Guess who is 10 mos today? No matter what setbacks we encounter, this happy little person makes it all okay*. |
Turns out our baby stay deck fitting doesn't have a backing plate and/or is not properly set up to withstand the loads of a full sail. This is a very big deal and a huge oversight. We could blame the rigger, we could question how on earth he would attach a stay to our deck without making sure the fitting was secure but blame doesn't get us anywhere. The truth of the matter is we know better and we have no one to blame but ourselves. We should have checked the fitting because (lesson time) assuming makes an ASS out of U and ME.
But here's the thing; we can choose to look at this relatively minor setback in one of two ways:
1) This is yet another problem that we have to fix and now we'll be delayed further, this sucks, boats suck, wah, wah.
OR...
As one blog follower said on our Facebook page, "Two steps back now will save you 50 steps back in a gale. The universe again conspires to help you succeed in your venture!" And he is exactly right. If Scott hadn't been in the v-berth securing Isla's bed to the hull yesterday, he never would have heard our boat neighbor talking to a friend about our stays'l and mention that it probably had a "huge backing plate". Overhearing that conversation caused Scott to take pause, question and check just to "make sure". Lo and behold, our staysail was simply screwed into the deck and -upon further inspection - the deck was actually bowing under the pressure of the stay. Our deck was literally one mast pump away from blowing a hole right over where Isla sleeps.
So, really, we are very lucky. We'll make this right and hopefully it doesn't set us back too far. Those Bahamas charts are still out, and we're eager to use them.
* Those are all natural veggie dog pieces Isla is eating amongst her veggies, not hot dogs. I feel compelled to clarify that.