Significant Saturday

 Yesterday, Saturday, was significant for two reasons; it was my first “proper” sailing on the Waimarie as it’s newest deckhand, and it was also exactly two years since the first frames of our new home were erected. On September 3rd 2020 we had a meeting arranged with Bert the Project Manger at 2.30p.m. We had seen the previous day that some of the framing had been delivered. As we walked along to the section from the holiday park we could hear hammering and activity and were greeted by Bert, Brodie and Devon and the first few pieces of framing already up. By the end of the afternoon this is how our new home was looking:

We were incredibly excited and felt that finally tangible progress was being made. We were out of the ground and rising! As I am sitting writing this I am looking south through the house, seeing the walls that those first frames have created.

My season with the Waimarie started on Wednesday with a training sailing just for crew, and to make sure the boat still works after her closed-season rest. After introductions I was asked to shadow Bob for the trip. We loaded and setup life belts and ropes, waste bins and flags. This was followed by seventeen 20kg bags of coal and then a smoko (coffee break). After changing into uniform we boarded and Bob took me through the casting off procedure for the bow of the boat. On the way upstream we released the two homing pigeons which happens on every trip, and warmed up the steam winch before turning to return to the wharf. We dropped the anchor with the aim of having lunch, but the wind was too strong so the anchor was raised and we lunched while returning downstream. I was asked to take the helm for a little while, which was an interesting experience. The boat has a flat bottom and no keel, so it is more a case of encouraging it to go in the desired direction, as opposed to actual steering.

Saturday was my first trip with paying passengers, 50+ I think. In addition to Wednesday’s tasks (much more coal this time), I was also tasked with deck swabbing and heads cleaning. I had been shown a knot on Wednesday which I had been practicing at home (hopefully doing it correctly). I used this to tie up the various ropes that I had to deal with and it seemed to go OK. As it was the first trip of the season the local Whanganui Pipe Band came along to play as we boarded passengers and departed. However they were hampered by the rain (apparently their pipes don’t like it). I was on clicker duty for awhile (passenger counting), before helping passengers negotiate getting round the boat and up and down the decks. We departed on time, this time I was shadowing Mike in the stern. It was quite different with passengers on board as many of them went to chat and ask questions, but the rain eased off for most of the trip and everything went OK until we came back to the wharf for berthing. The rain had returned and the wind had changed. It was very gusty, making handling the boat very difficult. The bosun executed what looked to me like the sailing equivalent of a handbrake turn to bring us safely alongside, but I got the impression that the task had been a challenge. For me, I found the whole experience to be good and rewarding, and even though I still have much to learn I am looking forward to the season.

We were supposed to sail again today, but the wind was even stronger so it was cancelled. With it being Sunday, there are no buses operating and Nicky needed the car to get to church for 10a.m. So she came with me when I drove down to the wharf for 8.30am. Nicky had a book with her (no need to feign surprise) to read while waiting for her 10a.m. church service. At 9am the decision was made to cancel the sailing so everyone headed home. I assumed that Nicky had driven round to Christ Church so started walking there. This took me in a different direction to where I had parked the car in order for Nicky to take over. However, because the view was so pleasant she had decided to stay where she was. Neither of us had our phones with us. Finding that she was not at church I started walking home in the hope that Nicky had returned home and I would see her going back to church. This didn’t happen of course, so I arrived home at 10.30am. This would have been alright if I had picked up my door key before leaving home, but I hadn’t. So, after a bit of a sit out of the wind, some water and some nuts, I brushed the cobwebs off the exterior of the house windows frames and set to cleaning the front of the fence that faces the road. This took me a while so I felt justified in having a repose on garden bench number 2 for a while, in the sunshine and somewhat sheltered from the wind. At around 12.30 I wandered out to see how the fence was drying and noticed Elaine coming home from church. They have a spare key of ours for when we are away, so I popped round and borrowed it for two minutes to let myself in. After her service and morning tea at church was over, Nicky drove back down to the wharf to wait for me to finish work at 1.30pm, not knowing that the sailing had been cancelled. She read for 2 hours before deciding that the lack of activity suggested that something had happened and drove home to find me there, just having finished my lunch. We were both pleased and relieved to find each other again. Our lesson for future Sundays is to always take our phones with us (and a door key for me!).

In addition to this, we have had another rewarding experience of a different kind this week. The door to the shower room has always been a little stiff as it catches the tile floor when closing. I suggested to Nicky that now that I feel more confident with the random orbital sander, we take the door off and I sand some of the bottom off to see it that helps the door move more freely. So on Monday morning that is what we did, and it does! We are very pleased with the improvement and that we were able to do it ourselves.

Nicky has done some brass cleaning this week at St John’s, along with Life Group, Alpha catering and Community Library staffing. She brought home a new Donna Leon which she enjoyed and I am now reading. As the weather warmed up during the week, weeding became a possibility, along with the usual laundry and ironing. We also re-seated garden bench number 2 and it is now much more stable. Some of the rain has been heavy, but it has been more showers than persistent. As Spring has sprung we expect some changeable weather for awhile.

Take care, Rick and Nicky