In the Blood - July 06

It’s 10:30 Sunday night. I’m sitting here on my boat, there’s a cold Molsen (thanks Tom) in a coozie on the dinette next to my laptop, beyond that there’s a candle flickering in the breeze, B.B. King is singing about the thrill being gone on the CD player, and life doesn’t get much better.
Well, it could be a little better. My house could be under contract instead of being toured by countless potential buyers. My slip fees, which were due 10 days ago, could be paid. I could be on saltwater. I could have been here yesterday and earlier today when the wind was up and good sailing was enjoyed by my sailing buddies while I was at the house doing chores. But all things considered, life is just pretty darn good.

This evening, sitting here with the breeze blowing my hair across my face as I write, glancing up on occasion and seeing brilliant stars through the hatch, is one of the many reasons I took that leap last fall and bought this boat. And although the costs involved have been tough as a single mom, I haven’t regretted it for a moment. Not once. Not when I sat here that first rainy Saturday trying to find tubs to put under the multitude of leaks coming from God knows where. Not when wood rot was discovered under the bulkhead. Not when I had all three kids on the boat one weekend and discovered that three teens and an adult on a 25 foot vessel is a less than ideal situation. Not when I was nearly knocked down in my first venture out without experienced crew. Not ever. Not once. I love my boat and all that it entails.

When I first bought this boat, I didn’t even know how to take it out of the slip. But I was determined and in time I learned. Of course, I’m still learning and will be until the day I step off of a sailboat for the last time. But that’s fine too. The more I learn the more fun I have. And in a way, that sense of “fun”, for lack of a better word, is the best reason for living.

A few weeks ago I was sitting on my boat with my daughter who was bored to tears, and nothing much was going on. It was late on a Saturday afternoon, there was no wind and there weren’t many people around, so I called my friend Frank, on another dock, to say hi. We decided to combine our dinners and mourn the lack of wind over a couple beers. About half an hour later while I was sitting in the cockpit reading the latest issue of Lats & Atts and waiting for Frank, I felt the slightest stirring of a breeze. Just enough to point all the windexs in the same direction. A minute or two later, along came a puff, and within a few minutes a good wind came up. Halyards were clanking up and down the dock and it was time to sail. Its hard to describe the feeling but maybe it’s a little like that moment before a first kiss. I hadn’t been able to take my boat out in weeks and suddenly I had wind and there was nothing stopping me from going. While I was hooking up the jib I glanced up and saw Frank walking down the dock. While I watched, he stopped to chat with someone for a minute but I yelled down the dock, “You don’t have time to talk, get a move on, we have wind!” Within ten minutes we were heading out (sailing out of the slip, a first for me) and had a wonderful sail. Mike was crewing in a race that evening and we buzzed him and yelled hellos, then continued across the lake, with me at the helm of my own ship. Hell is cold, but Heaven is sailing on a warm summer evening.

One afternoon not too long ago, I had the opportunity to take my friend Norma out for a sail after work. She’d never sailed before and seemed to enjoy the experience. We didn’t have much wind, but we spent a couple hours sailing around and talking and had a good time. Later that evening it occurred to me that if I can handle the boat with only an inexperienced crew aboard, then there’s no reason why I can’t handle it alone. Granted, if I use the jib I need an extra set of hands, but if I just use the main, I could go out all by myself. Wow! I really can do this!

Tomorrow morning it’s up early and back to work and all the usual mundane details that go with day to day life. But who knows. Maybe when I get off work and have completed my chores, there will be a bit of a breeze and I can go out for a sail. But if not, maybe I’ll just sit here and enjoy the sunset or chat with neighbors or do nothing at all. On my boat.