Just before leaving anchor................
..........you usually have to savor the moment because more likely than not it is going to be a beautiful sunrise, a glimpse of what the day has in store.
Ok lets finish this story. Its time to move on. This was not my last anchorage of the "Key West" trip, but close. I think it was the night before I realized that the "DREAM" trip was going to remain just that, a dream.
The problems that started in Brunswick, Ga. during the trip never really completely worked theirself out. I find now that details on that are really not important and really hold not much bearing in the big picture. So I will just keep that to myself.
Let me just say a couple of things as I wrap this picture story up and head into the next adventure, which is just right around the corner, you can be sure. :) First of all this was a big dream, one that had bugged me for many years. Just to hop on a sail boat and go to the islands, where ever that may be. I did that. With little more than a few hours of sailing under my belt with a good teacher I hopped on "Cool Change" and went. Fear never entered the picture. I was too excited. In the course of one month on the water I learned more than most learn in months of proper training, perhaps a lifetime. I learned things I never dreamed I would have to learn. I felt the spray of the ocean slap me in the face when I least expected it and it was great. I felt the fury of natures winds as they held me at bay in a bad anchorage. All in all I learned what was a foreign language to me, sailing. There is nothing like it and I am far from any type of pro even in my own mind. But I sailed with a dream and enjoyed every minute of it. In my daydreaming mind I made it to the Keys and had a blast. In reality I made it to the Indian River, below New Smyrna Beach, Florida. That is where reality meet fantasy and I had to take the boat out of water and come back to Savannah.
I started to beat myself up about the whole thing. The disapointment of a failed "mission", or dream. Many things. But I very quickly realized that I could not let that happen. I just had to move on. "It happens", as Forrest Gump said. I was not going to let the agony of things beyond my control destroy all the ecstasy of the memories I had. That wasnt going to happen.
There will be another Journey, maybe not to the Keys, who knows? But there will be another journey. Hell, let me tell you why. :)
When I first got back to Savannah I had decided that I needed to sale the boat and get my life back togather here. That was the plan. I put it up for sale, still is, on a lot of internet sites. But the fact is, its not for sale. I cant bring myself to sell my simple little "Cool Change". She is STILL my "Cool Change" regardless. So she will be going back into the water soon. Instead of trading her for a place to live, she will remain my place to live till I recover economically.
So there will be many more journeys, many more times that I will have to call my buddy Lamar and say HELP! ( LOL ) Many more lessons to learn. Many more sunrises to look at across the bow. Many more beers to empty over the side when I have gained their effect.
There are a few people that I want to say thank you to that helped make the this set of pictures possible: Lamar, Kathy, David and Sharon. Thank you very much. :)
NO REGRETS