It's a cool and rainy spring in New Zealand and with a few more boat updates/maintenance items to complete, I have yet to actually sail. Both Walt and I are eager to get offshore with Wanderlust. Marina life is a comfortable one - feeling at home in the space and luxury that Wanderlust affords...the gentle roll throughout the day feels quite normal as does the 'snap, crackle and pop' of snapping shrimp under the hull as the day quiets to night.
I continue to learn - everyday. Like what? The systems and processes that are central to Wanderlust's operation; things like starting the engine and generator, running the water maker, turning on dusk to dawn lights, lowering the dinghy and the anchor...things you do daily, and things you do monthly to minimize the harshness of a saltwater environment on valves and fixtures; woods and metals. Plus, all things 'safety' and the rudiments of navigation. We are continuing to get good production from the addition of more solar panels, which is allowing us to power more things, more efficiently.
I'm gaining some mastery of the galley -- the space, the storage, the finesse of using the propane stove, and the funky quirks of the refrigerator. The Breville Pot is a good friend and real work horse: slow cooker and pressure cooker with functions to saute, steam, sear and reduce all in one gadget, now safety bungeed to the counter. The latest addition is a commercial grade induction burner. Heats water to a full boil in a flash, takes up little space, and sits handily on the white resin board Walt had made for atop the stove. That fact that it's easy to stow makes it a keeper for sure.
Mostly, I've learned the vital importance of redundancy - backups for the backups, ever attentive to the idea of being "out there" and the "what if's" if "X" fails- are your prepared? Yeah, all that, and knots...