I awoke at 4:30 am this morning, not for want of rest but for the feedback loop which had kidnapped my groggy grey matter and prevented me from falling back asleep.
I haven’t installed Errant’s winter storage cover yet. I haven’t even read the instruction manual for the winter storage cover yet. And there’s a chance of freezing rain even snow tonight…
Worry is a formidable foe. It fortifies and fiercifies , more real with each anxiety fueling cycle. I tossed and turned for an hour, trying to think about telemark skiing in Santa Fe this winter, windsurfing in Anguilla this coming spring, anything enticing enough to distract me from the obvious fact that I’ve neglected winter storage cover installation for too long. And now it might bite me in the @$$.
Time to slay the worry beast.
One, two! One, two! And through and through
The vorpal blade went snicker-snack!
He left it dead, and with its head
He went galumphing back.
~ Lewis Carroll (Jabberwocky)
If only it were that easy. It’s not, so I did the next best thing. I got up, quietly to avoid waking slumbering bride and beast, and slipped off to my study. In a perfect world I’d drive off to the marina and spend the morning learning how to install the winter storage cover. Learning by doing. Weathered, photocopied instructions spread on the galley table, hiking up and down ladders, earning peace of mind and a well protected sailboat.
But driving off at this hour would worry both bride and beast, and blundering around in the dark, in the cold, with winds that are supposed to hit 17 mph later in the day… Nope. Not a good idea.
Better idea? Dig out the instructions from the veritable “library” of manuals I inherited when I purchased Errant a couple of months ago and start learning the ropes. Pre-learn the installation procedure and then plan to get started Monday morning when the wind and temperature is expected to be slightly more favorable.
Note to Self: before I install the winter storage cover I need to remove and store the sails. Hope it doesn’t snow tonight!