Digital Image © 2000 John Mahoney | The Captain and the Acting Mate have things well in hand

PART THE THIRD
Sushi, chilled white wine, & nervous woolies
or
Frankly, Scarlet, I'd rather be sailing

JOHN MAHONEY

Posted 8/11/00
SOMEWHERE ON LAKE MEMPHREMAGOG IN QUEBEC'S EASTERN TOWNSHIPS

The wind came to us now, hard from the southwest. We heeled sharply. The rail was nearly in the water. The wind whistled in the stays. The woolies looked good. We were moving out, misterman.

"Thirty degrees, my Captain?" Hisself asked.

"Thirty-five," he replied, one hand easy on the tiller, the other on the main sheet.

The Acting Mate, Nikon in hand, was digging it.

We could see the lake surface ahead quicken and turn dark and we readied for the gust. When it struck we surged forward and heeled stiffly at the same moment. Hisself tightened his butt muscles, dug in his old topsiders, and tugged sharply on the line attached to rear of the sail. We were hitting more than eight knots, and the rail was right down in the foam. Hoo-ee, moving out -- good thing we had the beer tucked into foamies velcroed to the hull...

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