SV Moon Shadow 2022

Well, it's a sad day in the adventures of SV Moon Shadow 2022. On Monday the Survey (equivalent to home inspection) was done. I got the full written report on Tuesday. There was some repairs that needed to be done before the boat could be put in use. After talking to the current owner we were unable to reach an agreement that was amicable to both of us. So, for now, the sailing adventures may indeed never get "off the ground". I have been scouring the internet for deals but thinking it might be most prudent to wait until I'm in Newfoundland to get serious. If I had been there, and seen this boat with my own eyes, I might not have even had a survey done. I realize I'm not the most entertaining page maintenance person on the internet but thanks for anyone who's been following. I did not want to turn my personal page in to a boat post page so I created this one. I will not be shutting it down and will continue to post if anything relevant and exciting progresses. The weather has been more summer like. 5 weeks from today we will be in Newfoundland. Looking forward to the visit with or without a sailboat.

Just realized that I haven't posted here in almost a month. That lead me to another realization. In two months from now we'll be flying to Newfoundland. Time to focus and make sure I have my to do/bring list figured out. Then the adventure becomes a reality as opposed to an idea in the planning. I might be slightly looking forward to it. Then I can have photos that aren't downloaded off the internet like this one.....lol

Thought I'd make another post. Recently I was talking about the new modern technology that is used these days at sea. Today I thought I'd go old school. This is a picture of the telescope Laurie gave me for Christmas. It's a tribute to the HMS Endeavour 1765 ( the research Ship commanded by Captain Cook when he discovered Australia). I was surprised on the optical clarity of this scope. I did a side by side comparison with my more expensive Binoculars. The difference was minimal. A nice piece to have on board as a conversation starter. Thanks Laurie for the cool and practical gift.

If you look way west, in Alberta you'll see the yellow target circles showing boats location. Actually the boat is in Whiteway but my laptop is in Whitecourt. Looks like everything is operational. The USB GPS is locked on a good number of satellites considering it inside the house.

Playing around with Open CPN (a free chart plotting software). Looks like Heart's Delight Harbour may be a busy port this summer. I have six different routes plotted and saved just getting to know the software. I don't really need a plotter for these waters because I know them fairly well already. I'm sort of planning ahead in case I get adventurous and decide to wander a little further from the familiar bays of my youth. Technology, especially this free stuff, makes a nice addition to the tried and true Compass and chart or GPS options. I already have a USB GPS antenna that attaches to my laptop. I'll be able to use the software without Wi-Fi or any outside network requirements. Then a handheld GPS unit and finally good old paper chart and compass round out the navigational strategy. I guess it's a triple redundancy plan.

Well, I decided to create a page to cornicle the adventure ahead. They say, "a journey of a million miles starts with the first step". Since technically the first step is already made I have some catching up to do. In 2021, while off work on medical leave, I was formally diagnosed with PTSD. That was no shocker to anyone close to me over the past 15-20 years. It was a tough blow to the ego though. No more ability to be in denial. It's been a soul searching time to say the least. In August of 2021 I went on a little trip to celebrate my 25th wedding anniversary with Laurie. The fact that we are still married is a big testament to her understanding and patience. Well, that trip included a number of ferry crossings while touring the sunshine coast and Vancouver Island. WOW!!! I could not believe how calm I felt inside while on the water. Even on one of our colder and windier crossings I sat comfortable on the foredeck soaking up the experience that only the salt sea air can offer. I did have a mental health setback after the trip unfortunately. Through my sessions with my psychologist, and a lot of soul searching, I realized the setback was partly due to the longing for the sea. I guess, subconsciously I was already longing and had not realized. I had been looking at sailboats online prior to the trip but had not felt it could be a reality. In November 2021 I entered in to an agreement to purchase SV Moon Shadow. She was "on the hard" in Whiteway, Trinity Bay Newfoundland. Suitably located near my Mother in law's place in Heart's Delight. As I began the journey I found many things that felt like "signs" it was meant to be. My grandmother, Sara Harnum (nee: Jackson) was born and raised in Whiteway. There are still relatives of mine living there to this day. The current boat owner had an Address on "Calgary" street. Things seemed skewed to connect the dots between Alberta and Newfoundland in a way that was undeniable. Then, on facebook, I found the picture which I stole as my cover photo. It's of a rainbow in Whiteway. It comes towards the ground, coincidentally, over top of SV Moon Shadow in storage. I now have our plane tickets booked for the Newfoundland trip (July 2022) and I'm trying to picture what things will look like. Let the adventure begin.