How it is

I’m struggling to find a starting point.  This past month, since moving into our new place, has been such a blur.  These past couple of weeks, since taking on a new management role at work, have kept me running just to keep up.  It’s all great, but it’s an evolution; it will take time to come to terms. 

Cathy’s is over in West Palm Beach with her mom this weekend.  Just as well since I’ve been working such long hours.  Today is a little lighter for me.  I don’t need to go in for a while yet.  I just caught the last 15 minutes of the 24 hour race at LeMans and saw Audi sweep the podium with proto-type hybrid cars.  Later today is the MotoGP at Silverstone, which I’ll watch on the DVR after I return from the marina. 

I am so overdue for a track day!  I’m thinking I’ll try to get away to Jennings next weekend for 2 days of riding before summer heat becomes more oppressive. 

Long ago, while working for LaVida Yacht Charters in St Thomas, I developed the ambition to become an operations manager of a charter yacht base.  But the charter companies I worked for through the 80’s and 90’s were small, family run operations, and while my role in their business was important, I was never going to be the manager.  In the late 90’s I tried to get my own charter company going.  It nearly happened – a trawler charter boat operation based in Rodney Bay, St Lucia.  But my investor left me at the chapel door.  That was the beginning of the end of my time in the Caribbean. 

Now, so many years after all thoughts of that ever happening, I find myself where I wanted to be - managing a charter yacht operation.  Not in the islands, but in St Petersburg Florida - happily married, a lovely home in a lively little city, a fleet of nearly 20 sailboats to look after with the help of 4 employees, and an R6 race bike to play with.   I feel incredibly blessed.    

Blessed, but very busy.  There is paper work I could be doing right now.  I will need to get down to the marina soon.  There’s a ASA national level week-long event going on here and Sailing Florida is playing a central role.  I was out sailing yesterday with 8 out of town ASA members.  I’ve got other captains covering those activities today so I can take care of some regular charter operations.  

But I shouldn’t really say “regular”.  What’s going on is solving problems stemming from a lightning strike on our 2012 Catalina 445 while it was out on charter.  I’ve got to help get the clients that were on that boat moved to another boat.  It’s a bit of a mess.  Fortunately, no one was hurt, but this has really put us in a bind.  That boat was scheduled for several weeks of charter in the near future.  But now it must go to the boatyard for a complete electrical survey and probably extensive electrical rebuild.