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Precious Commodities – Janice Anne Wheeler
The commodity is Purpleheart wood. Interesting information.
SPARRING WITH MOTHER NATURE ~~ latest addition! Settle back for your Sunday Morning Read. I’m so honored that you’re following along. Thank you.
Please enjoy the latest passages from STEADFAST. As of August 1st, 2024 we are undergoing extensive repair and refit and will be for several months. In boating terms we are hauled out “on the hard.” I plan to mix Sailing Stories with the challenges and intricacies of restoring a 90-year-old Sailing Yacht. I’m always open to suggestions as to content….please feel free to weigh in. Thank you. J
Our first commodity has arrived and is resting quietly, enshrouded in newly purchased canvas, protected, draped carefully and evenly on all sides, to avoid damage from exposure to the elements. Rock solid yet fragile, it will soon be essential in its new environment.
There’s a treasure from Mother Nature under there, enough Purpleheart to repair STEADFAST. Purpleheart Tree, scientific name Peltogyne, has many variations. This miracle of Mother Nature goes by a plethora of other monikers: Amaranth, Violetwood, Purperhart, Pau Roxo, Pau ferro and the indigenous namesakes, Guarabu, Morado, Tananeo. There are no Purpleheart trees currently on endangered lists and many countries, including Panama and Costa Rica, regulate the harvest to assist in its viability.
Glorious, glowing Purpleheart; the color seems surreal and oxidizes to a more ordinary brown, which interestingly is the color when it is first cut.. In the middle photo, Boatbuilder Duncan MacFarlane planes the raw lumber.I’m sure this commodity was essential in its old environment, too, near the equator, on another continent, albeit bordering the same mighty ocean. We estimate that this lumber came from an impressive tree at least four feet in diameter and research deduces a height of 130-150 feet with a brilliant, green, protective canopy and thousands of shiny, paired leaves, each turning carbon dioxide back into oxygen for the earth’s unsustainable population. The color and size vary within its vast range from southern Mexico to southeastern Brazil. The main attraction of this beautiful wood is the length of its armless trunk, which can be as much as seventy feet; the single board we purchased was 6” x 12” x 27’. Purpleheart is revered for natural rot and insect resistance as well as strength and hardness, perfect for projects such as ours. The blooms are coveted by bees and beekeepers. Secondarily, its stunning color is used for watch faces, furniture, trinkets and household items.
Although it may seem rare and exotic due to its striking appearance, wood-database.com tells us that it is a durable, long-lasting, stable and sustainable wood species. We are all aware of the centuries-old conflict; man trying his best to survive and earn a living, while preserving resources and forests for both future generations and the innumerable organisms that dwell in them.
To me? This is a truly PRECIOUS COMMODITY. That stack of lumber will save my home. I’ve called myself a ‘Conservative Tree-Hugger’ for decades and claim complete independence from political parties (I simply vote for the best candidate…). Mother Nature’s environment is one of my most pertinent concerns, as my immersion and reliance is deeper than most. I’ve never before chosen to utilize something as potentially controversial as Rainforest hardwood, and I hope there are positive economic effects within one of the poorest nations in South America.
This tree was harvested, we hope responsibly, in Suriname and imported directly by Gannon & Benjamin Marine Railway in Vineyard Haven, Massachusetts, USA, located on iconic Martha’s Vineyard. I was admittedly surprised at the location of our resource and told our resourceful Boatbuilder (previously employed there) exactly that. Self-described on their website as “a small, flourishing, boatyard whose mission and passion is designing building, repairing, maintaining and sailing wooden boats,” it seemed the perfect place to obtain our wooden boat’s new components.
The 1350-pound slabs of eggplant-purple lumber will hold STEADFAST together and get her to another ninety years. Her stem (the very front piece of any vessel) and her knee (which attaches the stem to the keel, or bottom) were originally built of American White Oak and, while we found rot, it was due to ingress of water and not the quality or choice of the product itself. The most common phrase on this project? “It lasted ninety years. It doesn’t owe anyone anything.” And frankly, most of both of the pieces being replaced are still darn solid. These are the originals.
The knee is on the left, on the right the stem is being removed. Yep, these are essential.Our second commodity is, perhaps, even more interesting if less exotic and colorful. STEADFAST was built by Brooklyn, New York’s Wheeler Shipyard in 1934; the exterior planking was Old-Growth Long Leaf Yellow Pine, which, according to The North Carolina Division of Parks & Recreation (here) www.ncparks.gov covered millions of acres of the southeastern United States. All harvestable trees experienced that demise by 1930 with the exception of a few in their state parks, one of which is claimed to be a remarkable 473 years old. I was exquisitely curious as to how they would know that about a living tree, but was not able to discern their method of determining such a tremendous and exact age. Does anyone know?
Regardless, we all realize that the natural resources of North America were ransacked upon ‘discovery’, particularly during the Industrial Revolution as it was such a period of massive construction. Prior to that, the British Crown exported many prime products to build warships, which the Colonies then fought against during the Revolution and beyond. The Long Leaf Yellow, also known as Heart or Loblolly Pine, was so strong and plentiful that it was used for everything from factories and railroad ties to boatbuilding. It, like Purpleheart, is naturally rot and insect resistant, allowing many of the beams from textile mills in the south as well as industrial buildings nationwide to be reclaimed. After many dead ends and one strikingly expensive option we were able to track down a true gentleman in Pennsylvania (and were sworn to secrecy) who is currently compiling the 600 board feet required to recreate STEADFAST’s bow with plank materials specified in the 1930’s. Our decision to not use original materials in the knee and stem was influenced by the fact that there aren’t pieces of oak as large as we wanted. You know why; that commodity, too, was overharvested.
Much of the lumber that you see today is Yellow Pine; it grows fast enough to farm and is so resilient that it has become a remarkably renewable resource when well-managed by landowners and lumber companies. The new growth is completely different than the centuries-old giants which fell before any of us were born. The difference between modern lumber and original old-growth is distinctive; note the very tight grain on the left vs a typical new growth plank.
Old Growth is on the left. Most modern lumber looks like the piece on the right. In the 1980’s STEADFAST was refit and some planking was replaced with modern lumber. The bronze at the bottom is our original rub rail, 2” wide. Is this interesting to you, my readers? I don’t want to lose any of you and hesitated to write a story about lumber until I built this particular paragraph in my mind, standing on the elevated deck of STEADFAST, watching the reflecting pink sunset silhouette a church spire. Here’s the thing. One more thing.
This information about trees is perhaps not relevant to more than a few of you. But what we as curious, present, and forward-thinking individuals, understand and should keep in mind, on a daily basis, is how much we don’t know. And to me, nearly everything is interesting. “Who knew?” The inquisitive, the explorers, the travelers of the world are humbled, I think, when we realize how much we still have to learn, see, and perhaps experience, not everyone wants or is able to wander the planet.
Many of my favorite Substack comments come from readers who are intrigued or even intimidated by my experiences. Living on the water is understandably not appealing to most. I know we’re a little crazy. Many have had admirable instances of their own and now prefer to read from the comfort of their recliner. I hope, from the bottom of my writer’s soul, that I do an appropriate job transporting people to the rough North Atlantic or a quiet Bahamian beach. That is the writer’s goal, after all, isn’t it? To place the reader precisely where you are describing. No simple task, and I take it very seriously.
Reading can take you places that you have never been or never really wanted to go. It can teach you many things. In this modern age the same thing goes for audio and video, although I’m of the generation that I still prefer to hold a book in my hands for the full, relaxing, transporting, immersion. While I say that, every day I experience all of you electronically and IT’S WORKING WONDERFULLY!
Thanks for being interesting. J
Here’s your weekly sunrise from the Eastern Shore of Maryland, or as I call it now, Merry-land. After all, we’re staying through Christmas….
SPARRING WITH MOTHER NATURE has taken a bit of a turn from jousting on the deep blue sea with white sand and palm strewn remote islands to an unexpected and long term refit/rebuild. Like all dynamics this world tosses us, we adjust. My work on Substack is the best part of my week. I share my unique world with people who buy in, respond, empathize and contemplate. Please share these stories with others who you think may enjoy them. My telling seems to resonate with a few people and that just brings us all closer to humans in a busy, complicated world. So, simply and importantly said, thank you.
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The Best Laid Plans – Janice Anne Wheeler
Expressions from centuries past still hold merit, whether first uttered by sailor, farmer, politician or poet. This particular phrase, “The best laid schemes of mice and men oft’ go awry…and leave us nothing but grief and pain. For promised Joy.” (translated from old Scottish). I didn’t know the verbiage or its origins until a bit of laser-fast research with Google (remember Reference Rooms in the Library? Giant, heavy tomes of information which included much less than we now hold in our hand!) taught me the balance and the longevity. Deeper delving uncovered a bit more.
Poet Robert Burns penned “To A Mouse” in November 1785 after destroying its home while tilling his field. Knowing the mouse had much work to do (re-do) before winter, he was inspired to write the tribute, seen it in its entirety here compliments of The Poetry Foundation.
It would be difficult to track or even estimate how many times I uttered “…THE BEST LAID PLANS…” without finishing (or starting, really) the sentence because I didn’t need to. Through time, society has shortened and slightly revised the original work. Now, somewhat perplexedly, most of the English-speaking world knows what those four words mean. I daresay many folks wouldn’t have cared as much as Burns when destroying the dwelling of a tiny, wild rodent. Perhaps I’m wrong (?); many of my readers chimed in last week (thank you!) to say that while some folks are malicious, the majority are still making a positive difference rather than creating chaos in this big ol’ world.
That little plant caused some chaos in this farm field, but it was saved! The entire point is that, more often than not, our plans and schemes do not turn out as anticipated. We even anticipate that they won’t turn out as anticipated! That’s how often things go awry. Sometimes it’s difficult to remember that it’s not always a bad thing. I truly believe that. Most plans not going forward certainly don’t cause such dire circumstances as pain and grief. That was the plan, we say, tossing it aside and moving on.
Many plans on this vessel begin like this:
And then these turn into something, or not.Plans (long term or short term), are created, communicated and initiated only to hear, oft’ as not, “Good Lord willing and the Creek don’t rise.” While many have interpreted the SPARRING WITH MOTHER NATURE meaning of this phrase, as in, “if nothing goes wrong, I’ll be there,” there is an historic secondary origin that begs discussion. According to Wiktionary, the phrase is actually credited to Benjamin Hawkins, Continental Congress from North Carolina and Indian Affairs Superintendent in the early 1800s. The story goes that he was requested to travel to Washington and his response was “If God is willing and the Creek don’t rise.” At that time, there was tremendous controversy with the Creek Native American People as they were being forcibly detained onto smaller and smaller reservations.
Google AI tells us that phrase is simply an American slang expression((!) I like the historical version myself) that implies or indicates ‘strong intentions that could be frustrated by uncommon but forseeable events.’
Please, tell me what you think. Weigh in. Do you use these phrases? And if so, in what form? Is there a favorite? How many generations do they go back? Do you think the expression created by a Creek rising or a creek rising? We may never know.
For months, as an additional source of income, I submitted stories to magazines, trying to get my first byline. I’ve been published in two. Two. That’s it. That’s all. My little italicized bio at the end of a SAIL Magazine article (June/July 2024) says “Janice Anne Wheeler and Steve Uhthoff depart this fall on a five-year voyage to the Caribbean and South America aboard STEADFAST, a 56-foot 1934 William Hand Jr. ketch. You can explore her work at JaniceAnneWheeler.com.” The second part of the bio is still true, the other part was just a plan. When that story was published, STEADFAST looked like this:
Now, STEADFAST looks like this:
Stem, knee and planking are being replaced, a months-long process.
The bow from below. This writer will learn the ancient art of Shipbuilding. So will you, if you subscribe and follow along! Quite an adjustment, for all three of us, to say the least. And, of course, such a plan is not a plan like going to the grocery store this afternoon, it’s a dream, too. It’s big.
When STEADFAST was first contrived in the early 1930’s by designer William Hand, Jr, she looked like this: What a plan. And it, of course, came completely to fruition in 1934. 90 years later, we need a wee bit of repair…
Ah, THE BEST LAID PLANS. They change. We adjust. We smile. We cry. We laugh. Sometimes we forget what the plan even was! We delve into whatever life tosses our way, if it needs to be tackled, we tackle. If it needs to be embraced, we open our hearts and arms. I believe that somewhere, there’s a little bit of God’s will (however I perceive that entity) involved as well as lots of learning, empathy, flexibility and grit.
Man plans. God laughs. I credit this quote to the boatbuilder that saved this vessel once before, in the 1980’s, contributing years of work and resources. I imagine the origins of that expression, too, go back farther than any of us realize. It always makes me smile so I include it, hoping the same for you. Thanks for being here!
SPARRING WITH MOTHER NATURE, begun just six months ago, was originally envisioned to be stories of travel, sailing and the unending miracles and challenges that Mother Nature presents. Since she presented us with some rather insidious damage in the bow of our big piece of nautical history, we have hauled STEADFAST out in Cambridge, Maryland for the repairs necessary to keep her whole and us safe. It’s both involved and interesting; I’ll definitely be writing about the processes.
The best of human nature has been encountered here; we found a place to live, work & play that, while close to the water, is still a tremendous adjustment. (We do get long, hot showers, something that never happens living aboard). I chose to write on SUBSTACK for the very reason that I could choose all of my own topics and take my writing in any direction that I wished…although I did not foresee this particular creek rise.
*** I will always keep the articles I have written available for free to my readers. If you see value and possess the means, it’s great encouragement to have paid subscribers. If not, simply ‘liking,’ commenting, restacking and sharing these tales helps spread the word about me and what I have chosen to do. There should be someone on your email list that would be intrigued!
Most importantly, YOU ARE TREMENDOUSLY APPRECIATED!
And lastly: our weekly sunrise. These can be seen on Facebook YACHTING STEADFAST each and every morning until 2025. This one’s from the scaffold, where I spend an inordinate amount of time writing stories in my brain and pulling really old cotton out from between these long, lovely planks. Later, we’ll show you how to put all those components back!
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LNM: Notice: Changes to the USCG Local Notice to Mariners (LNM) and Light Lists
How these changes will affect the posting of LNMs on Cruisers Net is not clear, but we will attempt to continue the daily posting of LNMs as they are received.
Notice: Changes to the USCG Local Notice to Mariners (LNM) and Light Lists
The U.S. Coast Guard Navigation Center announces upcoming changes to the Local Notice to Mariners (LNM) and the Light List, as part of our efforts to modernize and improve the accessibility, accuracy, and overall user experience for mariners and other stakeholders.
What Is Changing?
- Transition From Paper Charts: In January 2025, NOAA will discontinue the production of all paper charts. In alignment with this change, the Coast Guard will transition from using NOAA Paper Chart Numbers and Editions/Dates for disseminating Marine Safety Information (MSI) to using Official Waterway Names.
- How You Will Access LNMs and Light Lists: The LNM and Light List data will now be available in a geospatial format, which will allow you to visualize information interactively on a map/chart. You can use your mouse wheel or the +/- buttons in the upper left portion of the screen to zoom in or out and navigate to your desired area on the map/chart. Once the area is displayed, you can generate a PDF of the LNM or Light List for that specific area, which you can then save and/or print. Alternatively, you can use a fillable form on our website to select your waterway by name from the Light List and generate the LNM or Light List.
- LNM and Light List Data Refresh Rate: LNM data will be refreshed every fifteen minutes. Light List data will be refreshed every 24 hours. This will give you a much more up-to-date operating picture, designed to enhance your efficiency and improve safety in your area of transit or planned routes.
- Elimination of Weekly Files: Weekly LNMs, Weekly Light List Correction Files, Daily Discrepancy Files, and the Summary of Light List Changes will no longer be published to focus on providing the most up-to-date and accessible format. In the near future, we will also publish an Application Programming Interface (API) for interested parties to access the data externally.
Why Are These Changes Being Made?
The modernization of MSI delivery is designed to improve the U.S. Coast Guard’s aid-to-navigation data management and dissemination capabilities. By providing frequent updates, geospatial visualization, and digital access, we hope to achieve our goals of:
- Enhancing Maritime Safety: By delivering the most current and precise information, mariners can make better-informed decisions, reducing the risk of accidents and ensuring safer navigation.
- Improving Accessibility: The shift to geospatial visualization makes it easier for all users, from commercial mariners to recreational boaters, to stay informed.
- Increasing Efficiency: The integration of LNM and Light List data into a geospatial format to simplify the gathering of safety information and facilitate easy route planning.
When Will These Changes Take Effect?
The transition to the modernized LNM and Light List platform (the Navigation Center website) will be completed by Monday, September 30th.
How to Access the New Features?
Starting on September 30th, 2024, you will be able to access the updated LNM and Light List through the NAVCEN website. A User Guide will be available on the NAVCEN website. Customers will still have the ability to download legacy versions of these products until October 21st.
For any questions or assistance, please visit our Contact Us Page, select ‘LNMs or Light Lists’ from the Subject dropdown, and submit your inquiry.
Thank you for your continued support as we work to improve the safety and efficiency of maritime navigation.
U.S. Coast Guard Navigation Center (www.navcen.uscg.gov)
Get Your Tickets Today for Charleston’s Most Glamorous Night – Charleston Parks Conservancy
Tickets are On Sale Now!
Today is the day! Tickets for the 14th Annual Party for the Parks are officially up for grabs, and they’re bound to go fast. With a theme that blends the glamour of 1960s Palm Beach with Charleston’s unique charm, this year’s event at Colonial Lake promises an unforgettable night of style, fun, and community spirit.
Don’t wait—secure your spot now and be part of one of Charleston’s most celebrated events, all while supporting the parks that make our city so special.
GET YOUR TICKET TODAY!Ticket Details
General Admission – $175: This all-inclusive ticket includes complimentary tastings from some of Charleston’s trendiest restaurants, access to a full open bar, and an evening packed with live entertainment and dancing under the stars.
VIP Tickets – $300: Enjoy an elevated all-inclusive ticket with exclusive access to the VIP lounge, featuring a private premiere bar, restrooms, elevated tastings, complimentary hair and makeup services, and more. It’s the ultimate way to make your night even more special.
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Join Charleston’s leading businesses, elevate your brand to a coveted audience, and guarantee a spot at the most exciting party of the year and become an event sponsor! Sponsorships start at $1,500, and customized exclusive sponsorships start at $5,000.
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Help Us Win Nonprofit of the Year
The Charleston Parks Conservancy has been nominated as the Charleston Regional Business Journal’s Nonprofit Organization of the Year, and we need your support to win! As a community-driven organization, we are dedicated to nurturing and enhancing Charleston’s parks, creating vibrant spaces that connect people to nature and each other. Your daily vote will help us raise awareness of the importance of parks and our mission. Voting is open through Friday, September 27.
To vote, click on “Companies of the Year,” then scroll to “Nonprofit Organization of the Year,” find Charleston Parks Conservancy, and click “Vote.” You can vote once per day, every day, so let’s show Charleston the power of our community!
VOTEABOUT THE CONSERVANCY
Charleston Parks Conservancy is a nonprofit organization dedicated to securing 100% of the funds essential for the operation and programming of Charleston’s parks, acting on behalf of the city. While our partners at the City contribute 10% of the Conservancy’s required budget, donations from supporters and attendees of our paid programs enable us to continue our high standard of care to keep the park clean, green, and thriving.
The core mission of Charleston Parks Conservancy revolves around safeguarding, nurturing, and enhancing the various parks under its purview, cultivating an atmosphere conducive to connecting people with their parks. As diligent stewards, the Conservancy is committed to actively involving the community through cared-for gardens, welcoming amenities, and top-notch programming. The organization believes that within an urban landscape, every individual deserves access to a park that facilitates recreation, provides moments of respite, and stewards community relationships. Read More.
When parks thrive, people thrive. Donate today to make an impact in our community.
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Charleston Parks Conservancy
720 Magnolia Road, Suite 25
Charleston, SC 29407
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Unlock Stress Free Savings Today with BOGO Flights to SCYC
Makers Air and Staniel Cay Yacht Club, A CRUISERS NET SPONSOR, offer convenient flights to the Bahamas.
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Click below to book your SCYC Vacation Package complete with BOGO flights on Makers Air!
Get a glimpse into experiencing the allure of the Bahamian sun, sea, and salt air like the Viamonte Family did on their Day Trip from fort Lauderdale courtesy of Makers Air, Bahamas Island Travel in conjunction with Pipers Angels Foundation and the Staniel Cay Yacht Club.
Day trip with a CF family & Maker’s Air
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South Carolina’s movable bridges come from a different time. Some are here to stay.
Richard V. Woods Memorial Bridge, Beaufort, SC Photo by Tony Kukulich
Click here for South Carolina’s movable bridges come from a different time. Some are here to stay.
By Tony Kukulich tkukulich@postandcourier.com Sep 1, 2024Be the first to comment!
Bahamas Boating News and Baystreet Marina Update – Asso of Bahamas Marinas
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Baystreet Marina News Baystreet Marina special customized off-season rates and new on-line booking for dockage!
Customize your own dockage rate this autumn at Baystreet Marina! Call them directly with your September and October boating plans and they will tailor a rate just for you based on length of stay, size of boat and extended travel plans.
For all other times of the year, you can now book dock slips right online direct from their website through Snag-a-Slip at https://www.baystreetmarina.
com/reservations. Snag-a-Slip is an incredibly easy way to book dockage from your PC or mobile device with NO booking fees.
The largest marina in The Bahamas, Baystreet Marina spans 1km of waterfront and offers 120 slips, accommodating vessels up to 500′ with 20′ draft’. The Marina is pet friendly, provides high quality reverse osmosis fresh water at every slip, and offers 24-hour security with full CCTV, and pumpout service. Baystreet also has the most modern power system in The Bahamas as well as modern RO system giving boaters peace of mind when connected.
More Bahamas News
The Bahamas Charter Yacht Show 2025 will be held in Nassau with events starting Wednesday January 29 at four leading Nassau/Paradise Island marinas. Presented by the Association of Bahamas Marinas in partnership and The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism & Aviation.
Interested yacht brokers and charter vessel should contact info@bahamascharteryachtshow.
com for more information. Registration is open on:
The Association of Bahamas Marinas will have their own booth at this year’s Ft Lauderdale Boat Show. Come visit us in the Superyacht Tent at booth 855-856 and see representatives from:
Our Newest Cruising Destination Blog – Read all about Fishing in Bimini! Show your love for The Bahamas and vote for your favorite marinas, destinations and even the best dockmaster! Vote by clicking below:
Big ABM Welcome to our newest Allied Members – be sure to contact these companies for the best boating experiences in The Bahamas. See our full list of Allied Members!
Click here to request a high res digital ABM Boating Map! 
Find the perfect destination and marina:
For more info on the ABM contact Basil SmithBe sure to to follow the ABM on our Social Media Channels: Association of Bahamas Marinas | Covering all of The Bahamas | Nassau, 242 BS Be the first to comment!
Final Pier Dances – Charleston County Parks and Recreation, Charleston, SC
Pier Dances Spend your Friday night on the dance floor with us this summer! Whether it’s a Moonlight Mixer on the Folly Beach Pier or Dancing On The Cooper on the Mount Pleasant Pier, we’ve got plenty of space to move and groove.
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This Week We Spar with Human Nature – Janice Anne Wheeler
SPARRING WITH MOTHER NATURE ~~ latest addition! Settle back for your Sunday Morning Read. I’m so honored that you’re following along. Thank you.
Did Sailors always swear? Were they well-mannered and friendly long ago? What started the foul-mouthed trajectory? Disloyalty amongst the crew? Thieving Pirates? The weather? Being cheated? Do they really swear more than other professions or is that just what we’ve always been told? Google AI recounts that a 1699 sermon by Puritan Preacher Cotton Mather (the name is familiar if you’ve heard of the Salem Witch Trials) coined the phrase as sailors were known for their “colorful language and expletive-laden speech.” Even using the word damn was a highly provocative act, according to sailingscuttlebutt.com. ”Damning someone to hell was putting yourself on par with the Almighty, something that was taken very seriously.” Well, hell. Some folks deserve to go there, don’t they? We just have to hope that the Higher Power gets it right.
We fly a Pirate flag. While the history is controversial, to us it simply says, “We are willing to protect ourselves.” Sure, there would be swearing involved. I was one of those perky positive individuals. Little phased me. I believed in everyone. I’ve spent most of my years well-mannered and friendly, as perhaps sailors were before too many transgressions and impending rogue waves colored their vernacular. Now, I’m letting the assholes get me down. The expression used to be “Don’t let the Turkeys get you down,” but that doesn’t seem quite strong enough. I’m fighting it, (I swear!), to no avail. Frighteningly, insidiously, I think it’s happening; Human Nature has taken a turn for the worse. More and more people choose to ignore, cheat, lie, steal, overstep and shirk. Am I right? Or has it just been my #*@% bad luck to run into a few? You decide.
Last week we answered an internet ad for a used work van, made contact and arrangements to meet, rented a car, drove three hours. The first seller showed up in a filthy vehicle smoking a cigarette. What he was driving did not remotely resemble what was posted on his page for sale. The second seller was a rough looking tradesman, but believable. Oh so believable. After test-drive, negotiation and an exchange of cash, we started the engine to leave and three check engine lights came on(!). We asked for our money back; the thick envelope was still in his hand. He turned away, left his slippers outside the front door, locked it and sent a text message that said. “You bought it. Sorry.”
The little lemon. You can’t make these stories up. We stood in his dark, deserted driveway, astonished that this con man had so little conscience. I swore like a Sailor. Within twelve hours the transmission failed, tire pressures plummeted, the wiring had issues. I am quite certain (and want to believe) that man is damned to hell whether it’s my words that send him there or not.
Here’s another example of Academy Award Winners in their roles of down-on-their-luck goodness. This couple lived on a sailboat, an old wooden schooner, under extensive refit in Cambridge, Maryland, USA. They were headed to the Caribbean with limited resources, a small child, two rabbits and a dog. If you believe in people you would say, wow! Impressive! We were charmed, taken in, and stayed in touch as they sailed down the coast of the US. At a favorite Island in the Bahamas, we gave them tactical guidance and local knowledge, asking favors of friends and acquaintances to fulfill their extensive needs. The generous Bahamians rented that couple a house and a mooring, loaned them a motorboat and more, all on trust. All on promises of payment after services were rendered. We were told that they departed that peaceful, religious island leaving thousands of dollars of unpaid debt, just like they left a local boatyard without paying their bill. They embarrassed us and cursed themselves as we discovered their amazing ability to betray. My blood still boils a bit recounting the story, although I have almost let it go.
It used to be easier to forgive those who trespassed against me. I believe that Karma will kick in and slap the bad people, hard. I cannot count how many times I have said to myself (and to everyone else) “Do unto others….” We all know the rest of the phrase, I think. If not, I’ll fill it in for you. “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” The Golden Rule, don’t screw your neighbor. Don’t be a jerk. Don’t lie, cheat or steal. Have consideration, generosity and empathy. Be kind.
People entering my realm of late have conducted themselves in such a way that instead of being able to let it go, these actions keep me awake at night, wondering WTF has happened to a society that used to care how its actions affected others. These are not drop-your-gum-on-the-sidewalk sort of indiscretions, what we are seeing are BIG, nasty, expensive, long-lasting crimes enacted by con artists. That art form I want to live without.
Most importantly, what if we all just go along with what seems like a trend? What a horrible, frightening thought! I don’t want to be that way, I don’t want to think that way. It scares me to death. I’m one of the good guys. (I swear! Again!) I’ve lived up to my end of the bargains I’ve made. I try my damnedest to do what I say I’m going to do.
Since I’m on a roll and as a planet we don’t seem to be abiding by the original Ten Commandments or the multitude of comparable versions thereof, I’m recommending a few more to keep in mind.
*IF someone reaches out to you, reply. It takes barely longer to say “No, thank you,” than it does to hit delete.
*IF I buy something, I want what I was told I was getting.
*IF you are selling something, the product should be what you say it is.
*IF I choose to do so I can endanger my life. You are not allowed to endanger my life with your carelessness, ignorance, stupidity or simple lack of consideration.
*IF greed influences your decisions unduly you won’t have true friends.
*IF you don’t practice common courtesy you should. It is the simple recognition of another person’s soul and indicates their importance.
_________________________________ There were good things that happened this week, too. The destruction phase of our STEADFAST project is over and I heard this song, which reminded me of my Mother’s record (vinyl) collection. Man, she could belt out some classic country while she was cleaning on Saturday mornings. Think (if you’re old enough) Glen Campbell, Charlie Pride, Loretta Lynn, and every week John Denver crooned “How right it is to care…” If you don’t stop caring I won’t, either. I swear.
We all Spar With Human Nature, our own and others. Don’t let the assholes get you down. I’m back to caring, I’m back to positivity. I swear! Perhaps I can go back to not swearing like a Sailor. Or not, because, after all, I AM a Sailor! So I’m allowed. And the world is a bit confusing and very roundabout. Pay attention, if you care. Because What about tomorrow?
Writing this to you very important people has made me feel tremendously better. Chime in. Do you swear like a sailor?? And if so, under what circumstances? When do the assholes get you down? Betrayal? Injustice? Loss? Please do share. Thank you.
This week’s sunrise: A stunner. You can see all of them on Facebook YACHTING STEADFAST
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Yachting in Florida: Essential Safety Tips from Riviera Dunes Marina, Bradenton, FL
A CRUISERS NET SPONSOR, Riviera Dunes Marina Resort occupies the Manatee River’s northern banks, just east of the easternmost of three bridges crossing the river at Bradenton and Palmetto near charted Craig Point. See FOCUS ON for more on Riviera Dunes Marina Resort.
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Appreciation – Janice Anne Wheeler
I imagine this is what the plant has looked like since it moved here in 1921.
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