Getting Off the Ground

SOMEDAY is now… I always knew I’d wander off on a small boat, quietly trying to make the world a better place… tidying beaches and talking the ears off anyone and everyone about better ways of living with the planet… someday.

NOW I’m beginning to live that dream on Skoro, my Climate Emergency Sailboat, who has picked NOW to appear in my life… and the global ecosystem collapse we thought might happen someday is also happening NOW.

Please be part of taking climate crisis awareness and activism to another level – WATER LEVEL

The Climate Emergency Sailboat needs support to get off the ground… come sail, help with social media, or please donate to

THE CLIMATE EMERGENCY SAILBOAT FUNDRAISERS

Immediate and one time or irregular donations can be made through Chuffed, at

https://chuffed.org/project/climate-emergency-sailboat

Ongoing support can be given through Patreon, at

https://www.patreon.com/climateemergencysailboat

Both are set up to allow any amount, be it enough for a special monthly dog cookie, a cup of tea, or maintenance and supplies, whatever you like will be helpful, and will be directly part of increasing awareness about what is happening in our world – and positive, regenerative ways of responding.

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HERE’S WHAT’S UP NOW…

I’m working on getting Skoro launched as soon as possible. I did find someone who can do it, that’ll be mid-May and very expensive because he’s not nearby at all and it’s a whole ‘nother operation without a cradle.

Meanwhile, a kind but non-techy person who isn’t online much has a cradle that could work for what Skoro needs. He meant to modify it for his own boat, but that was three or four boats ago, and he’s happy to give it to me and lose the clutter.

Someone else will be passing by both our places and is willing to move it, or if that doesn’t work out, could rent a truck if someone can drive. Trying to get in touch with the not-very-online cradle person, because that would enable a less expensive move, and because the time anyways so I might as well.

The stands… well… a very kind person drove a long way to pick them up in spite of how frustrating me and my worrying have been… and they sent him off with the wrong size. They’re much too tall – plus, someone else was wondering where their tall stands had gotten too.

I called, and was told the correct stand would arrive that evening. Stands did arrive, and the right measurements – but these ones are powerboat stands!

Apparently they were sent the wrong ones themselves. They have to re-order. They’re bringing them again, supposed to be tomorrow. Insert all sorts of things here, but I won’t insert the name, because everybody makes mistakes. Calling them out would be the pot calling the kettle scorched… and I’d really rather stay on good terms with them.

Till then, he left Skoro well enough propped up (with the original stands plus some wrong ones, hope that other person still gets their whole order) that I’m going aboard to measure for the two places wanting a piece of wood for repairs, and to get the cushions out of the cabin so I can recover them. Yes, I have fabric, and it’s unintentionally almost the same sort of turquoisey blue as the paint for her hull!

That part of the hull will probably wait though, not just because of how she’s standing but because of time… this is all taking a lot, and I can pick away at most of the jobs while aboard. They’re just not crucial enough to justify any risk to this beautiful sailboat who’s chosen now to appear in my life!

I should mention that more than a few folks, upon hearing this story, say something to the extent of “thank goodness she’s a Grampian!” I find that extremely reassuring, and no matter how concerned I am – I’d be a heck of a lot more frazzled without knowing how well built these boats are. It also helps knowing she’s been well taken care of before coming to me.

She really was a good deal, too. She’s a much better boat than I could have hoped for, hence the concern… also hence the reassurance now, and knowing that even financially speaking, she is a very good boat.

Anyways, back to right now… so as soon as those proper stands get here, and as per weather, I’ll paint her bottom.

And we’ll get on the water mid-July latest, possibly sooner and less expensively.

(Above: Mr Myrtle gazing at his sailboat from his tent window nest; caterpillars watching him through the tent wall)

Meanwhile, some very dear people are concerned. I’ve thought about this longer than I remember; it’s what I always knew I’d end up doing. I’m just giving it a name and doing it in a more organized way. More importantly, I’m making a way to share it all with as many people as possible.

For me, that means being able to collect and share stories and experiences, and use that to create more. It also, though, means extending the effectiveness of what I’m doing through media and social media, and through the best resource in the wold – caring people.

Maybe I’ve officially made this journey real and public a little sooner than I’d thought to, but maybe I was procrastinating. The global ecosystem is passing tipping points we already could not afford to pass, and more are coming much too fast. The imminent collapse of both our own human-built systems and the global ecosystem are now very real possibilities. Maybe that urgency is calling me to move quicker… we do all have to, now.

In practical ways, it’s true boats have been defined as holes in the water surrounded by wood and fibreglass into which one throws money. But it’s also true I can live a lot cheaper than a lot of people in a lot of ways. I’ve always had to, and I love simple.

A lot of liveaboards live at marinas or on large boats, neither of which were ever part of my vision… I’d far rather anchor in interesting out of the way places (which also don’t cost anything!), and there’s places everywhere for that. Sometimes we’ll moor, once in a blue moon we’ll dock, but plenty of folks all over the world live ‘on the hook’ and so will I.

Honestly, my disability support budget will mean living in rooms in other people’s homes forever, probably moving a lot, and potentially damaging friendships by renting from friends. The first two aren’t healthy and the third I just plain don’t want to do and nearly have already. Skoro is my floating tiny house, my sea vardo, my home.

She’s also a way to be able to be physically healthier, enough to make my weird be useful and try to make a difference in the world. I already know first hand how much difference climate and altitude make to my physical disabilities; now I can get to places where I can be in less pain.

This will mean cutting myself off from provincial disability support. My remaining CPPD budget is small but with your help I can be a gypsy, which I love doing, and I access areas of the planet where I can be functional… and that means I can take climate crisis education and activism SO FAR!!! Geographically, and I hope metaphorically as well.

I’m making my dream and my weirdness be useful to the world. There’s a lot of ‘normal’ things I can’t do any more, but I can do this.

Your support means the world to me, in every sense.

With hope and determination and much thanks,

Ann

Ps… Mr Myrtle being upsaidedown, and a turtle, both at the farm here… also a photo of me visiting a friend for shower day during the Climate Emergency Camp days)

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