How to get ashore? Just plan ahead.

Did I mention that we aren’t heading south this winter?

“YES BOB, YOU’VE BEEN WHINING ABOUT THIS FOR A MONTH NOW!”

Yes, yes, I get it.  Anyway, I accept that but now I can spend the next few months stressing about all that has to be done to get Pandora ready, and I mean REALLY READY for next summer and our planned trip back to Antigua in the fall.    that means all of the little projects that somehow get pushed off into the future when deadlines are tight and time short.

Planning ahead has always been a focus of mine and having a list of all the little niddly (is that a word?) things that need to be done, like that tiny persistent leak over the galley makes me feel like I am heading in the right direction.  However,  even the simplest fix often becomes a big job.  For example, that galley leak is probably coming from a loose fastening on the traveler but fixing that will involve lots of disassembly down below as well as on deck.  Easier said than done.

Yes, I am a  planner.  And, speaking of “strengths?”, I once worked for someone who liked to remind me that a person’s greatest strength was also their greatest weakness.  And, surely, planning, for me, is both a blessing and a curse.  A blessing for me and a curse for poor Brenda who has to listen to me go on, and on, and on, about what I plan for Pandora and our time afloat.

Let’s just say that I have lots planned and before I know it, spring will be here.  OH, I am so counting on that being true.  We’ll see, but I’ll keep busy, of that I am certain.  And no matter what happens, I am PLANNING on the weather improving in May.  That I can plan for with confidence.

Enough of that for now.  For those that visit this site from time to time know that I am drawn to all sorts of boats and I ran into this video the other day of a really neat launch that surely costs more than more than a even a few boats like Pandora.

This carbon fiber wonder would look pretty slick in any harbor.    It clearly says, “I have arrived” even before it even gets to the dock.  Check this out.
I wonder if it comes with a tux or whatever?  Their website is appropriately www.foiler.com. Contrast the experience of a proper bespoke launch with Pandora’s dink, nice canvas chaps and all.  A bit different? However, it could be worse…  Of course, this begs the question “how much does it cost to live on a boat?”  For him, perhaps a bit less than others. How about this launch, better known as a “launch limo”.  We spied this one in St Barths, the playground of some pretty well heeled boaters. Hard to say what yacht that “dink” belonged to but it could have been Eclipse, what was at that time, the second largest yacht in the world,  owned, by Roman Abramovich.   His life seems to be made up of many superlatives and while he has the second largest yacht in the world, he recently reached a new milestone when he settled on what has been reported as the #1 most expensive divorce ever reported as being over $400 million that went to his ex.   And, that’s on top of an earlier divorce from his first wife who only received a measly $150 million.  I expect that Roman would agree with the song “breaking up is hard to do”.

Don’t feel too sorry for the now somewhat poorer Roman as he still has Eclipse and the bulk of is $7,000,000,000 fortune.  Is that the right number of zeros?  That’s Seven Billion.

Roman is still doing OK as he also has a home in St Barths where we saw Eclipse two years ago when we visited the island aboard Pandora.    St Barths is a pretty rarefied spot as this post describes. Of course, if you have a nice dink,  it’s good to have a convenient spot to put it like this “garage” on the starboard side of this yacht we spied in Ft Lauderdale.  And, I am sure that Kismet has a pretty nifty launch too.  She’s certainly large enough to fit one, or perhaps several.  I wrote about her and her owner in this post. Well, there you have it.  So may ways to get ashore, some a bit flashier than others.   Me, I just want to get somewhere…

For me, it’s still all about planning ahead and for now, I’m ashore.

I wonder if someone wants me to drive their launch for them?  I know how to steer, ya know…