D,

It’s late. I’ve just got back to the boat after finally taking the night off to have some fun with the girls. The last two weeks of single-handing non-stop work on the super-steep learning curve (and the wine) have got me waxing poetic about everything you do aboard, that I didn’t even know you do aboard, that now I have to do aboard, to keep us in ship shape.

Just in the past two weeks aboard by myself, it’s been a flurry of activity: we’ve had over 15 inches of rain here in Bocas reminding me of every place that’s not sealed up just right and how low the batteries can get. Suffice it to say, I’ve been busy! I mean, it’s not like I don’t know how to use a screwdriver, but I’m now keenly aware of how I haven’t had to use one in about 10 years since you’ve been in my life. And, how our teamwork makes all the difference: after a day’s worth of sweating, grunting and using all your “fixing” words, I can understand how a nice, hot meal, makes all the difference. On the phone today, you mentioned, “I miss your cooking,” – well, I miss my cooking, too! Afterall, when taking on everything at once, I’m too tired to fix anything more than oatmeal or a peanut butter-banana roll up!

Simply put, I’m grateful. I’m grateful when there are four hands on the boat instead of two. And, while I’m been fortunate to have help from friendly cruisers now and then, just to be clear, I’m particular to the other two hands on the boat being yours!

So, Captain:

• Thank you for all the lefty-loosey-righty-tighty jobs,
• Thank you for doing all the gross, dirty and down-right disgusting jobs,
• Thank you for checking to make sure we have enough gas/water/propane/batteries/parts/things I don’t even know exist/that we need,
• Thank you for sorting and labeling them in boxes in the “garage”,
• Thank you for being the one who gets up in the middle of the night to check on our anchor/that weird noise/the wind/etc,
• Thank you for being the Chief leak-source-tracker-downer and caulker;
• Thank you for always doing the dishes,
• Thank you for always believing in me when I think I can’t do it – or just plain don’t want to,
• Thank you for going to work, in a building, not in the Caribbean, with shoes on to refill the kitty so we can continue to do this,
• Thank you for Skyping with me twice a day,
• Thank you for walking me through every project, knowing I can do it just fine,
• Thank you for taking this crazy adventure with me,
• Thank you for not letting me break up with you 5 times during the first 6 months because I was scared,
• Thank you for everything over the last 10 years that has me missing you so much and so grateful to be able to spend so much time with my best friend,
• And, finally, thank you for coming home. In 55 days.

love,

L

ps. Capt. D, here’s a pic of Capt. L getting a carburetor cleaning lesson (for the price of a coffee mug) while single-handing.