News From The Trenches

Hey there, remember me? I’m the guy building a catamaran, except I haven’t lifted a saw since the end of January, and I’m the one who used to write stuff here regularly but hasn’t written anything for nearly two months.

Truth be told I’ve been putting the writing bit off, I could have, should have, written this some weeks ago but I guess the thought of committing to print what was in my head scared me too much, I needed some time but now I’m ready.

You see I’ve made a big decision, I had too, it was the elephant in the room and there was no avoiding it, my long planned launch date of May 1st 2012 simply wasn’t going to happen and accepting the fact changed things.

Those that have followed this blog over the past four years or so will know that it’s called ‘The Gleda Project’ for a reason. It’s never been about building a boat, it wasn’t even about going sailing, it was about finding a better life and the project has affected every single part of who I am and what I do. When I started building four years and four months ago I had no thought that I would start my own business, cut loose from the 9-5 before the boat was even finished, but that’s what happened and it seemed natural, it seemed obvious and it felt right. It’s the same with the decision I made a few weeks back.

So what have I decided? I’ve decided to stop the build……for 12 months.

Why? Well there are a number of reasons but time and money are at the top of the list. I’ve survived my first year in business but only just, I’m a long way away from covering the bills and even further away from generating enough income to buy the materials I need to finish Gleda and then go sailing. I am working all hours on my business and it’s essential that I do, without the business the project fails and that’s simply not going to happen.

I came to realise that trying to divide my time between the business and the boat just wasn’t working, neither of them was getting the attention they needed and it was stressing me out. To carry on down that path was leading to the risk of double failure. So a choice had to be made and actually there could only be one winner because without the business, without the income, the other won’t happen.

Why a year? Well I needed to create some defined space, a realistic period of time to get where I need to be and a year seemed right and it fits with a quotation I’ve had pinned by my desk for quite a while now but up to now haven’t actioned, it says:

If you’re willing to do for a year what others won’t, you can do for a lifetime what others CAN’T

So the clock is re-set, launch is now 1st May 2013. It is as it is and the next twelve months are going to set me up for life. I hope you’ll stick around for the ride.