Patience is something I have learned over the

years.

Some may say I have grown lazy over the years, but the converse is so. I can say that I tend to get more done these days than I did years ago.

For one thing, I try avoid doing things thrice. It's simply a case of doing something right the first time. There always seems that there is never enough time to do a job right the first time, yet there is always time to undo the error and correct it.

Another thing I am not is overly optimistic. My rule of thumb on time is to look at a job, estimate the time it would take a trained person to do the job. I then double the time and add another 50%. It's generally pretty accurate, as one always runs ito unexpected snags. On a boat, snags are a given.

Patience coupled with forethought can save a lot of extra steps, too.

If you can think ahead and see that you are scheduled to be pulled in for maintainence, there is no real good reason to have supplies delivered and manhandled aboard if you can simply wait a day or two and then haul them all aboard in one fell swoop using the crane. So you wait.

Those supplies are not going anywhere. They'll be there when you arrive at the dock.

It also takes some pressure off of the delivery people, and their gratitude can pay off if you get into a jam of some sorts.

I sure wish I had learned this as a young man, as I'm certain that I'd be in better shape now.

On the other hand, I might have simply gotten fat.

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