The Adak runs into navigable waters
It’s been a challenge over these past few months – with Rachel being kicked off the island for the high-risk pregnancy, HMJ’s challenging birth, hip problems, and now the most recent ordeal with the boat – to keep steady. If it’s a reminder of one thing, it’s about being on a good team. That’s what matters.
It was such a team that got the Adak moving. We made the front page of the town newspaper after the city threw down the gauntlet and said get the boat into navigable waters or else. “Going Strong” the caption read. HMJ, for one, was thrilled.
The powers that be laid back after that. Rachel picks up legal work in town (she’s a specialist now in boat impoundment) and I fish, and teach online for Stanford. Friends come by with crab, I bring home a fish now and then.
As far as the city, and the status of the boat, which so many of you have so kindly asked about? It’s ongoing, apparently it’s still impounded. (I actually received an annoyed email from the city administrator about even typing this blog.) A “stay” is on the impoundment. We have no idea how things will play out. I guess the city still thinks the boat is an imminent danger to the docks – and yet they’ve let us stick around since August 4th.
In the meantime, we’re doing our best to weather these storms, keeping the lines in good shape, collecting tires for fenders. The galley is getting into fine shape, the place is becoming warm and homey, especially after we cut a bunch of cedar and spruce for the stove with the chainsaw.The little munchkin has her baby nook, which she seems quite content with, especially when there’s a fire warming her. She starting to eat solid foods, we got some black cod tips in her the other night. Before taking the long walk along the docks to the parking lot she gets zipped up in her seat, put in the cart along with recycling, bags, whatever, and away we go. The real exciting news for her is that she got a skiff named after her, called “Haley’s Comet,” an 18″ Bayrunner with a console and cover. I swear, when she’s outside, or on the water, she goes quiet and just watches. Everything. The outside, be it the woods, the ocean, what have you, certainly puts her at peace.
The galleys of the book came out. How cool to open a box and see beautiful printed copies of this thing you’ve worked so hard on. April 26th the real thing arrives. Now working on other projects (like raising the wee one).
It inspired me to make a mancave out of my quarterberth to work on the next big project.
Certainly, if we had one wish for Christmas, it would be that the city would figure its game out. I doubt the city administrator, the city attorney, or the harbormaster, ever lived in an impounded home. Otherwise they’d get their act together. In the meantime, we continue to replace the bulwarks, replace the chimney caps, work on the pumps, and any number of fixes the boat needs.
I always had this vision of Sitka as existing in some snow globe, far from the more familiar problems of people in love with power, disregarding process, making demands without consideration. As I’m learning not only with our situation, but also others in town, such is not the case.
Still, there’s no place I’d rather be, than here in town, on the boat, about to marry the woman I love, surrounded by good friends, blessed with a ChouChou and wife-to-be who are just the best.
Just the best.
