I would specify two factors that certainly help a great deal, - the Catholic faith and homoeopathy. No doubt many readers will conclude that this definitely indicates that I live in cloud cuckoo land, and some will say in particular that I have no business lumping the two together. I reply, see how 'like cures like' - that supreme case of evil apparently triumphant, the crucifixion of Jesus, provides us with the 'remedy for sin', the Eucharist, which is also the remedy for fear and despair. It may be barmy, but how many people have been surprised to find that this particular remedy does work, even in the worst of circumstances?
Along with the Eucharist, and intensive treatment for cancer which consists of regular doses of water in which a microscope will not reveal anything although they have been supposedly'energised' with various dodgy substances, I am also taking an homoeopathic prophylactic for Covid-19. So now, O righteous and scientifically enlightened folk, you can mock me on three counts; and I will add even a fourth. I still think that I am going to fix this old schooner here in Nazaré, the Anna M.
In which respect however, credibility has taken a huge step forward by the fact that Stephen Morris has entered the fray. He is one brilliant ship-wright, who has come a very long way since we first met when he was travelling in Ireland, soon after finishing an apprenticeship in Auckland. He has been kind enough to take some time out from building magic replicas of Dublin Bay dayboats in Kilrush. At this moment he and Ger Kavanagh are working at new steel floors, which as usual, turns out to be a considerably bigger job than I had imagined. This steel work is what holds the hull, with all its new ribs, to the keel, and like the ribs, many of the floors have had to be replaced. One does have to be somewhat masochistic to undertake this kind of a job! Yet the fact is there is immense satisfaction in rescuing a beautiful old artifact like that boat, and turning what was in danger of becoming a heap of firewood into a sea-going vessel again.
Still, the question arises, where do I think she will be going? And who in the fairly near future, when I myself will possibly be crocked, will sail her up and down the Gannetsway? I am in fact thinking it is time to see if the whole project could fly without me. Steve with friends above in County Clare run a beautiful, and newly built, open traditional boat with a club or sailing association, Seol Sionna. I am wondering if this way of operating could fly with Anna M. This would be a rather more challenging project. Why would anyone want to undertake the trouble and expense of running a fifty year-old wooden boat?
Allow me to set down what I imagine to be the objectives of such an association - not necessarily in order of importance. There is the simple fact of restoring a fifty year old wooden boat, a survivor from the era of such craft at the peak of their development. We are preserving a piece of maritime heritage. A bonus is the fact that she was built as an Anglo-French project; it is good to recall that they can do beautiful things together when they put their minds to it! It is a bonus because part of our agenda is, in a little grass-roots way, to grow solidarity and connection along the Gannetsway, from Scotland to the south of Spain, not exclusively of course, and although with a particular emphasis on Ireland and Portugal.
Our primary interest however would simply be providing the opportunity for members to sail the Gannetsway, with all the joy this gives, getting to know the sea and the wonderful creatures that inhabit it, along with the coastal nations, their languages and cultures, and especially other sea-farers. The sea provides true education, and much more healthily than universities! Then there is the massive challenge we all face of renewing society on a sustainable basis, and a prominent feature of our effort has to be the development and demonstration of technology that is not dependent on oil. This to me means generating power by wind (the sails driving the propellor for electricity as well as the boat), by solar panels and whatever we can manage with hydrogen.
A patent danger with all the renewable stuff is that it merely works out as toys for the super-rich. This tendency is bad enough with cars, and even worse with boats. However it need not be the case. An electric motor for example is a much simpler bit of kit that a diesel one, and it should be much cheaper to use electric power than oil. However it needs a huge and conscious effort to make the technology available, affordable and practical, which is what we shall be trying to do.
It is of a piece with the global challenge of these Covid times. People desperately need to get out of the crowded cities and into the wide open spaces that still exist on Earth. We also need to leave behind the illusion of self-sufficiency that goes with 'modern' city living, and replace it with a more genuine self-sufficiency that goes with acknowledging our dependence on nature, not to mention God, while seeking to use His gifts with care and understanding; not in being mere 'consumers' totally dependent on technology which is beyond our active comprehension, while we leave big business to provide it. It is by acting, in whatever little way, that we may overcome the contemporary anxieties, and when we really participate in life that we appreciate its mysteries!
It is about taking responsibility, while 'Admit no liability' is about the first commandment these days. If one finds oneself very ill as a result of some vaccination, it is highly unlikely that one will succeed in pinning liability on whatever pharmaceutical company produced it. At least I know that the homoeopathic prophylactic which I take will do me no harm, and it is very likely to have a much better chance of success than the lousy 30-50% rate which is considered good enough for a vaccine. But oh horror, it will make no money for big pharma! Meanwhile there is a lot we can do to keep safe, with a bit of common sense; staying away from crowds, big cities and airports for a start. But a life ruled by fear is not worth living.
A case in point is the notion that some vaccine is going to provide the solution to the Covid crisis. I'm afraid I don't buy it. We have had a neat warning in Ireland, from the threatened 'swine flu' pandemic a decade ago. A Ms Bennett managed to bring a case alleging that the vaccine they dished out to school kids had left her with narcolepsy (along with an estimated 100,000 other Europeans); at least she was eventually awarded costs. According to the Irish Times of 19th November, 2019, Glaxo Smith Klyne had taken the precaution of insisting that the Government indemnify it 'against any costs that might arise from people alleging damage'. This proved very handy, as 'The multi-million euro legal and other costs of the case were to be met by the Minister for Health and the HSE.' 'Neat capitalism' I call it - GSK takes the profit, the taxpayer picks up the bills!
Our journey to Nazaré by road and ferry, from Rosslare to Bilbao, felt very safe, and indeed was a pleasure. There were not many passengers on the ship and we practically had the upper deck to ourselves, enjoying a lovely calm autumn day in Biscay and two good nights' sleep in the smooth, quiet ship, the Kerry. Landing at 0830, it is fine open motorway, free across Spain, all the way, and we arrived at the Zulla Surf Hostel about 1700.
The big job this trip is to stitch our new laminated frames to the keel, which we have to do the cheap way, with steel floors. That's what was done the first day, and some of them are still good, so no doubt they will see the old boat out. They will be shot-blasted and painted with a few coats of epoxy primer. The purists of this world would be casting them in bronze, and a lovely job it would be, but apart from not having the time, money or facilities to do it, I have long given up such aspirations to perfection. Just give me a boat that will float as long as I am around! And after all, after all the work, the best of boats sometimes get wrecked after a couple of years. Half an hour, and they are matchwood. Alas, I once saw it happen to a fine wooden trawler. I am content to be, in the context of boats, a poor man!
The Catholic Church is quite right to constantly remind us that we are sinners, in dire need of God's mercy. 'The root of every spiritual error is believing ourselves to be righteous. To consider ourselves righteous is to leave God, the only righteous one, out in the cold.' tweeted Pope Francis lately. That self-righteousness is of a piece with GSK admitting no liability. At least, in a small sailing boat on the sea, or wrestling with stubborn matter to put together that wonderful artefact which a sound boat is, one knows one's inadequacy, weakness and vulnerability. Therein we can find real strength, as St Paul explained so well. Not that one has to be a Christian to appreciate a project like this, belonging as it does, as Hilaire Belloc put it, to the 'common sacrament of Man', the sea. However, if the world is to weather this coming storm, we will all need to rediscover our absolute need for God's mercy.
Another face of Nazaré:-
