A Travesty Forgiven

I motored back to the mooring site.  I connected the wires for the lights to the DC panel.  I would return to the boat that evening after dark to take in the new lights.  Around 2130, I dinked out to the Constance Marie. I turned on the cabin lights to better see the DC Accessory panel located below my knees just to the right of the stairway into the galley.  (This is a future project for me in relocating the panel).  I turned on the anchor light switch and went outside to inspect.

Phopah #3 - NO LIGHT!  I tried the steaming light.  Nothing.  The spreader light. Same results.  My stomach sank.  What?  28 days of waiting down the tube.  No light? Now I am mad.  The cruise is in four days. I am sitting on my boat and I forgot my character for a few seconds if you know what I mean.  I recovered and secured the boat and went home.  I had had enough. But I was determined that I would not miss the club cruise.

Well, with work and all, I did not have time to address the lights.  I did however find the time to furl the head sail and take the Constance Marie out that Thursday afternoon to shake her down and test the rigging.  

Olivia and I did make the cruise on the 4th of July up the Sassafras River to Georgetown, MD with 12 other boats of the HPYC fleet.

Lessons learned - YOU are the accountable one.  No one else.  The buck of victory or defeat stops with you, the Captain.  Those who actually do the work are responsible, but the quality of the results does not fall on their shoulders.  Anything less than desired results means that you the Captain failed to ensure that the dynamics for achieving targeted results were in place.  To ask forgiveness is one thing, and a noble thing, but to actually forgive is yet another and greater thing.  I am glad that my vendor of choice and I are still friends.

Figure 126 - Getting there......

Figure 127 - How to get there!