Happy Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day Nancy .... Love, Dan

During our travels, Nancy has been our spokespreson on the blog. She is such a good writer and is so patient with the erratic internet connections we have that I am thankful she is so diligent in keeping the blog so well stocked with photos and chronicles of our journey.

 
However, I have been remiss in not sharing how important Nancy is throughout all that we do. Nancy will say that I am the captain but in truth we share decisions on all things, I just may be the one getting my hands dirtiest, while Nancy is my assistant and advisor. She is adept at researching solutions on the internet when in need. [N.B. www.cruirersforum.com] Whether it is the weather, anchoring, sailing, etc. Nancy is invaluable. I would not want to be sailing or anywhere without her by my side.

Nancy and I married nearly 35 years ago. We have 2 wonderful children and new son-in-law. We have been blessed beyond measure! For the last three years, we have been enjoying our retirement on land and sea. While she has always given me her love and support, it has been most evident when we are at sea and she is my First Mate, my Best Mate.

On this Valentine's Day, I cannot imagine this life without her. Nancy has been by my side with all the good and the less-than-good. Sharing the cruising life has made the beautiful times more so and the difficult times easier to bear. Through it all, it has been a good adventure.

 
When we shared our plans to sell our Rochester home and buy a boat with our family, friends and colleagues, a common reaction was: "How are you going to stand being so close together all the time?" A 40-foot boat lends itself to intimacy but not a lot of solitude. Truth be told, they were more worried about Nancy and how challenging I can be to live within such close proximity. I can't argue with that point. 



 

However, Nancy brightens our life and brings joy to our days. She has made our boat our home and connects  it with our life ashore. Such as decorating for Christmas aboard.

 

I can say that Nancy has provided much needed balance in my life; she is a Libra you know. She makes me better than I would be without her. Nancy's love and support adds strength and courage, especially when we are facing challenges. Her advice generally makes me wiser when I take it. With our lives together on a small boat on a vast sea, we have developed new skills; like provisioning for 6 months in exotic locations, managing business from afar, sailing, navigation, weather, maintenance and repair. In all these things, we do this together and would not want to do it alone.

Sometimes it takes a martini when dealing with the financials...

Stocking the fridge, and every crevice of the boat with dry goods.

Replacing the aluminum water tank

 

 

Obviously, she can't take a picture of her helping me with the engine work as she did when James helped me change the coolant pump on the engine. But she does her share of climbing into tight places and coming out with grease-covered hands and blood dripping from new scrapes.  And most importantly, she's always there, sitting vigil while I work, surrounded by manuals, and, I imagine, quietly praying that I get everything back together in the right order with no extra parts left behind.



So on this Valentine’s Day, I give thanks to Nancy, the 'Love of my Life' these past 39 years, and I pray that God will give us many more years to share. We have a print from StoryPeople on Maja that reads: "Someday, the light will shine like a sun through my skin and they will say 'What have you done with your life?" and though there are many moments I think I will remember in the end, I will be proud to say, I was one of us."

 

Happy Valentine's Day to the Love of My Life!