Sailing with the Admiral

 

Sailing with Peggy is not like any other person I have ever sailed with.  I have raced sailboats with people that thirst for the taste of victory at any cost to man or vessel.  I have sailed with people that do it for the entertainment (social) experience.  I am not too sure that I have ever sailed with someone who has the love of water that she has.  The first time we went out she actually doubted that I could sail at all.  She had never been exposed to sailing or people that do it.  The first time we sailed together was a warm Fall day in October.  I am not actually sure that we sailed (we might have just motored).  I remember a short trip out of the marina, out through Clear Creek channel and out into the bay.  Upon our return we opted to stop at the restaurant just under the Kemah Bridge, now named Outriggers.  I landed the boat on the dock parallel with the channel.  With my dock lines already in place, I approached the dock I slowed enough to step off on to their dock and tie the boat off single handed style.  It was a single handed docking that even an Americas Cup contender (at least in my mind) would be proud of.  After a few drinks it was time to depart.  When I returned I found the boat pinned to the dock by a stiff southeast breeze. This explains how the arrival docking could go so well.  The wind had me pinned to the dock, the boat could not have gone anywhere.  I reviewed the situation and figured I was about to get some rash on my fiberglass hull or at least some big time demerits with the woman (Peggy) I was trying to impress with my seamanship.  I have always contended that God looks after drunks, sailors, and drunken sailors.  It was my lucky day.  I had recently read the article on the TMCA web page under Link and Features / Seamanship /Undocking Tip.  I placed a line going aft from the bow of the boat to their dock cleat and forward back to my bow cleat.  I gave Peggy instructions to let the line go and pull it in when it got slack.  I idled the boat forward making the line tight, turned the helm hard to starboard in turn swinging the stern to the port.  I re-instructed Peggy on what and when to do it.  I put the boat in reverse, the boat eased off the dock, she untied the line from the cleat, and brought it back to her.  A textbook maneuver completed with, grace, style, and no shouting.  She never knew that I had never tried this before.  The sad part about it was she was so new to boating, that she never realized what a thing of beauty she had just witnessed.    

 

Later we were talking about sailing and I told her that there were dolphins in the bay.  She gave a youthful “Naught Ahhhhh”, indicating that I might be pulling her leg (for some unknown reason Peggy always thinks I am stretching the truth).  Several weeks later on a sailing trip one of those non-existent dolphins just about came into the boat while surfing on my stern wake.  The first time this happened she screamed for fear that it might have been Jaws or maybe Nessie.  The second time the dolphin sounded she had time to recognize the friendly playful visitor.  I bought her a pair of gold dolphin earrings to mark the occasion. 

 

Have you ever said anything that when the words came out you wished you could reach out into the air, grab the words, and stuff them back into your mouth?  It has happened a couple of times in my life to date.  The last time it happened was Friday, June 13, 2003.  Don’t you find it amazing that I would actually remember the day and date?  The reason that I do, is that I have lived to regret it so much, it is burned into my memory.  Here is the setting of the stage for the disastrous event.  Luke Sterling was leading the “Summer Solstice” cruise set for June 14 – 22.  Peggy is almost always in favor of getting an early start on most trips.  On this trip she had pushed for a Friday after work departure for the Baffle Point anchorage.  How many people reading this know to never start a voyage on a Friday?  How many people reading this know better than starting a voyage on Friday the 13^th?  It was just like spitting in the face of all those superstitions.  The departure from the marina went well that warm and fateful evening (the music changes to a chilling tone).  We were motoring down the ship channel when the first weather alert came over the VHF radio “Severe weather alert for areas of northern Harris County”.  We took the weather alert with little concern since we were in Galveston County, and continued along our way.  A second weather alert came over the VHF radio, “Severe weather alert for areas of southern Harris County”, why should we worry, we are not only in Galveston County, but now we are in southern Galveston County and we continued on our trip.  We arrived at the Baffle Point anchorage just as the sun was setting.  I set the Bruce anchor in 8 feet of water and let out a good 10 to 1 scope on the rode.  While setting the anchor I checked the northern sky and noted with caution the dark ominous sky (more chilling music).   I fine meal of spaghetti with homemade meat sauce, salad, and bread was at hand in the galley below deck.  At dinner we enjoyed discussing our plans and routes for the pending down coast cruise.  After dinner around 2230 hours I went on deck to check the set of the anchor.  That is when I saw it.  The severe weather they had forecast for the northern counties was just about to arrive in southern Galveston County.  I scurried below to make all the preparations I could for what looked like the worst weather I had ever experienced.  I explained the situation to Peggy and she asked if severe weather could roll the boat over.  I paused the storm preparations and said something to the effect that the only reason she would ask such a question was she was ignorant.  I felt like I could see the words coming out of my mouth and crashing into her questioning face.  Just as I saw the pain of the words coming across her face, New Life took a giant lurch and rolled 45 degrees to starboard.  The anchor drag alarm on the GPS began to sound immediately as the weather hit.  I scrambled to put on my foul weather gear and dashed out the companionway into the storm and the Admiral was not far behind.  I started up the engine, placed the transmission in forward and headed into the raging seas from the North.  My goal was to hold my position in relation to the Bolivar peninsula directly to the South.   The oncoming waves were so high that when the bow would plunge into the South bound waves the bowsprit with the navigation lights mounted on top of the pulpit would disappear into the waves leaving a red and green glow underwater.  I put the Admiral at the helm with instructions on how to interpret the GPS readings and our relationship to the nearby, lighted oil platform.  The goal was to hold a position in the same general area as I was anchored in originally.  The Admiral, now at the helm, had realized the meaning of my ruthless words spoken previously.  Similar to other severe storms crossing the bay the weather only lasted about an hour.  The boat began to settle down and we were once again on the hook secure.  Although the weather storm has passed I still (on occasion) experience the storm that the word ignorant caused in the relationship.  In my own defense it was just a poor choice of words at the time of pending disaster.  What I really meant to say was “the only reason you would ask, “would the boat  roll over in severe weather” is that you are inexperienced.”  I guess the morale of the story is live, learn, and pay for your mistakes.