Evan though I live on a sailboat, in these hectic times, there’s something to be said about a small craft. Maybe it’s the way the strong gust’s push you along. Or the lapping of the water as it slaps the hull. There is definitely blood memory involved. No motor just you the boat and the wind. If you have never tacked your way up a small creek, I urge you to do so. It’s magical and requires all of your attention. Dodging each shallow shore with a well timed tack. Your reward is a down wind run back to where you came from. So for me when life gets complicated a sunfish is my answer today. #sailing #gosailing #sunfish #simple #outside

Five months is How long it took me to drill the 5 inch diameter hole needed for my new Dickinson fireplace . For five months, I stared at  that small quadrant of the boat where the fireplace would live. Staring,  knowing sooner or later I would have to make a decision. I stared at it while it was sweltering hot. I stared as the leaves started to fall. Thankfully as I write this, my toes are warming not far from the crackling fire. My furry friend snuggled in by my side. A small cast iron pot nestled perfectly on the stove simmers with steam.  The crackle of the fire the multicolored glow from the Christmas tree! Cozy at last. My boat sits at 67°. While it’s 27° outside. But Back to the five months Sure I’ve been busy, but have I been that busy. Just last weekend, I used a small propane heater to heat the cabin. It kept us warm as we watched the parade of lights at anchor. The need was there. Sure I needed to order the proper parts and assemble the system before I actually installed and drilled the hole, but there was a lot of procrastination. Could it be because I was drilling a 5 inch hole into my boat. Or was it because procrastination is fun! instead, I was sailing or watching a YouTube channel of sailing. But this I have found to be true. The sense of joy  I’m always searching for is in the work I’m avoiding. Life proves this to me time after time. Will I choose sailing over projects again? You betcha! But in the end the joy is in the work! Here in Middle River It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas. With a coco in hand and a roaring fire I say bring it on! 

Happy Holidays 

From Jimmy and Marley 

Sv Magic 

Grandparents
When I think of my grandparents, I think about love. During my early childhood they were in their nesting years. So they bring memories of comfort, warmth and homeliness. Their traditions seem like age old rituals. They were so confident in them. They told stories that could not be canceled. They shared memories despite there political incorrectness. I’m glad that I always valued stories, and I would spend time with my grandparents over a pot of coffee. Persistently asking questions about their past with inquisitive ears. We are connected to memories that seem so far away, by just a generation. I’m glad that my grandparents told me these stories. The three grandparents shared more than enough history with me. Some through crafts, some through food, some through memories and stories, but all through love. I miss my grandparents often. They have all passed on, but they live on in my habits and my thoughts. On days when I’m nesting, and doing things around the boat, I’m often reminded of my grandparents and their contentment with things. It was a different generation, some say the greatest generation. I digress. Nonetheless they were my grandparents. When I think about them being gone, it reminds me of my own mortality. For I too am a grandparent and unfortunately grandparents are at the end of the story. So it’s my responsibility now to tell my stories and share my crafts, but most importantly give my love! Life is full of seasons, this is my season. “These are the gold ole day” BS #goorioles #grandparents #parents #family

I was very close to buying my 3rd Catalina22, after have just sold my second one I owned “Simply”last fall. The time was right and work became stable again after making a pretty serious career change. I starting my normal ritual of surfing Craig’s list for boats. I quickly found a deal on a 1974 Catalina 22. I drove to DC to look at it and something just didn’t feel right . After inspection  I walked away without purchasing her. A few months prior I stumbled across a picture of a O’day Mariner 2+2 I liked the lines of the boat and it sparked my curiosity. I then proceeded to dive into the world of countless pictures and threads concerning the fine little boat. After telling the Catalina22 owner I would need a few days to think about it looking back now I think my mind was already set. That night I woke up from my restless indecision of sleep and quickly joined the Mariner association. I began looking feverishly for Mariners in my area. To my dismay there were not many available. The ones I did see were well out of my price range especially for a boat of that size. It then hit me why not use the forum provided to utilize the following owners to my advantage. I quickly typed away my intentions and created a add for “Mariner 2+2 wanted in Maryland”. I was forthright that I was looking for a boat in fair condition with a trailer and that I wasn’t afraid to get my hands dirty. I instantly got a response from a man named Chuck. He mentioned that he had a 77 2+2 that was in fair condition. He had bought the boat with a friend to race in the one design class on the Delaware. He was honest that overnighting on her was not his thing and that the boat needed work. It had multiple sets of sails and in particular had a new set only purchased a few years ago. I was instantly interested and set up a time to make the doable trip to South Jersey. The rain and losing an hour of sleep springing forward did not deter me. Also my tow vehicle I had lined up to bring her home was not available. I pressed on despite the weather , daylight savings time, and the pick up truck deciding it wanted the rest I was in much need for. We headed north we arrived at the boat and I was immediately amazed at how small the whole package was . Despite her small size the cockpit was roomy and the cabin had just enough room to lay your head and hide from the weather. As we bailed the tarp out and pealed it back it was clear the boat was a tool for racing only, blocks and tackle being in better shape then the gelcoat . It had survived a horrendous accident a storm had blown her off the trailer with only a few scrapes and dings as a result I pressed on . The cushions were vintage mustard yellow, the cabin had water in her. After running my hands along her hull and inspecting the important parts  which seemed unfazed despite her recent neglect it felt right. After all we are both the same age at 41 and just like I have more life in me she indeed deserves to have life breathed in her! I offered Chuck 900$ and he accepted I am now the proud owner of a 1977 Oday Mariner. She’s gonna need a lot of work but I love messing about on boats to paraphrase loosely the famous quote. My goal is to do the basics and address the necessities new tiller ,spreader repair and let the wind fill her sails! I will take on the restoration in chapters putting sailing first. A commitment is following through on a decision long after the mood you made it in has passed. It’s the beginning of a long journey I’m already grateful for the abundance of information I have already seen on the site. Thank you to those who also reached out to me and if I was closer to you I would have considered your boats. Let the journey began

Fair Winds
Jimmy

As this rock we stand on pushes its way through the universe 

Times change

Seasons come and go 

The memories of us are tangled in my mind like two warm bodies lost between the sheets . 

Let us hold onto hope 

Just as winter knows summer will soon come . 

Just as the ocean obeys the tides  

The things I hold on to are promised and predestined 

The sun will wake us up 

The moon will tuck us in 

Pure love will always win 

🌙☀️💫

I wrote this while my eyes were full of tears . My Uncle had just passed, I had the opportunity of opening my house up to him. He lived with me for a handful of weeks on home hospice, before his health quickly slipped away. He went into Stella Maris when I was no longer able to care for him in the way he needed. He was a misunderstood gay man dying of liver cancer. He died as a direct result of alcoholism. I’m sure his inability to openly live the life he desired fed his disease. I had an opportunity to read this in a stuffy church remembrance ceremony.

Stardust 

We were joined by DNA and chance , through a series of cosmic events I was bound to you by blood memory and family . You are my uncle and in the small time our souls reconnected through an indescribable collision of love and instilled behaviors we froze the moment ! Love transcends the human notion of time . A notion that has been lost to the rat race of an existence we have been taught to believe . Uncle Bobby I see you ! I look past the stigmas thrown on you by born just a handful of decades to early . Despite the generational ignorance you endured you stood proud ! I salute you for the proud stance of a man you choose to be despite misunderstanding! You are a hero of bravery and stood for the truth ! You taught me to never be ashamed to answer the true calling of who we are ! Consciousness will always be the biggest threat to acceptance. You stood 10 feet tall to me despite being a proud man of small stature ! May your spirit go where the universe wills it ! I long for the day that we are all reconnected and our differences do not define us ! I love you ,We love you ,and our Hurley name is proud of the Hurley you were ! 

RIP Robert Hurley Jr

I sat there staring out the window it was early fall so the sun was setting fast. I could not stop shaking and the drugs they had administered where doing very little to take the edge off. There were two squirrels tumbling through the golden leaves lost completely in the moment. I wanted to be them, i wanted to be anything other then myself. My diagnoses  was not good my disease was fatal. I couldn’t believe i was here again . I couldn’t believe that there was such a simple way back to health yet so difficult to attain! I ignored the questions the nurses insisted on asking choosing to look the other way . The squirrels had the answer I wanted not the nurses. It all started earlier that summer I had stopped by some old friends house I missed them and had not seen them all winter. They were happy to see me and asked how i was doing we exchanged pleasantries but the house was bustling with movement . The young women were packing things in coolers the guys enjoying a few beers while they came up with a plan. It was a hot day in Hamilton a small neighborhood just outside the city. You could buy old houses cheap there ,as the community was hanging on by a thread. Hamilton had attracted working class families , artists, and in this particular case a young hippy by the name of Jere and his father Rick. Jere owned the house and his father lived with him. Along with whatever young attractive free spirited hippy girl that had fallen for him charm that season. The AC was not working very well so everybody’s t-shirts  were soaked. They were planning to flee to woods where shade would be plentiful with a light breeze through the trees to make them forget all about the sweltering city heat for a while. I was just passing through but  quickly chimed in on the perfect wooded retreat spots surrounding Baltimore. I was offered a beer but declined i finally had my health back and the thought of beer at the time seemed pointless. I mentioned a spot and all attention turned to me . A close friend of mine had showed me a secret spot if you would. He had moved to Wyoming the year before and had passed it on before he left. It had a crystal clear swimming spot will a fire pit and multiple trees to string hammocks . I had always been drawn to the woods and felt at peace in them. So as i told them about the spot there adventure began to become mine too. I pushed my motorcycle in the back yard and locked it to the porch ,and without thinking twice i was on my way to the woods. Now i had told myself i would show them the way introduce them to the spot and catch a ride back into town. I know there was a lot of holes in my plan so i doubt i had any intentions to leave in the first place. Now Jere was an old soul people were drawn to him, old man Rick Jere’s father would always say he was Lennon reincarnated as he was born on the day he was shot. They were hippies to the core and with that came everything that hippies do. We got to the head of the trail and Jere pulled out a huge bag of mushrooms . I reached in and grabbed a handful and brought it to mouth this was the true crossroads not the trail head . If i ingested this handful of impairment i would instantly be sick again and everything i had based my health and happiness on surely would be gone. I gulped down the wrong decision and barely chewed before i swallowed. The rest of the summer was a blur filled with hallucinogens,pot,alcohol ,and hard drugs. I stayed in Hamilton and along with the things i mentioned tried to drown myself in bourbon. My health quickly faded along with my happiness. During that period Jere never stopped smiling and Rick was always there swilling warm Captain Morgan stowed in his belt. Jere was the image of who i thought i wanted to be and Old Man Rick was the image of who i would become if i didn’t stop. I was stuck in a world of almost’s and not yets. I had done it again I had chosen my terminal disease over the simple cure of abstinence . The nurses had enough of me choosing the window over the treatment i had professed to need earlier that day . I was back in rehab and this was just the beginning the DT’s were worse then i had ever had. The desire for cocaine and the other drugs i had used as nourishment the months leading up to this paled in comparison to every cell in me shaking for one more drop of whiskey. This was my first day of detox I had two more days here to make sure i would not die from withdrawal ,before i moved next door to start a thirty day program. They set the tray in front of me and told me I had to eat I started with a spoon full of peas. From the tray to my mouth the shakes shook the peas from the spoon I managed to eat just one and quickly gave up and ate with my hands. Who was I ,How did i get here again.

Summer
Hippies
Hamilton

Friends

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