#first year on a boat

[cinimon01]

Mai Tai experience 2024

Adventures of 60 somethings on board a catamaran.

On the 31st of January 2024, we became the proud owners of a Lagoon 400 2010 model, located in Opua New Zealand.

On the 27th of February, after a few family engagements, we flew to Auckland and drove 3 hours to Opua Marina, gathering some simple supplies on the way. I felt so cold and exhausted when we arrived that I nearly cried at the thought of living on this small, damp and smelly boat for the next 5 years. What had we done, we had a perfectly good life in a house. Why why why?

The next day was better.

28th February 2024, we sorted out a few things and organized a few others. Where to put clothes, towels, and did we have enough. Sheets were on board, but I threw most out as they were thin and barley reuseable. I started a list of things to but for us and the boat to be comfortable and livable for the next…..years?

So first trip in our hire car to Whangarei, (Pronounced Foneray) we found Spotlight, Countdown, Kmart and Bunnings. We loaded up and drove the 1 hour back to Opua.

1st March 2024: Next day we though we would take her for a spin and charge batteries and empty the black water tank, (the wee and poo tank). So we got out to open water and came into the bay of Russell. Lovely little spot but the anchor wouldn’t go down, so I suggested David just drive around and Ill cook breakfast/brunch.

So we did that and headed back to the marina. On our approach, on an outgoing tide, she was hard to handle. The birth spot was big enough for a catamaran but not big enough for us to park in with our limited experience and a tide that wanted to push us where we did not want to go. So I am running around the deck shouting directions to David. More like, “STOP, YOUR GOING TO HIT THE WHARF”. More things like, “Oh what the FUCK, we are going to crash”. Came out of my mouth on several occasions. We had the neighbours, folk from boats near us, on the dock along with the harbor master Shane. He was speaking calmly to David about pulling back and not so heavy on the power, but I don’t think he could hear him over my screaming, “We are going to crash.”

Yes we hit the dock and crushed our port side sugar scoop with an indent of about 25cm long and 10cm deep. Not too much damage to the boat but our self esteem was shattered, and I was a nervous wreck. One of our neighbours from a boat named Scallywag, was on the dock to console us. He had just had a similar experience and the tide pushed him into the bow spirt of another boat punching a hole in the side of his 50 ft catamaran…..Ouch.

2nd March 2024: Olly the previous owner came by and he sorted out the windlass, (anchor) not working problem. He said he cleaned up some loose wiring and maybe some got lost in the process and he unplugged the windlass. Not sure but he got it going and answered a lot of David's questions. We told him about our encounter with the dock and he said, “You know what they say, “You haven’t been around if you haven’t run aground”. I’m not sure if that made me feel better but, there you have it.

3rd March 2024: We gathered up our torn confidence and broken dreams decided we had to get back on the horse….so to speak. So out we went for another attempt at having fun on our new boat. This time we dropped the anchor in Russell, and I just put the kettle on when the afternoon storm that was expected at 1pm came early and interrupted our 10am brunch. So up came the anchor and we headed back to the marina. Before we even arrived my stress levels were off the chart. But we listened to Shane and came in on a slack tide and we managed to berth Mai Tai without incident. This was cause for celebration, so we had a shower and went into Paihia for dinner and a bottle of wine.

8th March 2024: Flew back to Sydney for my 60th birthday cruise on board Celebrity Edge to …..of all places, New Zealand. During this cruise we saw parts of the South Island and the sounds that were absolutely breath taking. The enormity of these places that we could now explore in our own boat! So we decided to skip the Rally to Fiji this year and explore New Zealand for 12 months. Plus we are not experienced enough in operating our boat yet. We need time and some nautical miles before we conquer open water.

[ninakaina]

i was thinking about this today so how long has YOUR JOB existed- not how long your industry has existed, but how long someone has been doing the work you do as a trade notwithstanding changes in terminology and technology. no unemployed option cuz i cant add more answers sorry... tell me about it in the tags

[occasionallybirds]

Who wore it best?

Great Kiskadee (Pitangus sulphuratus)

Social Flycatcher (Myiozetetes similis)

Boat-billed Flycatcher (Megarynchus pitangua)

Costa Rica (Estero de Playa Grande, San Jose, and Playa Conchal)

Early November, 2024

[annaraebananawriter]

"You didn't see the storm coming? Must not be a very good Oracle."

BRENNAN WHEN I CATCH YOU--WHEN I CATCH YOU BRENNAN--AAAAAASA

[puppppppppy]

[galedekarios]

if you are genuinely out there claiming that gale "succeeded" in everything he "wanted" by becoming a god and that's why it's a good ending for him, you truly are a testament to the slow and steady death of media literacy congrats lmao

[jumpingjoltiks]

Sugar daddy submas all of it give it to me I love it so much

I want sexy train man to fund my life

God same. They would treat you so right.

Once full sugar daddy mode has been engaged, the twins often send you gifts on top of your usual allowance. It's typically something small or practical, but you can tell that they put thought and care into whatever they choose.

You mentioned how your heels hurt after a long evening of standing and dancing? In the next week, expect a paid visit to get a massage/pedicure and a pair of shoes that are so comfortable you vow never to wear your old ones again.

Are you in college or interested in learning something new? They've looked ahead and gotten you your supplies (and have already paid off the class tuition for the semester).

Has the weather gotten colder these last few days? A large box surprises you when you arrive home. Inside is a luxurious wool coat. It's so soft and warm - perfect for a walk out on their arms!

Do you like jewelry? They plan together to give you a gorgeous set of earrings with one black pearl and one white pearl.

Ingo likes to send flowers with his gifts. He chooses flowers for a small bouquet and has them sent over along with a handwritten note. It's such a nice touch, and it brightens up your whole apartment. Every time you look at them, it makes you think of him.

Emmet will always send a small present for your pokemon with his gift because he knows how much you dote on her. A cute collar that matches the necklace he sends you, a pokenip mouse toy, or even just a little treat. Send him a picture of purrloin with her present (or even better, you enjoying yours) and he'll be over the moon.

[diino8081]

swap au or something

ekko -> viktor

viktor -> jinx

jinx -> ekko

i read this fic and got inspired. it doesn't follow the canon to it but it inspired me (do check it out though it's really cool)

if you got any au questions then throw em at me (i've only watched arcane once tho so i might not have answers)

(more in the tags)

[nexeliam]

Hogwarts's beauty isn't for everyone to behold, unfortunately. Hopefully one day, Ominis will appreciate its magnificience, in his own way.

[rigginsstreet]

actually i think billys the type that in 20 years he would be found living on a houseboat in the florida keys, a string of men coming in and out but never settling down because billys never found The One (he compares every man to his high school rival and they never quite stack up)

[ichthyorelationships]

an idea i invite anyone else to write about / run with lol....

the premise that The Change gets all messed up for alberto, say it's something that can happen from stress, &/or happens rarely and you just have to wait for it to resolve itself....used as some parallel to struggling through some emotional turbulence / upheaval / questioning / Realizing Things, etc etc

[torgawl]

if wriothesley doesn't appear in any quest once we get to remuria, what even is the point?

the parallels between wrio and king remus are crystal clear. remus who descended upon meropis (a name very familiar to anyone who knows of the fortress of meropide) in his golden fortuna, the legendary ship of remus that is also called the bringer of civilization and glory (wrio who built a ship to deal with the misfortune upon fontaine) is an example of it.

wrio also has connections to hades with the cerberus motif as guardian of the underworld. it's curious that the tower in remuria is described not only as not built to receive heavenly oracles, serving as a guide to ships traveling between islands, but also as a border of reality and dreams. if this is not necessarily literal but a metaphor or allegory, it could fit very well with the idea of a portal between domains or realms, like life and death.

wriothesley also parallels another character in the genshin universe and that person is arlecchino. they were brought up as orphans, taken in by an institution with corrupted leaders, which they reformed and achieved a leading position of. and funnily enough, she has ties to purgatory (a place for punishment, much like the fortress). as i have said in another post, purgatory has been described by dante as a tower leading to heaven. but we also know that celestia in the genshin world is associated with the demon realm - archons being named after ars goetia, an anonymous grimoire on demonology. although the concepts aren't the same in theory, is it impossible that the game has used elements of both? wriothesley and arlecchino's themes are similar enough to overlap. even though i don't expect wriothesley to be lore revelant anymore, i do think his ties to remuria and his role as someone who punishes others for their sins, much like arlecchino, is very much purposeful.

[starleska]

Thank you for spreading HABIT hype because even in like, high school I was fascinated by him 😳💜

ohohoho you are incredibly welcome my dear anon!!!!! i was absolutely the same way...he was all i thought about for years 😳😳😳 it is my fondest hope that gushing about HABIT here will cause other people to get obsessed, because, i mean...look at him...🫠🫠

fascinated is such a great word to use because everything about him is fascinating. the way he moves like an animal, how he veers between monstrous sadism and childish glee when he talks, and that bright, shiny grin...!!!! oh, i know he'd rip me apart but i'd enjoy every second 🥴 i even painted my own little Death Proof hat as a teen...it's still hanging around here somewhere 🙈💖

[nyakyolai]

rated T // 9,233 words

Don heard a low whistle from behind him and turned to find Bobby leaning against the wall. He didn’t look much worse for wear, but Don still made his way over to him, keeping his head ducked down so Bobby wouldn’t see his face.

“How are you? You doin’ okay?” Don asked, voice soft even in the quiet of the night. 

Bobby smiled at him, and it was like a million stars had lit up the sky. “Thanks for asking, Superman. I’m doin’ just fine.”

[telesodalite]

I need to be weirder about the scavengers and cannibalism...

[pankomako]

today, on this year's april fools' edition of failboat: atom bombs