contrast is always helpful. In my case, I’ve been kind of dreading the must-do project on the boat — fiberglass deck repair, then priming and painting it.

But I’m watching a documentary, 180 [degrees] south, where the cast had to deal with a broken mast at sea — and then repair it off Easter Island, in the water, using handcut wooden supports to get the thing back up! Let me repeat, they were using axes to make the tools necessary to make the repair.

So for me, going to West Marine and dropping $350 on supplies isn’t such a big deal. I am guessing the whole project will take 10 work days. I am also guessing there isn’t a West Marine store available on Easter Island.