And a star to steer her by.
Posted on April 3, 2008 - Filed Under Personal |
Captain: Dude, I’m sailing to Catalina. You wanna go?
Clifford: Sure!
My soul had been crying out for something new, something different. It had been five years since I went sailing. This would be welcomed as a nice break from the norm.
Gail force winds forced cancellations of Catalina trips. Many day sailors turned around and went home. Wimps. Not us.
Sitting in the harbor was not an option. A day sail would be braved. Gail force winds wouldn’t stop us. We were four determined people.
Anticipation of the day was dripping in the air. Sure, the impending 30 knot winds were floating in our minds. But we were determined to take advantage of this beautiful day. As is the custom, the motor purred as it pushed us away from the docks and out into the harbor.
Once cleared, the main sail was raised and the motor was cut off. Then, the magic arrived. That special moment when the wind fills the sails and suddenly the boat moves effortlessly, silently through the water. For a moment, disbelief clouded my vision . . . almost as if I couldn’t believe the good fortune that is my life. The moment quickly passed.
WHOOOM!!
“Get on that jib!” The Captain yelled. OK, the cruise was over. Beyond the break water, six foot swells were bobbing 
us up and down like a cork. The tiny boat managed to hold its own. One wave would scoop us up, then boat would slide down into the next wave. The bow became a shower as water sprayed the deck. Wave after wave, up down up down. No end in sight. Probably fitting “Hells Bells” from AC/DC was playing.
Hehe. Now we’re sailing!
Even with these waves, our top speed was around 6 knots. For a brief moment, the outline of Catalina seemed to be calling us. Like a Song of the Siren. We could do this. This 30 mile run could be done in a matter of hours!
RIP
“A hole in the jib!” I yelled.
Our day sail became a half day sail. With the jib torn, any real movement of the boat became seriously hampered. Now only the main sail would push
us back home. That’s alright. Dinner was waiting for us. Captain pulled a grill out from under the seat and before long some high class hot dogs were getting grilled up.
Toss in some frozen lasagna and imported beer . . . we ate like kings. Well deserved after a day of serious working of the sails and dodging the boom during our tacks. My shoulders were killing me. But not enough to keep me from working my fork.
Finally the evening topped off with a trip to the Yard House. Like a couple of old salts, we reminisced over the events of the day while the cold brews loosened my numb shoulder.
Nearly five years has passed since I took advantage of this activity. What in the world was I thinking!
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One Response to “And a star to steer her by.”
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Sounds like a great day Cliff.
Nothing beats beer and hot dogs on the grill. Yum.
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