First the good stuff–the surgeon says “no problem” I can sail up the coast after I finish up my last two session of PT (next week). Yea! Happy dance–ouch! Maybe happy sway instead! Well of course, I should also put what he said in context of our life and what he knows about it. He said I was “over-doing it” and “not to walk so much” as the hip flexor pains I’ve got (and need for cane or walking stick because of) are revealing that I’m pushing those muscles too hard. Another sailor, upon hearing this “good to go sailing” info said “Ha! your surgeon doesn’t know what sailing is like, does he?” And, well, no the surgeon doesn’t really know anything about sailing and the work involved. However–since I’m planning on sitting around the cockpit and eating bon-bons while David handles the foredeck and the (newly working) autopilot does the steering–I think I’ll be able to handle it.
Now the not-so-good-stuff. Our sailing life just got a smidgen harder since David’s Nokia N810 decided to bite the dust–10 minutes ago. I decided to write this post rather than do a midnight shopping trip on Amazon.com for a replacement. Ah–you wonder why that matters, right? Well, this little (no longer in production) bit of electronics which is sort of a palm-sized computer–sort of like a tiny netbook or an over-sized cellphone depending on your point of view–is really important to me while we’re entering unfamiliar anchorages. You must remember I’m always in the cockpit manning the lines and helm because David is running around the foredeck dealing with getting the sometimes unruly sails lashed down and getting the anchor ready to deploy. Because the N810 has a GPS and NOAA charts on it, if I start hyperventilating while we enter an unfamiliar anchorage, all I have to do is pull it out of my pocket and check our position, breath deeply and continue manning the helm into a good anchor spot. Oh, it’s so nice. I’d be a basket case without it or another hand held GPS.
We do have a GPS for the AIS system in the Standard Horizion VHF radio but don’t export its info to a chart plotter. We also have an electronic chart program on my laptop computer so I suppose I could just get a GPS hooked into the laptop. That’s on the list of things to buy this week–another Garmin GPS puck to back up the one on the AIS and use on the laptop as well. But, that’s someting I prefer NOT to have in the cockpit as it is easily damaged.
Many cruisers have a chart plotter screen out in the cockpit showing them a nice GPS track. Others keep a handheld Garmin GPS and use it much as I use the Nokia N810. Most times, we don’t really need to watch a GPS to tell us where we are–it’s just a really nice little back-up to the eyes and ears when close to shore.
Nice little back up or not, now I have to decide if I’m going to splurge on a hand-held GPS for the sole purpose of keeping me relaxed when we’re in the skinny water of unfamiliar anchorages or if I’ll have to take a peek into the chart house window and keep the laptop computer/gps/charts turned on in there?
David may be able to fix the N810–being rather good with the soldering iron and all–however, having this bit of obsolete technology fail reminds me that I’m living a life surrounded by things on “borrowed time.” While we’re happy with having such a lovely classic schooner and proud of her restoration, I am beginning to wonder about the trends of our existence right now especially since David and I are both actually very much technophiles who love the “latest and greatest” of technologies. Yet, we’re cruising in an 80 year old schooner; I’m cooking on a wood/coal cast iron stove of the era of the boat and we’re installing a “back up” kerosene stove of a design that is 40 years old. I’m thrilled with our 30 year old “new” Wood Freeman autopilot; relying on an out-of-production Nokia N810 (more than 5 years old) for nav assistance; I still love to use my Palm Treo cellphone-as-a-modem (and phone); and we’ve just spent a few days dealing with Buttercup, our 35 year car, and will be spending a day this weekend getting her all back together as well as replacing some parts of our “newer” 24 year old car. I think I’m beginning to understand those “old people” with the 50 year old cars and the furniture and stereos from the 1960’s. Oh, my…
Part of the issue is that we’re “loyal” to good technologies–be they 80 years old or brand new! And we’re not wasteful people either. That keeps us well supplied with “old stuff” rather than new, for sure!
I do like doing things in “old fashioned ways” so the whole classic schooner thing works for me. However, this is a slippery slope. We could go from technology geeks to … well…I don’t want to say it.
