V2N1
Home 
FROM THE NAV STATION
======================
I just checked the calendar. The Mackinac Solo is 20 weeks away. In some respects, it's a long way away. In other respects, it will be here before you know it! If you have a sea-worthy boat and you have met the personal qualifications, then why not consider doing the Singlehanded Challenge this year? The challenge begins on June 15 with simultaneous starts from Chicago or Port Huron. The finish line is at Mackinac Island.
There are things you can begin to do right now to prepare for this year's solo. In fact, I've got a list of 20 items that you can do over the next 20 weeks. Every two weeks, I'll send a RODE SHOW that contains the next two list items. So here we go... Let's count 'em down...
Step #20 -- Reserve June 15, 2002 on Your Calendar
The successful completion of a Mackinac Solo Challenge starts with commitment. Although this "commitment thing" is intangible, it belongs at the top of the list. You will be relying on this commitment as your cornerstone. And it continues until you safely arrive on Mackinac Island.
Whoa! That sounds pretty serious! But trust me... The seriousness within all of the above is appropriate. Anything short of a commitment is wishy-washy talk. You might as well put it with all of the other famous statements: "I was going to buy Intel when it sold for $2 per share, but the bank was closed that day." "I was planning to run a marathon last year, but it looked like rain." If your commitment is firm in late January, then you are on your way to the finish line at Mackinac Island. However, if you don't step up to this commitment right now, then you'll have trouble making it to the starting line.
By setting this date on your calendar, you will suddenly notice that a lot more becomes clear. Talk with your boss and co-workers to make sure that you can take the time away from the day-job. Set aside time to move your boat to the starting line. Set aside time to do the Mac-Solo itself. Set aside some time for R&R and camaraderie on the Island. And finally set aside some time to deliver your boat back home. In addition to the focus of June 15, you will find that there are a limited number of days, and a limited number of weekends to prepare yourself and prepare your boat. If you are anything like me, calendars and lists become an integral part of successful planning.
Therefore, start the planning now. Commit yourself to it!
Step #19 -- Tell Your Spouse, Family & A Close Friend
You might look at Step #1 (Your commitment to do the Mac-Solo) as planting the seed. Now it's time to nurture that seed so it grows. This next step is to tell your spouse, family and a close friend of your plans to do the Mac-Solo on June 15. You may not believe this now, but you will need some strong support later on. In fact, you will want some of their support right away.
When you announce your intention to do the Mac-Solo this year, it is likely that you will hear comments that sound something like this: "What? Are you nuts? I don't know why the hell anyone would consider sailing the Mackinac alone! I have trouble sailing the Mackinac Race as a crewmember!" Of course, what they are really saying is; "Wow!! That's something I've always wanted to do! I could never work up the nerve to commit to a Mac-Solo."
You see... Good ol' boys don't say what they really mean when they talk to each other. (Somehow, spouses already know this.) Often a translation is needed. And without an effective translation, it is too easy to get discouraged. My experience has been that my spouse, family and a close friend are the most effective translators to keep me on the right track. Without this translation or support, I find that other issues begin to cloud my objective.
Later on, you will be amazed at the different ways that your support group comes through. For example, your teenage daughter will surprise you some day and suggest: "Hey Dad! Can I order pizza and bring a couple of my friends to the boatyard while you are working tonight?" You find out in a hurry that anyone can eat a pizza, but having one of your kids show up with her friends at your boat is the extra "umph" that you need to finish a tough project.
If all of the above sounds so easy that you are inclined to skip this step, let me put it another way: If the people in your life who are important to you decide to oppose you with your commitment to do the Mac-Solo, it will be tough sailing. Ahhhh.... Now it is a little bit clearer, isn't it!!!
I'll be back with another RODE SHOW in two weeks. Stay tuned...
Respectfully yours,
Patrick Nugent