Sailing Positive Waves

 Two weeks of boat work When we picked up Positive Waves last summer, Boreal sent a team of workers to the boat every day to tie up loose ends in the commissioning process. Systems checks, a brief introduction to all the workings on board, a test sail, etc. At this point I don’t remember what was done in those first two weeks aboard, only that the kids had new tablets and we told them that whenever the workers were aboard they could play on their tablets. The workers loved the ecstatic welcome they received from the kids every time they showed up. We sailed out of Treguier with everything in working order and a plan to return in a year with a list of changes, additions, and repairs that might come up in a year. After a year of living aboard and sailing a little over 2000 nautical miles, we generated a list. Hans tackled some of the projects on an as-needed basis, others we added to our list. Our list of spares was huge since we figured that the easiest place to pick up s

More concrete in Dunkirk. An exhibit at the modern art museum's sculpture garden. Evidence of two world wars was more obvious in Dunkirk by what wasn’t there than what was. What wasn’t there: any building pre-dating 1950(ish). A short walk around the town center made it glaringly obvious that the whole town was bombed heavily over the course of two wars. No charming old stone buildings, no winding cobblestone streets, but rather block after block of mid 20th century concrete buildings. The modern architecture painted a much more vivid picture of the recent history of the town than any plaque, cemetery, or memorial could. No classic French architecture perhaps, but at least they still sell baguettes in Dunkirk. The day we arrived in Dunkirk we tapped into the cruiser/boater brain trust and secured legitimate French covid passes—proof of vaccination and exceedingly important because France requires them for entry into restaurants. Why go to France if you can’t eat the food