Hi everyone,
I’m ready to go and looking forward to learning how to share the cruising tasks and getting my sea legs. I have been adding verses to a poem begun in 2002. Some of you may have read parts of it. Here is the whole thing till this point with some changes as things have changed.
Ruth
Avista-Mignon
It was during the year 2002
that Randal Johnson had this thought,
to take his wife and little else
and live their life upon a yacht.
They’d sail the seas and see the world
and never stay long in one spot.
So to his wife he said, “We ought
to buy a sailing boat.”
His wife said, “Hmmm, I’m not so sure.
We have no skills, we have no yacht.”
Said Randal, “Not to worry dear.
There’s nothing to fear from sailing but fear.
We’ll buy some books, we’ll read a lot,
we’ll learn to sail from here to there.
We’ll sail around this whole huge sphere.
We’ll buy a sailing boat.”
And so their tale has just begun.
They’ll sail the seas and have great fun.
They’ll learn to sail, they’ll conquer fears.
The sea will be their home for years.
They’ll learn to sail a sailing boat and happily learn to live afloat.
And create a sailing yarn aboard their boat Avista-Mignon.
(written for Randal’s birthday 2002 by Ruth)
The dream has changed, as dreams may do,
that started in 2002.
What will it be before we’re through?
Of dreams it’s good to have a few,
then life’s not old but always new.
The Circle Tour is now the plan.
In truth that’s how it all began;
then tacked away to sail the seas,
to take a year, go where we please.
But dreams if they are to come true
must be a dream that we can do.
So first we’ll cruise the Circle Tour
and maybe later tour some more.
But I know within my heart
it’s not the course we choose to chart
will be the most important part.
But with you till the very end
is how my time I want to spend
my love, my captain, my best friend.
(Valentine’s Day 2003)
Then DoraMac became the name
the only change, the dream’s the same.
So to Miami we did go and toured the whole big boating show.
Though not the best we got some rest and got some sun and had some fun.
We’ll read and plan and learn much more throughout the year 2004.
(Valentine’s Day 2004)
We’ve changed the name to DoraMac
and now our dream has doubled back,
to see the world, but not with sail
which might have caused the dream to fail.
A web search found the “Diesel Duck.”
By it’s design was Randal struck..
Two boat shows didn’t change his mind
a better boat he couldn’t find.
Plus reading done throughout the year
had come to make the choice quite clear.
On David Katz’s “Duck” he learned
to know the “Duck” from bow to stern.
from San Francisco to Seattle
though 2 days were a seasick battle.
But Randal loved the “Duck” and knew
that Ruth, his wife, would love it too.
So in November they did fly
to Seahorse Marine in Zhuhai.
Bill Kimley builds the "Ducks" in China.
George Buehler is the “Duck’s” designer.
To Buehler’s plan we’d add our own;
to make hull # 5 our home.
So Randal and Bill had a chat.
They talked of this, they spoke of that.
They shook hands and both agreed this Diesel Duck would meet our need.
Our trip was great! We loved it all!!
We even got to climb the Wall.
It’s why we want the boat at all
to make this giant world seem small.
And to our friends who ask us why and shake their heads and say, “Oh my!”
Our answer is we have to try to live our dream before we die.
And when we’re old we can remember
that very first trip in November.
(written Valentine’s Day 2005)
