Taking care of our basic needs first
Many of you are at least superficially aware of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs (put me in the “superficial” category). Maslow noted that physiological needs like air, water, food and shelter must be met before things like love and self-actualization could be addressed. I suspect a similar hierarchy could be laid out for boating. If we did so, a watertight hull would have to be at the top of the list (or the base of the pyramid), and in the case of sailboats, a functional rig would have to be just above that. We’re doing our best to make sure that we take care of those big “needs” before we address the some of our lesser-important “wants.”
Rule 1: Keep the water outside the boat.
Rule 2: Keep the stick pointing up.
Yesterday a couple of the guys from Turbulence began replacing our standing rigging, piece by piece. They started by removing a pair of the lower shrouds (diagonally across from one another), taking them to their shop and returning with shiny new ones to reinstall. They continued on doing the same for the mizzen mast.
While they were busy doing that, and I was busy watching and taking pics of them working, Rebecca went to Grenada Marine with Devon, one of our local friends, to make sure that ZTC is safe and secure in case the weather feature, Invest 96, looming just east of us, amounts to anything. Ahhh, the joys of owning two boats! Who wants to buy a beautiful PDQ 32?
This morning we brought the boat alongside the haul-out bay at Spice Island Marine so that Turbulence could tackle the forestay, and some of the remaining pieces. It’s a big job replacing all of this wire and fittings but more than anything, we’re committed to keeping the rig up. We have no intention of making our auxiliary diesel engine our only means of propulsion!
“The Boat”
Someday you’ll have to decide on a name for that new single-hull boat.
Or if decided, share with us all?
Soon come.
Note: We do have a name selected and will announce it when the registration is finalized.
Suggestions to fill out the triangle:
Yellow: ground tackle
Green: boat systems (electrical, plumbing, engine)
Blue: toys and comfort
I’ll agree, yellow is, keeping the boat off the rocks.
No arguments.
pretty sure the rudder and kell are as important (if not more important)as the rigging. Thanks for the link to Maslow.
Could likely lump that in with hull. If you knock the keel or rudder off, it may no longer be watertight.
Hey guys, this is a little off topic and while we’ve already left Grenada over to Trinidad to store the boat on the hard for a couple of months, I couldn’t help but let you guys know that you took our spot. The 1st picture where the guy is going up the mast is where we were anchored for a couple of weeks before leaving to Trinidad. In fact, right before we left, a 42′ Lagoon drug anchor and went right behind that yellow motor yacht. Anyway, thought it was cool to see our old stompin’ grounds.
That’s funny! We seldom go to Prickly but when we do we tend to anchor in that area. Hope all is well!
I’m surprised you did not have the work done at Grenada Marine where ZTC is.
D & Don
IMO, Turbulence is THE rigging company on the island. I have had many dealings with them too.
I’m certainly no expert on life at sea, and I think staying off the rocks/land is something paramount to the structure of any pyramid of this type, and your previous levels are well based.
Since you asked for input.
I would suggest a level, or inclusion within another level, of some sort of independence from land based facilities. Such as no need for the things provided at ports, with exception of things you cannot make/provide for yourself, and of course, other cruising people.
Mainly I mean no plug-ins for electricity, or water/food provisions, with the exception of broken parts you cannot fix on the boat. Boiling that down it would be the ability to live self contained, on your own, without outside influence for as long a period as possible. Freedom from the outside world, or as was said so beautifully in the movie, Joe Versus the Volcano, “Away from the things of man”.
Not all boats are designed for that purpose (liveaboard). I wouldn’t lose any sleep over this though, I’m not going to. 🙂
I don’t really care for the pyramid symbolism of this construct. I think an arch would better serve the purpose here. I understand that the top is the goal, and that each level toward the top is based on what stands below it, but I think the ultimate goal should be the thing that holds the entire structure together, the Keystone is the one thing that makes the structure complete, and without it, the building blocks still exist, but aren’t held together by it’s presence.
Each level in a pyramid can exist, and have no connection to anything build on top of it, and in this concept there is no need for the next level to even exist.
Just my thoughts.
You’re putting way more thought into this than I am.