Every cruising season begins with grand ambitions. New destinations. Quiet anchorages. Spectacular sunsets.

Ours began with a list of repairs.

And, to be fair, it mostly stayed that way.

While other boats were busy collecting sea miles, Shanti was developing a deep and meaningful relationship with the travel lift, workshop technicians, and parts suppliers. By mid-season, the boatyard staff were greeting us by name. I’m fairly certain we qualified for a loyalty program.

When I look back over the year, it’s difficult to decide whether we owned a cruising sailboat or a floating maintenance project that occasionally wandered offshore.

The sailing itself was wonderful. Unfortunately, it was squeezed between diagnostics, repairs, troubleshooting sessions, and the endless search for whatever component had chosen that particular week to retire.

Still, every boat owner knows the uncomfortable truth: cruising isn’t what happens between repairs. Repairs are what happen between cruising.

This year, Shanti simply decided to emphasize that point.

Looking back, I don’t measure this season in nautical miles or nights at anchor. I measure it in problems solved, systems understood, and confidence gained. Not every victory happened under sail. Would I have preferred more time exploring new anchorages and less time troubleshooting? Absolutely. But Shanti is better for the effort, and so are we. Still, a season of sailing briefly interrupted by repairs would have been welcome.