In a hour or so there will be too much sun to sit in the cockpit. I’m learning to live with the rhythm of the tropics. Early morning, as in 6 a.m. is very pleasant and I can have a pretty good time outside until 9 a.m. After that I need shade which works out fine as after tea time I try to spend at least four hours working on my myriad boat projects. For the most part I enjoy it, but there are frustrating days where I work hard and accomplish little. Generally because I don’t have the right part or tool, rarely because I don’t know how to do it. Late afternoon I go paddle boarding for 45 minutes or so.
There are so many things I love about being back on Glass Slipper. Just being outside almost all the time is a joy. A cool breeze through an open hatch beats air conditioning always. Laying in my bunk seeing my three favorite stars overhead through the open hatch as I drift off to sleep is so peaceful. I love cooking in my tiny, efficient, well equipped galley. In the evening I can relax in the cockpit watching a movie on Netflix and enjoy some homemade popcorn or read a book. I love having time to read and usually finish four or five books a week. On Friday and Saturday nights the marina has live music, a quite good band from Chile, and I hang out there with friends and enjoy a beer or two.
If I want to take a break from working on the boat it’s a short kayak paddle through a mangrove tunnel to a mangrove creek that is a great place to swim. The water is clear, about 4ft deep at high tide with a sandy bottom and the perfect cool but not too cold temperature. Sometimes a few tiny fish or a baby barracuda happens by. Just a bit further is a tiny beach with a great view and most importantly, shade.
Well, the sun is blaring, the tea is finished and it’s time to work. Today I am putting on my diesel mechanic hat… wish me luck!