Shattered Glass

Fear. It comes in many forms. The form I'm facing right now is that of uncertainty and risk. I have a decision to make about my future – correction: about OUR future. I know what I want to do, that part is easy. It's the decision of whether or not to make that left turn at this stage in life that scares me.  A couple of weeks ago, Dawn and I went to Rhode Island for a long weekend, ostensibly to 'get away' for a few days. Or so we told people. The reality was slightly different.  For as long as I can remember I have been drawn to the water, boats, and sailing. While I have been able to realize my passion for sailing and racing, there has been another aspect to my love of boats that has gone unfulfilled – learning how to build them. Of special interest to me is the art of wooden boat building.  Unlike boats built from myriad other construction materials (namely fiberglass), wooden boats are alive. Rich with character and old world charm. The craftsmanship that goes into ...

Dear Damian,  It's been a while since I wrote you last. Sorry for the long delay. Please don't interpret this to mean that I've moved on or don't think about you that much any more. This is definitely not the case. While I have been busy – no excuse – I just kind of ran out of steam and needed a break. That said, Andrea has cracked the whip and told both me and your mom to get writing again...So here I am.  Don't hate me (us), but we bought a big boat. It's a 1988 Cal 28-2. She went into the water yesterday. I spent that previous 9 days working my butt off getting ready for yesterday's launch – lots of buffing, polishing, and waxing. She looks really good between the waterline and the rub rail. Now that she's in the water, I'll start working to deep clean the topsides. We haven't gone sailing yet as I still need to tune the rig, get the boom attached, and string all the running rigging. That will happen sometime next week.  Your mom is obviously ...