Ripped from a blog:
I've heard it stated that working on an old boat can be therapeutic. I would venture that it is more akin to being in therapy - psychotherapy that is. You tend to experience all the stages of the psychoanalytical process to go from syndromes to sanity.
First, there may be denial of a problem, or worse yet there is an immediate crisis that needs to be dealt with. Stage One is when you recognize that you can no longer ignore the issue and you seek help from professionals, hoping for guidance that will correct the situation quickly. You discover the treatment is very expensive, and takes much longer then you had hoped. Stage Two is when fear sets in. Can you handle the work ahead? Are you making the right decisions about the remedy? Can you afford the cure? Stage Thee occurs when you commit to dealing with the problem. In this stage, you often experience anger, pain and frustration while you work to remedy the situation. You will get cut and bruised as you toil in those dark, tight recesses. You may have to endure therapy as severe as shock treatment, or worse, voluntarily commit the matter to a specialized institution. No matter the course of action, you will sweat, curse and ultimately drive yourself to exhaustion.
Stage Four and like a drone you persist in your quest, resigning yourself to the work ahead. Everything is torn apart and it is impossible to relapse to the way it was. Day after day you return to your West Marine sponsor, seeking support and that one crucial fix for the moment. Take heart - even though it appears little progress is being made, there is a light at the end of the gunwale.
Gradually, you begin to see the fruits of your labor. A sense of relief begins to set it. At last - you have reached Stage Five. All your screws are tight, your nuts are locked and your glue is set. You have successfully resolved your problem, and in the process, learned what caused it and how to deal with it should it reoccur. A sense of pride sets in, and even though your friends and family may consider you still a lunatic, you recognize your success and have gained a greater sense of well-being.
Just like a new home, every boat tends to need some work to make it perfect for its new inhabitants. Beginning with the survey findings, and accounting for our goal of long term cruising, I put together a schedule for all our big projects, including the estimated costs for budgeting purposes. This schedule is added to and probably has no conclusion - but we've accepted that. We also keep a white board handy for the unanticipated jobs that present themselves. We do go through a fair amount of the denial process that something isn't as it should be. The trick is to not neglect anything to the point that it gets us into a crisis.
