Pigs Feet, Stepping the Mast, Paring parts off the engine, and placating Neptune and Aeolus

Last week, Jerry and I spent an evening sewing up pigs feet.  This might not sound like a sensible preparation for a long journey, but surgical stitching was on our long list of new skills to learn.  Jerry's cousins, who are both emergent care physicians, gave us lessons in using lidocaine and some basic suturing. After practicing on some pigs feet from the butcher, we will now call ourselves at least somewhat ready to meet that emergency.  Some of our crossings may take up to a month and there will be no ER to drop into in mid ocean.

Yesterday we put in the new engine and "stepped" the mast.  We brought the engine in first.  The crane slowly lowered it into the hatch, and, of course, it was too big.  Jerry pared various parts off and we tried again, but still, no fit, up and down it went trying this angle and that until finally, all the edges entered the cabin below and the engine was in place under the galley sink.  

The mast was easier, if that can be said of a 55' mast.  Blaine and his crane operator, Gary gently lifted it with the crane and lowered it slowly through the deck.  When I first saw Blaine last fall, I mistook him for a homeless man from the nearby Mission.  Missing various digits and quite disheveled, I was impressed to learn he is someone who can move 20,000 pounds an inch in any direction at will.  He placed the wind instruments on the tip top. The mast was "stepped" onto an old silver dollar Jerry has had for years.  The tradition is to set the mast onto a coin to insure safe travel or, if not safe, to pay Charon to help us cross the River Styx.

In addition to learning how to stitch a gash, and other safety preparations, we have been mindful of all the old traditions, folklore and superstitions to secure safe travel.  The original name of Heron Reach was "Mal de Mer".  For those of you (myself included) who don't speak French, that's "Sea Sick".  It seemed like courting something we'd like to avoid.  To rename the boat, we followed old sea lore, removed everything from the boat that carried the name, read a statement of thanks to King Neptune and Aeolus (the web can get you any rite you need) for bringing the boat safely through so many trials.  We sprayed the best champagne we could afford into the air to land in the water (it's important not to insult either of them with cheap gifts).  We left the boat for a day to allow the old name to "float away" then returned with more champagne and requests to Neptune and Aeolus to protect Heron Reach in her future journeys.  At the time, we had no idea we were going to circumnavigate the world.

We are planning an open "house" in a few weeks so folks can come check out all we're up to.  Please watch for it soon.