Captain's Log 2021 - Pandemic Craziness and Boats



June 2021

Still no word on when the borders will open... 

Covid's been around for 18 months and in Washington State we still see people outdoors walking, running or riding bikes wearing masks. The fear is real. The broad acceptance and compliance is real.  Although mass vaccinations started months ago and millions are already injected, government paid "experts" are still telling everyone, even vaccinated people, to social distance, avoid crowds and wear a mask or two.  

I know Covid-19 is a nasty virus and I believe that over 600 thousand Americans have sadly died from the disease and many more have died with the virus.   I see politicians and mass media using the virus to scare people into supporting their political objectives.  I'm very disappointed by the behavior of most elected representatives and their voters.  Adding to the real pandemic problems, liberal politicians and media are actively inciting anger and violence between people based on their race, sex, wealth, religion, economic ideology, heritage or political beliefs.  Identity politics and cancel culture have taken root. Basic freedoms are under attack and our country's disastrous trend towards socialism and communism is only getting worse.  Covid skeptics and conservatives are being censored and dissenting voices muzzled.  I feel like I'm living in a George Orwell or Ayn Rand nightmare and can't escape.  Reading The Gulag Archipelago (Solzhenitsyn) , Revolt of The Masses (Ortega y Gasset) and Economics in One Lesson (Hazlitt) has definitely not helped my attitude.  I'm now uncomfortably anxious and depressed by our country's political and cultural situation and am disconnecting from social media and mainstream news in order to distance myself from the insanity.  I long for the Canadian wilderness and want to be on Hull Island more than ever.

Enough remorse, it's not healthy or productive.  I'm not going to languish.  Ithaca is on my mind and I'll take the actions I can to continue our journey.  My dreams are alive and I have deep gratitude for life each day.  

May 4th.  With a nod to safety and moving our project along I put a deposit down on a larger boat for delivery in March of 2022.  While BRNR is a great boat and served us well, it's not as safe in all conditions as I want.  Before I made the buy decision I spoke with my brother Chris who absolutely iced the deal by reminding me that in years ahead we'd be carrying priceless cargo of family and friends, young and old through occasionally treacherous conditions.  Safety is paramount and a bigger boat comes with owning an island in British Columbia.  Chris said if you can afford the boat it's a no brainer.  He was right again.  Our new boat (yet to be named) is an all aluminium Duckworth 30' offshore with twin 300 HP Yamaha outboard motors.   It has a dry enclosed cabin, stove, sink, heater, small table and small toilet and hot shower.  I added a radar system for all weather and nighttime navigation.  I feel better already.  

Here is a link to a promotional video of the boat.  I ordered it in red for higher visibility.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=biVMPkatKB4


Coming in red, March 2022





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