After over 13 years, I’ve now decided to tell “the rest of the story” about how the “Nordica-30” came into my life - and as a result, how my life was modified slightly in the process. We should all expect to encounter some changes along the way in our lives but we probably tend to imagine that “if there are changes... it would be because I chose the time and place!”  Well keep on dreaming because that’s not how it always happens. Sometimes, circumstances and other events just show up on our doorstep and when they do, we just need to learn how to “answer politely” and move on with what’s needed and necessary.

Enjoy the story.... it’s all true!

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Yes, it’s been quite a long time since any updates have been made to the site. There has been two primary issues with keeping up with both email and the site maintenance. The first of which was a new problem related to being able to receive emails but unable to send out a response. This issue came up early last October (2012) and at that time I could not find a working solution to the issue. It was at about that same time, I was diagnosed with Pancreatic Cancer and since then have been almost totally “out of commission” with the full range of Chemo and Radiation treatments and am glad to say that while there are no real “cures” for cancer (especially Pancreatic) in general - I am now a “survivor” and am recovering daily to be able to resume more of my previous interests. The discovery of this issue was something of a total surprise and has obviously changed a great deal of things in my life including my work and plans for rebuilding the N-30 that I started so long ago. My focus for the near term is to catch up with all of the legitimate emails that were sent and unanswered. (The network / mail issues were resolved today) so to those who wrote and received no reply, my sincere apologies for not being able to answer sooner, but be patient and I will eventually catch up.

For those who wished to put ads on the site, I’ll send a reply and if you still want to do so, will try to accomodate your requests. Thanks in advance for your continued patience, understanding and interests in the site.  - L. May

The sailing season is drawing to a close for many so it’s time to start planning what you’re going to work on this winter to make the sailing next season even better. There’s a great group of photos and details from Cap’n Bill on the super nice job of improving the boom control on his Halman 21. Check near the bottom of the “Projects” page. You’re going to appreciate this one.

There’s also a nice photo of a “Lynaes” rebuild project just below “Cap’n Bills” photo on that same page with a link to several more really nice photos - Check out both of these projects and get some new ideas for your boat while you’re keeping warm by the stove!

Subject: His and Her Diary for the Same Day!

Her Diary: Tonight, I thought my husband was acting weird. We had made plans to meet at a nice restaurant for dinner. I was shopping with my friends all day long, so I thought he was upset at the fact that I was a bit late, but he made no comment on it. The conversation wasn't flowing, so I suggested that we go somewhere quiet so we could talk. He agreed, but he didn't say much. I asked him what was wrong; he said, 'Nothing.' I asked him if it was my fault that he was upset. He said he wasn't upset, that it had nothing to do with me, and not to worry about it.

On the way home, I told him that I loved him. He smiled slightly, and kept driving. I can't explain his behavior; I don't know why he didn't say, 'I love you, too.' When we got home, I felt as if I had lost him completely, as if he wanted nothing to do with me anymore. He just sat there quietly, and watched TV. He continued to seem distant and absent. Finally, with silence all around us, I decided to go to bed. About 15 minutes later, he came to bed. But I still felt that he was distracted, and his thoughts were somewhere else. He fell asleep -- I cried. I don't know what to do. I'm almost sure that his thoughts are with someone else. My life is a disaster.

His Diary: Boat wouldn’t start; Can’t figure out why ???

Take a look at the work being done on the engine for “Atlantis” - There’s still a lot to be done yet, but it’s improving with each step of “progress” towards having a good engine to put back in the boat. Look for the link at the bottom of the “Projects” page.

At various times, several different readers have written with questions about their projects in rebuilding their engines. Most of the time, we don’t pay much attention to them if they start up, don’t smoke up the neighborhood and don’t shoot flames up and around where you may be sitting with your rum swizzler - but they will - if you don’t get your hands dirty once in a while to take care of them!

This photo is from a boat that is listed for sale. Apparently the owners are in a hurry to sell up and solve that “four foot itius” problem again but in their haste to move on, they’re leaving several genuine mysteries and some further headaches for the new owner. Oddly enough, most photos of boats are taken to show them in their best “light” - meaning you want to buy that boat right now and put on that blazer and white hat for the social meeting tonight! You can, but you’d better find out why the green wires and the black wires and the red wires don’t have a place to call “home” and the longer you wait, the more surprises “Murphy” is going to have for you. Maybe that key is for the ignition and it’s the only one there is... and when it falls (because your first step on the deck caused the boat to heel over about 18 degrees) it will find some new home UNDER the wiring, the battery, the old oil bottles, the chain and the 32 brands of boat polish that the previous owner tried. Or maybe it’s just one he found last year and is still wondering what it will fit. Either way, it’s something to wonder about and when you’re shopping for boats, you have to ask yourself this question - Do I want to “wonder about it” at the dock or out on the water... then make your choice!

                What’s new with you.....

It’s a common phrase - one that often preceeds many good conversations and as well some that are necessarily brief - but when someone says to you “What’s new” - how you answer says a lot about you, your state of mind, your interest in dicussions at that given time and is the opening for you to reciprocate and sometimes find out more than you really wanted to know!

If you are in the process now of making some plans for a boat in your future, then the reply might be “I don’t have time to waste right now because I’m doing my “homework” on buying a boat” (not likely but possible) and if you are that intent on doing your “homework” without the benefit of companionship, coffee, a warm stove to sit around and listening to someone you can actually learn something from, then ... you’re missing the whole point! Some people are “talkers” for a variety of reasons while others manage to maintain the role of “listeners” (hopefully at the right time) and when boats are concerned, listening is good. If the boats at the marina or the rafting group you were tied up to last summer could replay the conversations they heard - WOW - You can’t even find some of that stuff on the internet! Whatever you’re planning for 2011 will require both aspects of those communication efforts - and a healthy degree of filtering capability to keep from getting overloaded with “too much stuff” and not enough “meat and potatoes” type of details. With patience and practice, you’ll develop the skills to separate the BS from the GS (Good stuff) and that’s where the learning begins.

I ran across a phrase recently that was intended for a completely different audience but it still applies and I think especially so to the sailers and builders of all types of things that are intended to float in the water...

Good decisions come from experience .... experience comes from bad decisions!

As we all gain another year or so, we can look back and appreciate some things more. Made me think about one of the first boats I ever got in and expected to go somewhere... it was made out of two car hoods (something like 1948 or 50 Chevy’s) that had been recut on the back edge and welded together so it looked more like a Umiak that had been squeezed too hard in the ice. It did float, but every stroke of the paddle tended to make it spin in circles even more - (no keel and no stability) so I guess it was from that brief learning experience, I’ve kept an interest in learning more - your emails and sometimes more extensive exchanges over time are what learning is about. My thanks to those of you who like me, are pleasantly aging students who still enjoy learning -  L. May

Are you interested in taking a vacation and picking up a Nordica-30 - maybe you can even sail back “home” - wherever that is!

Try this link - [ http://www.yachtworld.com/boats/1983/nordica-cruising-sloop-2137228/langkawi/malaysia ]

Give them a call ahead of time and they can have the paperwork ready for you... You never know where you’ll find these boats!

Click on this one ----------------------->

Here’s two photos that you might take a casual glance at and ask “what’s unique about these?” If you’re a Nordica 20 owner, you might notice the oval hatch and lock in the photo on the left and if you’re a Halman owner, you might also notice the profile of the leading edge and the slope of the ports in the photo below.

If you’re a reasonably good detective, you might ask if this is the same boat, but I doubt it! This has come as a bit of a surprise to the new owners but yes, it is the same boat and these aren’t the only two differences found. There is a tag in the aft locker that defies ownership by either of the two companies and says it’s a “1978 Nordic - built in Hamilton, Ontario!

So this didn’t come from the factory in Beamsville or the one in Exeter and she’s apparently a bit of a cross-built from both the Nordica deck and cabin shapes but with the Halman hull.

There’s a story somewhere behind this but right now it’s a puzzle to Cap’n James and his crew. She’s got Nordica sails and the Cap’n is still working on trying to track some of the history via the registration data but doesn’t have much else to go on right now.

If you know anything about a few hulls that escaped to the Nordica factory or a few decks that made their way to the Halman facility... let’s hear from you. The boat floats and sails nicely and the final name is pending.....

Sometimes it’s easier to define “what’s new” more effectively by showing “what’s not so new!” This attractive piece (mix) of technology (and yes, it was the latest and greatest at one time.. just not now) is a part of a boat of “elderly vintage” that was listed for sale.

The most interesting notes to read would be those of a well informed marine surveyor when he wrote the report on this one. Do you think the company providing the glass handled brass knifeblade switches ever expected they would see their products in use so many years later.

I suspect almost everything actually works sort of and who’s to say that a new shiny plastic panel with a bunch of idiot lights does the job any differently! I especially like the attention given to the bilge pump... at least we know where to look for it now.

Did someone tell you about “Cap’n Paul’s” story of working at Exe Fibercraft - and now you’ve got time to read it... well, it’s moved to another page called “Stories” - click on the icon to the right and enjoy.

Storiesof yore’