This was our training and repair trip. YIKES… I thought retirement was for lounging, cooking, and cruising. Andreas and Lutz are both a little, well, anal obsessive-compulsive… but perfectionists sound better. They are both engineers, and my style of sanding and painting just didn’t cut it. I ended up as the cook and bottle washer. It suits me fine. It gave me more time to read and marinate the meat for Tandoori Chicken on the grill!
Now, I will practice my German for you all by translating Lutz’s message:
Preparation #2
Now to work, Andreas, my captain friend from university times, has come for ten days and is welcomed according to his status with a toast. It’s important to have our meals! The grill had to be set up perfectly so Melinda could start cooking. During the rainy weather, we crept down in the bilge to figure out the drying, cooling system, water, gray water, and electricity…Melinda has made up the captain’s cabin. We also had sunny days; the old boat number had to be removed, and we had to fight the rust––patiently working at sanding, taping, and painting.
I'm Melinda Stevens and living the life of a beach bum was inevitable since my father was a lifeguard for the city of Los Angeles. My memories of growing up on John Street in Manhattan Beach, California were filled with joy, excitement and adventures; until my world, as I knew it, fell apart when we moved to Del Mar, California. My father was offered the position as Captain of the lifeguards and we started the slow migration to the small deserted stretch of beach in 1963. At twelve years old, this seemed like the end of my life. Remember, I’m writing with clear hindsight now, ok somewhat clearer… Little did I know this would be the beginning of a new journey and give a bit more clarity to many of the events that led me to this new cooking adventure.