Last night I watched Back to the Future. It is hard to imagine that 1985 was the present and 1955 was the past to which Marty, the main character travels. At the time I thought, "wow" that is my childhood time period. I was 6 in 1955. 30 years seemed like an eternity. 24 years later and 1985 seems like yesterday and a life time ago, while 1955 seems somewhat like yesterday? Thus the movie and my musings are a perfect topic for a blog about time called Anamnessis. All the old stuff of 1955 doesn't seem too old and all the old stuff from 1985 doesn't look old at all. Yet there are grown ups who were not alive 24 years ago.

I'm partly musing about this because two weeks ago I served as Spiritual Director for a Happening Weekend. Happening is the teen spin off of Cursillo: a renewal movement begun in 1938 by Roman Catholics in Spain. It spread to the states about 1955 and from Texas to the world, morphing into other denominations with names like Tres Dias, Walk to Emmaus, and Via De Cristo. 25 plus years ago it became KAIROS (God's special time) in prisons.

I have served on more than 30 Happenings but none since the mid 90s. The memories of the first weekends were stirred and I realized that the other adults on the team were not old enough to have been participants when I went to Happening # 8 in the Episcopal Diocese of Rhode Island in about 1981.

The program really works and part of the testimony to that fact is that it hasn't changed much in all that time. The music was a little more "hip - hop" and yet some songs were upbeat versions of 1970s Faith Alive songs. The presentations were somewhat less formal. The teens sat on the floor instead of in chairs at tables. However, it is the same Holy Spirit that moves heart, minds and lives while, as the Good Book says, Jesus is the same, "yesterday, today and forever." That's probably a loose translation.

Here we are in beautiful Arkansas on the shores of Greer's Ferry Lake. We skipped sailing yesterday. It was rainy and no wind. I did spend some time in boat repairs. Fortunately there is a hardware store not 5 miles from the entrance of the resort. I took the turnbuckle with me that I wanted so I would get the right size. I bought 4 because they came with a hook on one end, and an eye on the other. I needed an eye on both ends. Fortunately, I tried the switch in the truck before leaving the parking lot as the eye wouldn't fit in the hook end.

Back into the store I went. "This isn't going to work," I said. "They are not the same size on both ends." The clerk looked them over and explained that it wasn't a difference in size but a difference in the direction of the threads. "That's what make the turnbuckle work."

We went together back to the isle where they were. "Thought I had some with eyes on both ends." he said.

He did; in a larger size. I bought two. and two or three carbines to help with connecting.

Back at the slip I managed to pile what seemed like ten pounds of hardware on the end of the bow stay. It was a little loose. I figured with Brenda's help the next day it would be just fine.

Today we noticed the wind was picking up near our condo. At least a few leaves were fluttering. We decided that since it was our last day we might as well go down prepared to sail. We had to take the boat out either way,with or without a sail.

There was just enough wind blowing to make it worthwhile. Brenda pushed on the mast while I readjusted the hardware. With some minor rigging tasks done we cast off. Thank God for the little electric trolling motor. It pushed us gently out of the harbor and out into the lake.

There actually was some wind; maybe 5 mph at times gusting to 10 or 12. We tacked across the lake and back twice until we had gone a couple of miles towards a large island. There with the wind down to next to nothing we threw out the anchor and went for a swim.

Perhaps our biggest adventure was getting back into the boat. You may recall the ladder from and earlier posting to this blog. Brenda was able to use it better than I, although she is bruised on both legs from the climbing. I used it to "get a leg up" and then rolled in over the side.

There was a bit of a heave ho to get the anchor unstuck from old trees on the lake bottom. However we did get loose and headed back to the marina powered by the trolling motor. The wind had almost completely died, although it picked up to assist on the journey back.

We made it just in time to pay for the slip before they closed at 5.

Then it was time to get the boat back on the trailer, take down the mast and get the boat ready for the trip home.

All went well at first. I got the rudder off. Stowed the motor. Then we proceeded to work on the mast. Brenda climbed up on the fore deck to hold on while I took the job of undoing the side stays. All was going smoothly until we lowered the mast.

There is so much to remember. The devil is indeed in the details when it comes to sailing.
I carefully climbed aboard. Brenda was still standing at the mast. She pushed. I caught it the best I could. Then it quickly crashed down to the ground. It seemed so much easier the first couple of times.

Then I noticed the problem. I had forgotten to release the cotter pin that holds the two portions off the mast together and keeps the hinge closed. Instead to the cotter pin shearing with the strain, the latch it went through tore right off and pulled through the piece of metal on the other side of the hinge. I have hopes that the fellow who fixed it for me in the first place will be able to repair it.

Between that and the real need to order the correct stainless steel hardware....oh and I forgot to mention. Every time we raise the sail a little more of it pulls loose from it's guiding rope. It may be next spring before we sail again.

I'm writing from Arkansas, Fairfield Bay to be exact. It is home of the first, yes the first, timeshare. It sits on Greer's Ferry Lake which is huge. We arrived Tuesday afternoon but didn't try to put the boat in until Wednesday as there was no wind anyway.

So yesterday was the big day. Oh, Oh, it's very cloudy, Don't tell me it's going to rain! We got to the Marina to find that they hadn't understood I was bringing a sailboat and had booked me into a slip with a roof! No problem, found one out in the open that was vacated for the week. Then it did begin to rain lightly. While we were deciding whether or not to launch the weather changed enough to stop the rain and bring up a little wind.

So we began our second time of setting up the mast. It went oh so much smoother than the first time and my Home Depot Hardware seemed to work. (note the word "seemed") It took a little while but we got it up.

Now to put her in the water. The launching ramp was nice and gentle, the boat went in fine and began to float. However, I had not loosened the winch that holds it to the trailer and there was too much tension for me to release it. So.. I had to pull the boat back up out of the water to do that. However, second try and off it came.

Thank God the sides of the boat are relatively low and the water not deep and the draft such as without the keel it can be in very shallow water. Hence, it was relatively easy for first Brenda and then me to get aboard.

The new electric motor functioned perfectly and we trolled over to the slip. There were two things to accomplish at the slip. Number one is to be sure the keep works properly. Brenda wanted to get in the water anyway and was happy to dive down and check. Great, it works! The second was related to the first. It was to see that the ladder I bought would work so Brenda could get back into the boat. Not! After 4 changes of the configuration of the ladders braces she was able to just get back in the boat. That is definitely not the solution.

Now it's time to go sailing! No wind in the bay but out on the lake it looks like a good 10 mph breeze. The trolling motor is purring perfectly and we are more than ready for this adventure.

Once out of the bay it's time to hoist the sails; first the jib and then the main. The jib goes up fine. However, when we go to hoist the main it stops just short of the top of the mast. Looking up I can see that the halyard wire has twisted once around the top. It has to come down. Thankfully the wind is not too strong and the shore is plenty far away and we can drift without danger while I whip the rope around the mast until it is untangled. Then we go to hoist once more only to discover that we have somehow twisted the sail and need to bring it back down yet again to turn it around and around until it is right.

Finally all is in place and off we go! The wind was brisk. Brenda was smiling and me too. We took a long tack across the lake and came about with no trouble and tacked back again making sure that barring no big change in wind direction that when the time comes we can sail down wind back to the marina.

We come about easily and all smiles and joy begin to cross the lake once more when I happen to notice the hardware holding the bow stay. You know, the ones that were missing; the ones I replaced from Home Depot. Two portions of this hardware are open hooks and not closed rings. I can see to my dismay that one of these hooks had been pried more open by the tension of the bow stay. I can see that at any moment it is possible that the tension will pull it so much that the whole mast will come tumbling, crashing back on top of us.

Taking immediate action I let out some sail and turn the boat back towards the marina. I explain the problem to Brenda and tell her the first thing we must do is drop the jib sail to let off more tension upon the bow stay. God bless her she is having so much fun. She wants to know if we can fix the problem out here on the water so as to be able to keep sailing. I explain it will be hard enough back at the slip.

We head more towards the marina which is down wind and the boom swings gently across from port to starboard and I let out the line. It is difficult to explain to another person what you want them to do when you do not yet both share the same language. Moreover, being the less than sensing fellow when it comes to mechanical things the confusion is getting to me just a bit; along with the vision of the mast collapsing at any moment. I become aware of what sounds like the electric trolling motor running and get distracted by it into the bargain. Why is that running and how can I turn it off? Genius that I am I disconnect it from the battery. How can this be? It can't still be running? Of course it's just the sound of it's propeller being turned by the water as we move.

All this took place in less time than it took me to write it down for you to read. I am about to turn back to see how Brenda is progressing when she calls out "Watch out for....." and it hits me. I mean the boom literally hits me on the side of the head. My momentary lack of attention to wind direction has caused me to jibe the boat (turn the stern across the wind enough for it to grab the mainsail and swing it to the otherside - through my head!

Brenda was sure I'd be out cold. I was too dazed and focused on getting us to port before the mast fell that I didn't really feel much at first.

She got the jib down. I lowered the mainsail and we trolled back to the slip with no further trouble. I have a huge goose egg above my left temple and it has been long enough now that I doubt I have a concussion. I'll be trying to find the local hardware store later today. If I can find some stronger hardware there may be more sailing this week. If it doesn't rain!

Some people believe that heaven and hell are just what you make of your life here and now. If per chance that turns out to be true I think the Roman Catholics are right. There is a Purgatory; a place that is neither here nor there. It's called by different initials in different states, but I always think of it as the DMV (Department of Motor Vehicles)!

Yes this is about my boat. Actually, it's about the trailer. Today on the 5th try I finally got it registered.

On the first attempt I only had the bill of sale. On the second attempt I had the registration, but forgot the bill of sale. On the third attempt the clerk left me sitting alone for over 10 minutes while she and the supervisor called the Marina in Texas for clarification. When she returned she informed me that the bill of sale was good and needed. The title was good and needed. However, since there was no proof that the marina had the authority to sell it to me I was going to have to get them to produce a paper trail from the old man for whom they sold the boat and trailer.

Meanwhile we are planning a trip to Arkansas on Labor Day and want to go sailing! I'm ready to drive the trailer illegally but I have already altered the temporary cardboard tag once!

Thanks be to God and Helen at the Marina I received a new bill of sale and copy of the Texas title for the trailer that excludes the previous owner all together.

Trip 4 to Purgatory turned into 5 because somehow I left part of the paper work in the car and had to go back out to the parking lot to find it.

Then, remember the hole in the water where the money goes? $40 for the license and then title and tax fees. I received only coins back from my $100 bill.

They did however let me leave with a license plate for the trailer so maybe we might consider that $100 an "indulgence" that bought me out of Purgatory!

Actually not the dumpster, but close enough. It was our big green garbage container. Here's how I ended up digging in there.

If you remember the last post I had was going to exchange a defective battery for the boat motor. Bass Pro Shop was very understanding. I lugged that thing in from the parking lot. That was exercise enough for one day. I set it heavily down on the Customer Service counter with my receipt in hand, declaring it was defective and I wanted to trade. "No problem." The sweet young 20s girl said, "Just go get another one." So I did.

I brought it home and hooked it up to the charger to top it off as the salesman had suggested I do with the other one. Like the first it register about 6 or 7 amp. I figured not much to go. I was a little concerned when plugging in the charger I noticed that the ground part of the three way plug seemed charred. But what do I now, right!

The I proceeded to do the happy chore of sticking the boat's license numbers either side of the bow. Would you believe it begins 007.......

After about 45 minutes doing that and otherwise straightening up - like refolding the sales. I went to check on the battery. Oh no! like the first it was going down, not up. I quickly disconnected the charger. I hooked up the battery to the motor and yes it still works. Whew!

Well you gotta know I just grabbed that old defective charger and threw it in the trash.

I figured, here we go again one more bit of money down that hole in the water and I've only been "sailing" once.

Time passes and it's Sunday morning before church. I'm sitting in the parish hall with C.J. He is a faith retired fellow who is very handy around the church. "Say, C.J. did you ever know of a battery charger do go bad?" He hadn't. I told him my story of wow. This was his reply.

"The number is supposed to go down."

At first I didn't believe him. I thought he was pulling my leg. However, after much repeated explaination and several stories of other stupid men events I was convinced.

Thus, Sunday afternoon I came home to "dumpster dive" and go back to getting my battery fully charged!