We've been in and out of several marina's and small port towns already and I keep getting asked the same question, "Are you a transient?" I looked up the definition of transient and found the meaning to be:
A. a guest or boarder who stays only briefly
B. a person traveling about usually in search of work
- C. a temporary oscillation that occurs in a circuit because of a sudden change of voltage or of load
- D. a transient current or voltage
A. a guest or boarder who stays only briefly
B. a person traveling about usually in search of work
C and D are amusing to me, since I'm an electrical engineer by study and in my work/cubicle life, I run thermal & transient stability studies on the power system for the West Coast High Voltage Transmission System.
But now, having taken the year off to sail the Intercoastal and down to the Bahamas and possibly beyond, "transient" has a new meaning. I'm not in search of work, well, at least not yet, I am lucky to be on sabatacle and have my job back at the end of the year, but I am a guest or boarder who stays only briefly. Wikipedia defines transient slightly different, "a term used to describe the wandering poor, better known as a homeless person, bum, hobo, etc.".
But now, having taken the year off to sail the Intercoastal and down to the Bahamas and possibly beyond, "transient" has a new meaning. I'm not in search of work, well, at least not yet, I am lucky to be on sabatacle and have my job back at the end of the year, but I am a guest or boarder who stays only briefly. Wikipedia defines transient slightly different, "a term used to describe the wandering poor, better known as a homeless person, bum, hobo, etc.".
This definition better fits Mike and I as we are definitely wandering and quickly working our way to being poor! A friend asked us the other day, "How do you tell the difference between a homeless person and a boater? A boater doesn't have greasy hair." Well, I'm sure going to make sure I wash my hair now! Both Mike and I are beginning to show signs of grease. Uh Oh!
When we were living on our boat on Orcas Island with 3 month old Hans, I felt homeless for the first time! We had traveled by boat up and down the east coast, through the Bahamas and Caribbean, through the Panama Canal and lived on the boat in Hawaii, but I never felt homeless until I was in the cold November of the NW! It was time to move ashore. We were probably poor, but I never knew it. Everything is attitude. I loved your post; made me laugh out loud! Keep that hair clean and you will be alright.
ReplyDeleteGood post Sara. It's definitely all about the hair. Really though, a boater has his/her own bed to crawl into at night, no matter that it might be damp and sticky, and some kind of galley to cook a meal in.
ReplyDelete"Hey! Nellie here. Don't forget about the litter box. We boaters have our own litter box too. Those homeless cats gotta eat what they catch whereas we sailors get kibbles. Umm think I'll have a couple right now."
How does that cat access my comment page?
Have a great crossing you guys! Can't wait to sail with you again.