The best thing I like about owning my own sailboat is that it stretches the mind and expands your horizons. This expansion is ever present for the creative beast in you. The ability to sit and listen to nothing but waves, sea birds, and the wind surging through your limbs invigorates and energizes creative joy in my heart. It is a sharp contrast with so much sadness in the world today. There is a great disparity between those that have and have not. Sequestered inside the cabin of my boat, I am better able to reflect and thank my Heavenly Father for all my blessings. I have a testimony that if your take time out of your busy day to be mindful and thankful of your many blessings, more blessings will come into your life. A new blessing in my life is working on a 12 string electric guitar and beginning learning to play! More on this towards the end of the blog with a sneak peak video for subscribers to my free blog. First lets give thanks.
This month I have a lot to be thankful about. Although my tack rudder cable still remains a problem. I got my main outboard in my barn shop in Chehalis for much needed 2 year maintenance. I have to thank Kelly a fine harbor worker at Westbay Marina for lifting the motor into my truck for transport. The best news is the oil seals are holding pressure so I only replaced the gear oil and now after some sanding and repainting, the motor will be ready for the 2020 season. I’m super excited about that. It cost me about $400 Dollars to get those seals professionally pressed into the outboard’s transmission. That is quite an expense on my puny budget so I was thankful that the work was top notch quality and I would recommend Tom’s Outboard in Olympia for fine outboard work. So this years maintenance costs less than $10 for new gear oil. Nice! I do have to repaint the motor however as I left it in the down position when I was sick. So salt water attacks aluminum. Salt got in between the paint and the metal and started pealing off last year after two years of use. I cleaned the pits and oxidation with vinegar. This stopped the corrosion wiping away the salt. Now its time to sand and get new paint on it. I might could have avoided this by rinsing my outboard with fresh water after each use. When I return after a day out in the fresh air with all the activity it takes to pilot a 30 foot sailboat- I am just too exhausted to care. I cant afford to replace an outboard so I better get this repainted and take care of it!
Draining the old gear oil out of my outboard
Now back to the guitar, I have really put a lot of time and energy repairing and learning this 12 string electric Deam Bocca guitar. It sounds dreamy with all the strings and I even enjoy playing it without the amplifier. I am posting a short clip of my theme song that I am working on for the video blog. I want a song that I write myself as a sort of introduction to every sailing video I make. I will make the actual video with an amplifier and more reverberations. Keep in mind I have only started learning to play and this video is only intended for view for my closest friends and family so that they know I am still alive and kicking. Later, I will produce another track with me singing the words and show them together side by side on Youtube. If you are subscribed to my blog, you will be able to view this video. If you are not a subscriber, please subscribe to my free blog and like my videos when posted. All subscribers will have a secret link to the video in their email! Thank you family and friends for all your support! This is a way for me to give back to you all and entertain you albeit for just a few moments! And do not forget to be thankful of all your many blessings.