There aren’t many things I can think of that improve with age and use, becoming smoother, more colorful, stronger, better. I can list a few, though, and fortunately I’m surrounded by one. Irresistible side note: I believe my character has aged well, but the oft-noticed dark spots and fine diamond wrinkles on my most visible organ are notable and, admittedly, a tad distressing.
My favorite shine had always been Sterling Silver, specifically the element made into artisanal jewelry in Mexico and the American Southwest. Altered to incredible richness and creativity then polished to a lightning-white, those human decorations drew me in every time I went exploring or stopped by the time-honored Navajo stalls in the middle of sun-baked Monument Valley, Arizona, USA.
But the very next time I opened my jewelry trove, they were duller, tarnished to a multi-layered gray that I never really admire. In most cases; it does not improve with time although I have seen some fine family silver tarnished to an iridescent dark rainbow hue after generations of disuse. When I return to land at some unforeseeable point in the future, my collection will require some attention. I stopped gathering the gorgeousness of it all long after I owned too much to wear.
I have a new, albeit unwearable, favorite, a new affinity; bronze. Bronze is actually an alloy whose assets were discovered some 5,000 years ago with a multitude of variations, the most prominent of which for maritime use is Silicon Bronze, which consists of ~96% copper, 3-4% Silicon, trace amounts of tin, nickel & zinc or iron. Upon exposure to Mother Nature’s elements, it simply creates its own beautiful, protective layer that prevents further demise. Beautiful tarnish seems like an oxymoron but in this case, no.
My new favorite metal doesn’t go from reflective to dull gray. It transforms itself from tones of brilliant almost-gold or copper to a myriad of shades that range from the brightest turquoise (no stone inset required) to the subtlest off-beach aqua to a blue-green-brown, solid or mottled, that is hard to describe. Simple oxidation is the most prominent factor and Mother Nature’s other elements come into play, the salty sweat of our hands, oils from our skin, mist, sea water, dust, abrasion, sunlight and, simply, time spent in the atmosphere. There will be some limited degradation but only until that gorgeous blue-green patina forms; the metal has proven to actually strengthen rather than diminish. What’s not to like? It hardens over time and becomes even more resistant not just to corrosion but also to abrasion. Think about how unattractive rusty steel becomes and the dangers it presents, crumbling and weakening right before your eyes.
(Did you think we were done? I’ve had that happen to me….) Let’s type that again. Today, right now, July 2nd, we’re installing THE LAST BOLT. Simultaneously the heat index hit 107F and the teak deck is far too hot to walk on. We just received our final(?!) efficient shipment of Silicon Bronze from Fair Wind Fasteners; we surpassed 18,000.00USD on the bronze for what we thought was going to be a straight-forward four-month repair. That final carriage bolt (seen above), will eventually become the same beautiful color as the chock and the cleat that have occupied STEADFAST’s decks for ninety-two years.
Rivulets of sweat are trickling down my entire torso and I can feel the gritty salt start to trickle through my smile lines into my eyes, threatening a familiar burn. Part of me is rising up with the Hallelujah of it all creating a new happy dance and part of me wants to sit tight under my tiny, insufficient air conditioner doing absolutely nothing at all. Writing to you guys doesn’t count because there’s little stress involved. Well, because I’m a perfectionist who strives for that unachievable status, of course there is stress involved, but that’s another chapter altogether.
None of that matters, today, as we hit another MILESTONE in a line of MILESTONES with THE LAST BOLT. Having a little trouble just sitting here. Gotta go gotta go. Until next week, no matter where you are LET FREEDOM RING. ~J
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UPDATE: Temperature hit 101F, heat Index 114 Friday & Saturday on the Eastern Shore of the Chesapeake Bay, Maryland. Pretty intense stuff.
Learn more than you ever imagined about Silicon here:
Or revisit a few SPARS~~~
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