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Plans, Timelines, and Letting Go

9/16/2023

Transitioning from a life on land to a life afloat is challenging. The sheer number of tasks, big and small, that need completing can feel daunting.

Despite the emotional and physical pressures, our plan to move out of our house and onto the boat in early October had been moving along quite smoothly. The house has been rented, storage space has been procured for items being left behind, teachers and friends have been notified, and the boat is blue-water ready.

But last week we got a loud reminder that cruising plans are — as the cliche goes — written in the sand at low tide.

An ache in my back that had been bothering me for some time turned into a full-blown pinched nerve. A cocktail of lifting, driving, sitting, stress, and a not-so-gentle massage pushed me over the edge. The resulting muscle spasms and pain have made it impossible for me to stand or walk for more than a couple minutes at a time.

Excruciating pain is no fun. But even when nearly intolerable, I know the discomfort will pass. What’s been harder is not knowing when I'll be able to start physically working towards our cruising goals again.

Self-imposed pressure and stress about not hitting our initial timeline can only slow my healing. So it becomes a mental game of letting go.

Letting go can be painful itself and we’ve been doing a lot of it lately. We’re letting go of stuff. Letting go of familiar routines. Letting go of a house we only recently bought and moved into. And letting go of our "Plan A" cruising timeline.

For now, I rest my body and limit trip prep to ordering gear, reviewing cruising guides of Mexico, writing, and most importantly, practicing patience and going with the flow — a skill I imagine will be crucial out on the water.

Stay tuned…

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Saleing the Seas - a poem by Alexandra Shaw (age 6)

7/28/2023

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Saleing the Seas
She is Beautiful She is
Brite She can sale the
World with mite
She is Green
She is Clean
She is are Queen
She is DOVKA!
d-o-v-k-a-! we will
sale away!

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What Does Dovka Mean Anyway?

7/28/2023

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When my parents purchased Dovka in November of 1990, her name was Sea Star.

They were willing to risk Neptune's wrath by renaming their new Hallberg Rassy 352, and making her more their own.

My mom found the word "dovka" in an English/Hebrew dictionary that translated it as "just because." What a perfect name for a boat, she thought.

Q: Why do you have a boat?
A: Just because.... dovka!

Dovka on the hard in Turkey getting ready for launch

A great sentiment. But, much is lost in translation. The dictionary didn't, or couldn't, conveyed the full meaning of the word.

The word dovka (דווקא) -- or davka as it's sometimes spelled -- is often used in modern Hebrew, but is borrowed from Aramaic. It's a notoriously difficult word to translate. And I've read there really is no English equivalent. But let's try!

In a 2012 Haaretz newspaer article, Shoshana Kordova wrote:

In its Aramaic source, the word ‘davka’ taught that one must be precise about things; but Yiddish imbued the word with its useful meaning, which we know today, of ‘thus and no other way’ or ‘doing [something] davka.’”

Doing something “davka” can mean willfully, spitefully or deliberately taking an action calculated to antagonize, in which case “on purpose” may fit the translation bill: “He says he didn’t mean to lock me out, but I think he did it davka.”

It can also imply a paradox, something unexpected, whether for the good or the bad. When used in this sense, “actually” may be a good way to get the idea across in English: “She couldn’t stop criticizing the play when she got home, but then she davka wrote a pretty positive review”; “You may think I hate parties, but I davka had a great time.”

An easy way to think of the meaning of dovka in modern Hebrew is meticulously or precisely, but often in an ironic or sarcastic way. However, it can also mean "in spite of," or "to spite." I find examples are the most helpful, so here are a few more:

"Don't go there, that place is always crowded."
"That is precisely (dovka) why I want to go!”

"I loved that vase, why did you break it?!" - dovka!" (out of spite).

My parents wanted me to study medicine, so I studied art to לעשות דווקא (la’asot davka), ‘do davka.’ or ‘spite them.’

No matter the exact translation, I still think it's a fitting name for a boat. Plus, I'm not in a mood to provoke Neptune.

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Welcome and Here We Go!

7/26/2023

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With our planned departure date fast approaching, we're scrambling to finish work, finish projects on the boat, get our land lives in order, and figure out all the little and big things we still need to sort out before we set sail. What better time to add another project to the list and start a website to document our travels.

We wanted to create a place where we can introduce ourselves, share our location, and post current thoughts and updates. For the moment, since we have much on our plates, I don't see us writing regular blog posts. But in the near future, I will post more details here about our immediate departure and cruising plans.

For now, here's a view we have every time we look out our companion way. It's the bridge we hope to soon sail out under.

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Ship's Blog - Latest Musings

Plans, Timelines, and Letting Go

Saleing the Seas - a poem by Alexandra Shaw (age 6)

What Does Dovka Mean Anyway?

Welcome and Here We Go!

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