they see is mommy and daddy are both leaving once again.  They love the water, but more importantly, they love being with us.  So let the fun begin.    
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Here is an updated photo of my cabin floor rug.  It's progressing slowly.  Not getting much done on it with the few minutes I can spare before falling into bed.   Once we are no longer picking over the boat like a vulture with a carcass, I should be able to get it all done in a couple of weeks.  
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5 Comments

Almost there.....

7/12/2016

2 Comments

 
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Of late, I’ve been having some wild experiences in the world of boating.  It certainly isn’t all fun and glory with its many layers.  The pros and cons create lists as long as my arms.  I have never worked so hard, been exposed to so many cleaning chemicals, and been this bruised and tenderized in my life.  Seeing the light at the end of the tunnel after a long month and a half, I’m definitely looking to the fun part but I have to admit, through all the blood, bruising and sore aching muscles, I’ve had the time of my life.  Some might think this strange but there is immense gratification in taking something old and tired and transforming it into something old and sparkly.  Sure she has age, some that can’t be removed or rejuvenated unless you throw copious amounts of money at it, but, what we’ve been able to transform is more exciting than Elvis re-entering the building. 

I must admit I wasn’t prepared for all these jobs.  The romance of sailing was quickly dashed once the maintenance slapped me in the face.  Boats need more work than Joan Rivers to keep them looking fine.  I made a reference the other day that a boat is like finding a new lover.  I’ve been over every part of her, every square inch, exploring her inside and out.  She’s been elusive….she holds a lot of dark secrets in her hull, cupboards and stow away areas.  Patches of mold that melt away with the mist of bleach that drip like black tears down her sides.  She’s been leaking for years and with all that added moisture in places that don’t ventilate properly, well she’s been growing quite fuzzy along the insides of her belly.  In some places I need to get down on my stomach and reach without actually seeing what I’m cleaning.  I feel my way around with a wet rag until I rub a spot that shows black and then I reach in with my bottle and spray the hell out of the area to eat away at the black scourge.  I’m beating it back one spore at a time so it stops its accent up her sides. 

Last year there were distinctive hums, several combined in a noxious perfume. The head, spilled diesel fuel, mold and that lingering stench of mustiness that comes with age.  I was told my boat stank, no kidding but thank-you very much for stating the obvious.   You’d have to be nose blind or dead to not notice it but we didn’t have the time to tackle this big job other than what was visible like the galley cupboards and the toilet.  Now you could literally eat on or lick any surface on the boat, confident that the tongue will remain pink.  For my efforts I’m bruised and scratched, and probably close to an immune system overload but I’m happy beyond ecstatic and know she is too.  I can see the way she sits in the water, with a sense of pride that she belongs alongside all the other shiny boats.  As we motor up to her, she looks brand spanking new, the sun glints off her new paint job; the rub rail stainless that skirts along her sides reflects the sun like a mirror as if winking at us.  Of course the closer you get the more you see a bit of tired but hubby tells me that in the boating world you work on the ten foot rule, she only has to pass ten foot scrutiny.

Hubby has been doing the hidden jobs of engine maintenance so that she fires up and purrs like a crotchety old cat.   I witnessed and assisted an oil change a messy endeavor if you aren’t careful with the suction. Sucking out the old with a hand pump that I worked until my arms almost fell off was an experience I could have lived without.    Hubby got the deck water hose working and the hot water system is now functional; no more washing dishes in cold water unless I heat it on the stove.  He’s been addressing leaks and rebedding items on deck, putting on the finished teak handrails and dorade vent boxes and addressing his long list of repairs that don’t seem like much in word form but take a lot of time.  I’ve never seen this many lists on the kitchen island, lists upon lists, with items in the process of being scratched off.  As one list gets close to completing one list, there are two more made.  So much to think about, so much to do.  Every part of the boat had either a big or small thing not quite right and we are systematically attacking them all.

I’ve decided my critical eye should rest a bit.  Everywhere I look there are new jobs ahead of us but I really have to relax and appreciate what we’ve done so far to enjoy myself for the rest of the summer, reap the rewards of our accomplishment and not see all that awaits us.   Next year the lists will be as long as the interior is sad, the floor boards need refinishing and the cabin could use a light sanding and recoating of the varnish.  Next year the scuppers need an overhaul.  There are chips in the gelcoat from someone putting up the frame and cover without supporting the sharp bottoms of the metal tubing so it cut into the surface leaving damage and cause potential leaking.  We used bits of carpet to protect the area, if only others had done the same! We will epoxy them all, probably 40-50 holes to repair and then repaint.

All in all I’m feeling proud to show her off and can’t wait to take friends out for a thrill of a lifetime.  In her element she is magnificent.  I don’t have the words to describe the feeling I have out there on the ocean, cutting through the blue with the wind and sun on my face as I give thanks for our blessings. 


2 Comments

Transforming a new design out of another.

7/8/2016

0 Comments

 
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I am working on my 3rd pattern from you (and one in the wings – Winter
Games) and just wanted you to know how much I love your designs.  I have
only hooked 4 previous pieces and never used a kit before.  They have been all
my own ideas/designs but drawn by someone else, the largest only being about
3’ x 2 ½’ so am still learning and growing and loving it!

Anyway, when I was ordering the next two items I was telling the woman who
helped me about what I did with one of your patterns and I was told I should
send you pics of what I did for my first grandson last Christmas.  I was
looking for stocking kit patterns (as I still don’t trust myself to buy the
right amount of wool and get the colors right).

I bought your Frosty Stocking (please excuse me for saying but I felt the
colors were too dark/muted so I put that piece away as I just did not feel
happy when hooking it and will start it again when I can get help with other
colors) and your Night Before Christmas wall hanging (I thought it was
called Up, Up and Away when I got it)

Anyway, I took the shape from Frosty and laid it over Night before Christmas
and hooked a stocking for my grandson and added Star Wars embellishments as
my Son (his dad) is very into SW and so he is grooming my grandson in the
Fun!  I loved the way it came out and very proud of my work.  He seemed to
love it too........at least what was inside.  He was only 18 months old then.
At the time I was ordering I did not see you had a similar stocking pattern called
Dash Away but then I would have had to purchase and figure out the
wool.

Hope you like what I did and that I did your design justice. 

Sincerely,
Joann Von Dollen

PS  will continue to check out your work and I can't wait to get started on
Winter Games.  I will have a friend of mine who got me into hooking and who
has been in Celebrations many times, help me with getting the wool I need
for it.  Sure wish it was a kit!

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This is the pattern called "Up, Up & Away" that Joann adapted into a stocking. 
0 Comments

A little Nonsuch nonsense.....

7/5/2016

4 Comments

 
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Photo by Betty Merridith
A joke  

A woman walks into a restaurant and spies a couple of local sailors in a corner booth.  She approaches the table and asks how they’re doing since their former captain had passed away and the boat they raced on was sold.  One commented that they bought a boat of their own and planned to do some cruising.  She asked “What kind of boat is it?  He said a “Nonsuch”.  With a curl of her lip she spits out, “A Nonsuch isn’t a real boat!”

How’s that for a punch line?  Maybe you’ve heard this joke before.....

That was a true story that happened to us.  I must say it’s been surprising to bear witness to the preconceived notions some have about the Nonsuch sailing vessel.  I’ve heard words like “hate” and “ugly” more than I care to recall and of course the standard, “Isn’t that a boat for old men?”  At first I took offence, but my husband explained that some people don’t understand form and function and probably have never read a yacht design book in their life.  Mark Ellis was clever in that he took traditional design and married it with modern naval architecture so how can that be wrong?  Obviously the Nonsuch isn’t everyone’s cup of tea and that’s a good thing as there aren’t enough to go around.  There were less than 1000 built of all the sizes combined from the 26 to the 36.  Our 33 is one of only 80 in the entire world, how special is that?   

So there are people that don’t like the Nonsuch design, okay that’s fine, but don’t come right out and declare a hate for it, that’s childish.  How about acting like grownups and dial it down, perhaps use your words more effectively and leave hate where it belongs, back in grade school. Choose to sound adult with polite comments like, “I’ll pass thank-you, Brussel Sprouts aren’t my favourite” even though you’re gagging at the mention of them.   Hate is for children who can’t describe their feelings eloquently because of a limited vocabulary.   Besides, please tell me, how does one hate an inanimate object?   What did it ever do to you?  How can its mere presence evoke that kind of negativity?   Maybe if one went rogue, purposely headed for shore to wreck your home and kill your entire family, well, perhaps hate would be justified. 

Maybe the Nonsuch is an easy target like in the old 1990’s Pantene commercial, “Don’t hate me because I’m beautiful”.  Yes, I think the Nonsuch is beautiful, after all ownership comes with a certain degree of bias.  These yachts are well built with a judicious amount of quality materials. Compared to other designs that flood the market, the Canadian made Nonsuch numbers are low perhaps because they are so well built and costly to produce.   Craftsmanship takes time; they are not merely spit out of a mold hundreds at a time along an assembly line.  These boats are mostly custom ordered and are more expensive than the average production sloop for the sailing masses. Beautifully endowed with teak and accouterments their spacious layouts are comfortable for living aboard and inspire confidence for long journeys.  They are classy, hold their value and are built to last.   Put all these attributes together and tell me, what’s not to love?  

Perhaps some naysayers don’t like the price tag.  A Nonsuch is perhaps only affordable to those with a bit of salt on them, but when it all boils down, they are definitely sought after by folks of any age with great taste.  Yes they are much easier to sail than other designs, but that doesn’t mean we are any less of a sailor for pursuing one.  Maybe years of hard racing has taken its toll and some want to have relaxed fun on the water, stop to smell the roses instead of ploughing them down in their wake.    

And as for ugly, I’ve been told the Nonsuch is ugly in general but bordering on the absurd, one guy ventured that it had an ugly bow. Excuse me? Although I don’t know a lot about boat designs, I did notice that the plum bow on this guy’s Beneteau looked almost identical to the bow on our Nonsuch and pointed it out, but somehow ours was subject to mockery while his was a thing of beauty.  I’m not sure the reason behind these comments, what does it serve?  Are you trying to pry your way under the veneer of my tolerance to stick a knife in my quick?  Is it a reaction you’re after?   Well, you won’t get one, but know this, as I walk away biting my tongue, I’m thinking you’re an idiot which seems a fair exchange for your rudeness.   

I’m not saying you don’t have a right to your opinion.  For all I care, you can dislike or hate the Nonsuch every day of the week and twice as much on Sunday.  What I’m protesting is your need to stand right in front of us with a face that looks like you’re swallowing Buckley’s and tell us our boat is ugly.   If you owned a boat I would never come up to you and condemn your choice, point out what I perceive to be its flaws or try to rain on your happy parade.   To me it’s equal to saying my child is ugly or maybe you think poodles look stupid.  I’d rip my own tongue out and stomp it with the heel of my deck shoe before I offered such obnoxious opinions back.    

One person said he’d pass on a sail because he likes to do things, you know, have a job, trim a sail,  that he’s not the type to just sit like meat on the rail.  Well from the size of him, I think perhaps he’s been doing just that, but I kept it to myself, I’m not above being mean in my head, it’s a natural defense against the absurd.   Apparently it’s believed we leave the mooring and sit twiddling our thumbs the entire time we’re on the water.  They think a Nonsuch is so simple to maneuver it sails itself; a child could do it with zero skill.  Maybe they envision us on board, doing a bit of macramé or knitting, perhaps whittling on a piece of pine as we tootle around the harbour.   Obviously these boats sport a magical sail that trims itself and knows exactly what to do in all wind conditions, tacks and jibes on its own and avoids the rocky shores, reefs and shoals while we sit back in our spacious cockpits with not a thing to do, all sentimental about the good ole days, when we were physically able to handle a “real” boat. 

Believe me when I say that a Nonsuch is not for old geezers and we could have taken this guy out for a sail to foster a different opinion but we have nothing to prove and maybe we didn’t want to spend any time with such a big blowhard.  I’ll bet he walked away thinking he had a lucky escape, spared from an afternoon of boredom, hanging with a bunch of liver spotted geriatrics, apparently a perceived prerequisite for Nonsuch ownership.  With one foot in a watery grave and the other on a nonboat, we sailing sellouts would just drag y’all down.  
    
What you hear from strangers is one thing, but a gal we know came right out and exclaimed “hate” accentuated with eye rolls, head shaking and spoke with much the same disdain as eating an apple full of worms.  “Oh no!” she says with ear piercing decibels,  “Tell me you didn’t buy a Nonsuch?!”   I’m not asking anyone to love, or even like this design, only appreciate that perhaps we are very happy with our boat so stop trying to impress us with your lack of tact and bad manners.    Yes, I’ve heard the power versus sail debate, but I never dreamed I would experience boat prejudice or that such a thing even existed within its own class.    Why can’t we all have fun on the water in whatever vessel we’ve chosen, wave to one another as we pass by and play nice.   
On the flip side, we’ve heard plenty of wonderful comments for the Nonsuch and lots of enthusiasm to be invited for a sail.  The curious that come to the end of the wharf to check us out and ask what kind of boat we have leave impressed.      If we welcome them aboard they are wowed by the spacious teak appointed cabin, list of amenities and convenient layout.  It is highly recognizable with the wishbone boom, a feature that few sailboats have utilized as much as the Nonsuch designs, making them stand out in a mooring field.   

And as for thrills on the water, all boats have their hull speed and hubby who is an experienced, long time racer, is fully satisfied with her performance and looks forward to cruising around the islands of Mahone Bay, weekend jaunts up and down the coast of Nova Scotia and racing this fall at the Annual Nonsuch Rendezvous.   He says, “Aar, she’s Bristol fashion and ship shape, easy on the eye and made for the sea.”

The old saying is true, “Opinions are like arseholes, everyone has one” but really, like the aforementioned body part, perhaps some people should keep their thoughts private as well.    All in all, it’s been a surprising education, one that I could have lived without.  Let there be haters if they wish, but we certainly love our boat and all the other Nonsuch owners we’ve met share this same sentiment!  
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