west wind & rain

So I have neglected since starting this blog, to getting into the daily lifestyle of living aboard. It has been a rather busy month, being December and all and starting a new job. 
Last night, the westerlies picked up at about 30 knots to start. And I realize that we live in a rain-forest when a torrential downpour is released upon us and inhibits one from even thinking out loud when all you can hear is the spitter spatter of driving rain against a fiberglass/wooden home. I decided to start my day along with Erik at 6.30am this morning. Usually he rows to shore with me, and I row back and try to catch a little more sleep before I start work at 9. This morning, however, the 35-40 knot winds foreshadowed feelings of paranoia being on the boat by myself. Sometimes I have nightmares of the anchor chain breaking, or being beached in front of the boat house in Kits. And the fact that my nightmares have actually become reality doesn't settle me one bit. 


Sometime in November, a Northwest gale of 45 knots started at 7am, as I was falling back to sleep from rowing Erik to shore for work. I dreamt of the anchor tangling itself with others, different boats in the creek smashing into ours.. when all of a sudden I heard a loud BANG. The third time I heard it I jumped out of bed and onto deck in seconds, only to find another boat crashing into ours and every single anchored sailboat in the creek dragging tremendously. I couldn't retrieve the dinghy, (that had caught itself between the boat crashing into ours' bow and anchor chain), start the engine and pull the anchor up by myself. Luckily a friend of ours Simon, came to the rescue in a rush and helped me out, saving our boat from crashing into shore. I learned a lot that day about how to handle myself and the boat in stormy situations. However it will still take a little time to not wallow in mild paranoia when I am alone on the boat in weather like that for hours. 


At the moment the sun is rising and I need to grab my second cup of coffee before I head to the marine store to purchase a pair of oar locks. Ours broke this morning with the wind on the row to shore. 
It is never a dull moment, living on a boat.