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May 04, 2007
Norman Island to Cooper Island
The sun is just peaking up over the hills surrounding the anchorage, and people are beginning to stir. Sunrise reminds me of our overnight sails, where the sunlight finally took away the menacing chill of darkness, when we could see the horizon again, land if we were near it, and all those things we could have hit but could not see. Like containers that fall off the ships. And whales that sleep just beneath the surface.
Chis was up before 7 this morning, which never happens. We had coffee and a bit of breakfast, and decided to make hay. The Bight was emptying out quickly. It was like someone fired a starter's pistol.
We got away on a second exodus. We rounded out around the leeward side of the Indians, a rugged rock upcropping, sacrificing a bit of distance for deeper water. Besides, the further from the islands, the more likely we would find some wind. The winds had dropped to about 10 knots from the 15-20 knots it has been blowing since we arrived on Saturday. We were right. We were on a lovely close-hauled starboard tack when we started to notice an intense squall building to the south of us. Tacking would put us right in the middle of it. We decided to stay as far from the storm as possible. It paid off. We got clipped by winds on the edge of the storm, but nothing hair-raising. We slapped a reef in the jib until the winds subsided, then shook the reef out.
We had a wonderful sail, tacking a couple of times to give way to other boats. We arrived at the Cooper Island anchorage shortly before noon. The jib sheet caught around the deck brush that was lashed to the rail. We didn't see it, and wailed on the sheet until the brush handle snapped in two, sending the brush overboard, and the handle inboard. No injuries (except for the brush). In hindsight, it was a stupid place to put it.
After going ashore to the Cooper Island Beach Club for some lunch, we finished our books, and sat mid-ships watching the sunset, contemplating life. We talked about having a boat on Long Island Sound, or buying one through Sunsail and putting it out on charter. Or returning to live-aboard living. One thing is for sure - the sea is in our blood. And we are blessed that neither of us suffers from mal-de-mer. And most importantly, we can do this and not kill each other. If a relationship can survive, and growm living together is a small space, testing the limits of communication, and respecting each other's strenghts while supporting each other's weaknesses, that is something truly special.
We watched a large power boat leave the anchorage shortly before sunset. "He" was driving. "She" was reading, or putting on sunscreen, or sipping her martini, or whatever, oblivious to her necessary role as lookout, or safety person, or whatever. He roared out, went up-island a ways, then circled back past the anchorage. He wasn't planing, so he kicked up a huge wake, sending everyone in the anchorage into a series of rolls. Boys and their toys. He wais obviously compensating for something. He may have a small penis, but he has a HUGE carbon footprint!
Posted by dave at May 4, 2007 08:16 PM