Rubber Elbows and Shaky Knees

28 April, 2007

I had a lovely birthday, happy to be underway but five minutes into the next day we set sail and quieted our engines. My arms trembled and the elbows rubbered out as we poured all energy into raising the main. My body is very tired and yet awakened to life. As cook, I'm not obligated to help with deck stuff. If I wanted, I could be a galley hermit, turning out food at 0730, 0800, 1130, 1200, 1600,1930, 2000 and midnight and grabbing all interim time to nest in my bunk. To step up on deck though and see the moonlight playing the shadows of the brails on the fores'l or feel the stretching of the boat as she makes love to the water... ah, how could I just turn over and go to bed?

I shakily settle down onto the bench here in the main salon. My head was just nearly bashed in by the block on the starboard runner. The line had parted and snapped under the strain of our aggressive sailing. I turned ans saw it swinging toward me, fell to my knees with my hands over my head and heard it whoosh past me. By this time I was flat on my belly and had full realization that my life would no doubt be richer without an extra hole in my head. If I had not dropped down right then, my head would most certainly have been stove in. When all was finally secure, both Ryan and Joe ripped open some cigarettes and took long drags. How I wished I smoked, if only to give calming finality to a harrowing moment. Well, life goes on and there is dinner to prepare.

... Perhaps it was my near brush with the runner block that caused me to look up and really think about this boat. Pride of Baltimore II is the first wooden vessel I've ever spent much time on and so I'm still awash with how much she stretches and moves. The boat is not rigid; she is built to move in the weathetr. I only begin to understand these things.