May 26, 2012.

And now the rest of the news.

With Christy having the new job, some irregular thoughts started going through my head. The organizing shes doing is a massive undertaking. Just when shes got it under control and running smoothly it'll be time for us to head south for the winter. Somebody else is going to come along and slip into a job where the dirty work has already been done.

A month before our return the yard manager at the AHBY set out for greener pastures. The company tried for a time to get along without the position being filled but they found that they really needed somebody to tie the day to day operations together. Which fire to put out first, who's promised what to whom and how to best deploy the manpower were all being approached as each manager saw fit.

The coordination of a 20 person workforce is right up my former alley. So I applied for the job. I found that I had already been considered but our seasonal nature was an issue. I had foreseen this and had only applied because Christy & I had a plan.

Christy having the good job that should get easier with time was a major consideration. Another was the fact that Veranda could use a year off from the grind of cruising. It's time for a refit. With the extra money generated by a full year of working we can perform some major upgrades. Pulling and refurbishing the rig, a new mainsail, a new drive train and a new roller furler are at the top of the list. New toilets we got, so we're covered there.

So we've decided to forgo cruising this season. I committed to staying in town for the next 18 months and in return I'm the new yard manager at Annapolis Harbor Boat Yard. After the October of 2013 boat show my obligation ends and we're free to leave. But at this point who really knows. Its all about being happy and if we're paid like we deserve and are enjoying ourselves here who's to say what the fall of 2013 holds.

At the end of my first week in my new capacity things are looking pretty good. There was laughter in the yard, a LOT of boats were repaired and returned to their owners and the sun even decided to poke through. I think I even glimpsed a unicorn frolicking in the back lot. Timeliness is our biggest issue at the moment but we made a huge gash in the backlog of work immediately in front of us.

Can I do the job? Yeah. I've got the support of management and a talented crew that enjoys doing good work. The quality pieces are all in place, they just need to be applied efficiently. And the parts coordinator loves me....