Sailing metaphor 4/15/10

Some of my sailing friends might have a hard time fathoming what we are doing, so….if you take all our speed and mileage reports and multiply by a factor of 10, then you might get…. You’re not really sure why, but you always really wanted an older motor home. Maybe it was the fancy color scheme, or the call of the road, or camping along the way with all, uh, most, uh, some, one or two of the comforts of home. Anyway, you were always casually, but not seriously looking at them and their counterparts as one came up for sale. Then, in the middle of winter, after a long week at work, and a couple glasses of wine, you end up buying a 1969 Minnie Winnie sight unseen thousands of miles away on E-bay. Un-planned. Now what??? You have a local mechanic check her out. She’s not perfect and not the cheapest one around, but some of the things you would want to do to her, if you had one like her, have already been done. So, you travel to take possession. About this time, you start trying to figure out what to do with her. You already have enough projects at home, and a 5th wheel trailer for camping, so you really don’t need to have her at home. And, the best way to get her home is to ship her, but it is pretty pricey to ship her 30,000 miles (remember the comparison math from above). So you decide to leave her down south and use her as an excuse for occasional trips and vacations. You’ll continue to work on her, repairing, replacing, upgrading, and also take excursions with her in the general local area. But, where will you keep her? A friend you’ve only met on the internet offers you a spot. It turns out he is a Winnie fanatic and an expert on their drive-trains and can repair, rebuild, replace or coach any problem. You decide to take the 9000 mile trip there. After all, it will be an adventure, and what could go wrong with the vehicle you just stepped into 2 days before? You take side roads most of the way, not wanting to push an unfamiliar old vehicle. You have transmission problems but manage to keep going. You begin to get to know her and the repairs needed and the upgrades you would like. She’s not he fanciest in the parking lot or on the highway, but is one of the better looking ones of her ilk and turns the occasional head. You note that with just yourself and your bride, you might be willing to pull “all nighters” driving straight through if you were on the interstate, but not on the side roads. Besides, it’s kind of nice stopping in the evening and having a toddy and dinner in your traveling home. A good travel day in the old girl on the side roads is 400 miles, more or less, after which you are a little tired anyway. You stop for several days in a Greek sponge fishing town in Florida for minor repairs and to wait out a storm. She is a little top heavy and can be blown around a lot so staying parked beats fighting it. You decide the last leg of this trip will be on the interstate. The weather looks good and it is only about 2800 miles. This leg goes fine. You even have some nice tailwinds part of the way, only one near collision, and make it in good time in 2 ½ days non-stop. You finally get to meet your new friends and they are most gracious and supportive. You spend a week doing repairs then close her up and head home to plan the next visit. Some months later, there are possible major storms coming to the area, so to protect her and to keep your friends from having to actively babysit her, you have her moved to a repair and storage facility nearby. During the move and parking, it is noticed that the undercoating job done by a PO (Previous Owner, oft times blamed for many problems) has failed and must be redone. This is a big deal on motor homes, and hard and messy, so you decide to contract the job out to a good local crew wanting the work. You know it will be done correctly and you will be able to use her right away next visit. You visit her about once every 6 months for a few weeks and take excursions in the local area. Of course, each visit occasions more repairs, etc. But, she is getting to be in better condition with each visit. So, now it is time for a big trip. And what is the excuse for this odyssey? Your son decided several years ago to go back to college and graduate again in a new discipline, medical doctor. He’s been chosen by his peers to receive a special and coveted award. He graduates May 16th. He has completed his schooling while a junior officer in the U. S. Army, and will be promoted to Captain after graduation. What better excuse? Take the Winnie to the graduation! It will be an adventure! An over 20,000 mile adventure!? Off you go! Your first leg is on the interstate traveling non-stop. The first couple days are slow going, with detours and hills and headwinds. Then, just as things look to be going your way, you are caught in a storm. The interstate is closed, but there is no place to get off. You have to do your best to keep going and not crash on the bad roads with the big wind. No-one can be called to come help you even if they could or would. You have no cell phone or CB reception. It lasts for almost 24 hours, you fighting it for 2 hours and then your bride fighting it for 2 hours. It finally abates, and you end this segment safe but tired after something over 4000 miles.