s/vYOLO - You Only Live Once
Swab’s Log Blog
Posting Date:
Friday November 22, 2013 Las Olas Marina, Ft. Laurdale, Fl
Sunday November 17, 2013
Blog Entry 0014 Sailing Seniors Adventure Day
178
Subject: I
Have to do something.
So I tried to time the rise and fall of the boat and called
on my girl ‘Hail Mary’ (she is my go to girl, since I am named after her). I
announced that a bow line is in the water and bolted out from under the
dodger. Captain Steve, called me back but
I was determined to do something about it since I was responsible for securing the lines. I stayed
low and moved forward, hand over hand till I got to the 2 steps down to the
deck. I sat there holding on with both
hands, with my face down towards the deck waiting for the wave to crest and the
inevitable fall. I am not a light weight
but the force lifted me up off the step – but I just stayed focused on holding
on. When the wave hit me I was so
surprised at how warm the water was! The water was so warm that I
was actually distracted and missed my opportunity to move forward. Captain Steve kept calling me to come back in
but I was unwavering (some say thick headed).
As soon as the next wave hit – I was prepared – I got drenched but was
able to crawl along the walkway to the end of the salon deck. Holding on to the
hand holds. OK so what do I do now -
hunker down and wait for the next wave to hit!
I thought the waves were forceful while I was under the dodger – they
were 10 times worse out in the open 7 feet from the bow. With
my arm wrapped around the lower railing I crawled towards the bow hoping to get
there before the next wave hit. All the
while thinking if that wave picked me up when I was on the steps at midship –
this wave would toss me overboard like a rag doll. Then I remembered that I
forgot to turn off the windless.
Great! I will step or fall on the
buttons and drop the anchor – just what we need in this mess. So I stayed put looking at the bow trying to
figure out what to do. The bow is pretty
narrow and crowded with the windless buttons, the chains for 2 anchors and the
cleats. OK now I am confident that I
know exactly where obstacles are and what to do. But I missed my opportunity to move forward. So I knelt down with both arms wrapped around
the lower railing (cause there are no hand holds on the bow) tucked my head
under – waiting for the wall of water that was to come – and it didn’t fail
me! Neither did my go to girl. Thank you!
I crawled forward with my right arm wrapped around the
railing at all times. I had to reach so
far, to grab the line, I nearly had to lay down on my stomach, but couldn’t
because of the anchor buttons, to reach the line with my left hand. Huge wall of water came out of no ware over
the starboard side and hit me right in the face. I didn’t have any warning so I wasn’t able to
brace myself. But I was able to hold on
to the railing and my prize through it all.
Now all I had to do was pull the 35feet of line on the boat,
secure it and get back to the cockpit.
Sea you later.
Getting back!
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