  Digital Image © 2000 John Mahoney | Not Everyone Likes Sailing, Eh?
PART THE SECOND JOHN MAHONEY
Posted 8/10/00
Captain, my Captain did some stainless-steel screwing around with minor repairs and fine tunings, the Acting Mate and Hisself rinsed out the collapsible water container with the high-pressure hose at dockside and swapped tales of occurrences that had transpired since their paths had last crossed.
After firing up the inboard diesel, which sounded to Hisself like a throaty old 'Poppin' Johnny" tractor with a phlegm problem, the Captain had his crew do shippy things: attaching lines, stowing stuff, and so on and so forth.
A tourist pig-boat chugged merrily by. The Acting Mate and Hisself dutifully photographed it (see above).
Cloud Nine slid out into the chop and while Captain, my Captain and the Acting Mate readied the jib and the main sail, Hisself was instructed to keep the boat pointing into the wind so the boom wouldn't swing around and knock an unsuspecting hand ass over teakettle in the drink. Hisself did what was expected. The sky began to clear. There was no clear connection between the two acts.
We took the wind and we were away and it was lovely and quiet and the Acting Mate marveled at the wind in his hair, the power of the sails, the flutter of the woolies, the sheer beauty of sailing on Beautiful Waters.
We popped our first beers, toasted the wisdom of the decision to sail on such a day, and wondered aloud what the poor people were doing just now.
The Abbey of St-Benoit du Lac hove into view on our starboard. Cameras were directed landward, silent prayers were uttered that the sun might cast a beam or two abbey-ward.
 As sometimes happens, our prayers were briefly, but adequately answered. |
