s/vYOLO 0016 Day 180 Hurricane!

s/vYOLO - You Only Live Once

Swab’s Log Blog

Posting Date:  Sunday November 24, 2013 Los Olas Marina 

Ft Lauderdale, Fl.   Mooring 9

Sunday November 17, 2013

Blog Entry 0016 Sailing Seniors Adventure Day 180

Subject:  Hurricane!

There I sat in the cockpit, feeling as though I really accomplished something!  I was physically as well as mentally challenged and I persevered!  I over came physical and mental obstacles; the likes of which I had never encountered before.  I was feeling quite pleased with my self!  Which was a fleeting moment! 

Just then Hurricane Captain Steve landed!                

As soon as I sat down, Captain Steve asked if I was all right and soon as I said that I was fine.  Captain Steve said “I’m going to turn the boat around!  Hold on it’s going to get rough (I thought - are you kidding?)   He was right it was worse; turning the boat around in this mess was not easy with the waves pushing the opposite way and the wind the other and the boat pitching and rolling.  But it got much worse when Hurricane Captain Steve made land fall!!!!!     

“We are going back in!!!   This is crazy!!!  What you did was crazy!!!!   What in god’s name were you thinking???  This isn’t a game!!!  People get seriously hurt in calm conditions – you know that!!!  You know people who have gotten seriously hurt in calm conditions!!!  You are not reckless; but what possessed you to do something so irresponsible!!!  I called you back and you totally ignored me!!!  This is not a game you could have gotten hurt or worse fallen over board!!!  We have life preserves, jack lines; harnesses - thousands of dollars of safety equipment on board, that are useless if you don’t use them!!!  You know how to use them - we practiced!!!  You didn’t even put a life preserver on!!!   What were you thinking???   You know better!!!!    I can’t believe you went to the bow with out wearing life preserver!!!  I still can’t believe you took off like that!!!  If you got hurt how was I supposed to control the boat and help you at the same time???   I would have to leave the wheel!!  The boat  would have lurched; rocked and rolled back and forth much worse – like a cork in a washing machine!!!   You not only put youself in jerperdy but me as well!!! If I had to go get you on deck to get you; we both could have been washed over board with the boat bouncing around!!!  We agreed to work together!!!  You didn't work with me!!!  We are totally dependant on each other!!! You did this for a line so it wouldn’t foul the propeller!!!  Well it wasn’t worth doing all that to retrieve the line since the line isn’t long enough to reach the propeller!!! The propeller has blades on it to cut any lines that might get tangled in it!!! If you talked to me about it  and weren't so impulsive and reckless I would have told you that!!!

I just sat there; thinking he is absolutely 100% correct!!!!!!!! What I did was foolish; impulsive and irresponsible!  Worse yet it was unnecessary since, the bow lines are the correct length and would not have fouled the propeller.   No matter what I should have discussed it with Captain Steve. 

As I have said numerous times before, I have every confidence in Captain Steve’s ability and judgment or I wouldn’t be on this sailboat.  But at this point I don’t think he can say the same about me.  I feel like crap.   

Then true to form; Captain Steve said "The worse part of it all is; if you went overboard I would have to get another swab."  I promised that it wouldn't happen again since I want to be his one and only swab forever!!!!!!!

Sea u later.  Damage control!