don't tell me that i won't

For all the naysayers out there. This is currently my personal anthem.

There's just going to come a day that I throw off the lines and go. It won't be the first time I've just headed out, not knowing where I'm going, how I'll get there, or what will be, and it won't be the last. And I am just fine with that. I'm not living my life for anyone else anymore or ever again. I won't be enslaved to my insurmountable student debt or society's expectations. Life is just too short to be spent as a meaningless cog in the wheel, working too hard to buy things we don't need. I find it deeply sad that our economy revolves around convincing people to buy cheap plastic shit from China, filling landfills with it, and then working to the bone to buy more of it.

It isn't always pretty. It doesn't always work the first time. Things don't go as planned. That's life. But I can and will go south with this boat. We will survive, possibly even thrive. Will we have financial success? No, it's a given that is a thing of the past. But I don't care about those measures of success any more. My boat, my pack, and I, we are going to cruise away, make our own way, create our own adventures, and leave the naysayers in our wake.

Heard a little rumor that would make winter aboard far less stressful: the Harbormaster may run the pump out boat on Saturdays through the winter. I jumped for joy and begged the pump out guy to please tell the Harbormaster how important this would be for the many folks who live aboard here in Annapolis even through the winter. So, fingers crossed. I still need to get around to writing a formal letter in support of such a service.

Started to try applying some organization to the boat, though once again my efforts have been derailed due to other pressing time commitments. But I did give the bilge a once-over and vacuumed out all the spider webs, though I still need to get in there with a shop vac to remove the lowest level of water that the bilge pump doesn't reach.

Then I tried to start tackling what seem like bottomless piles of clothes and shoes. But I managed to rationalize my main hanging locker a bit and that will make further progress on that front simpler. Many of the things I need to hang, like dresses, are too long for the hanging locker anyway. I decided to move them to the back of the stateroom door, where they fit perfectly, and convert some of the hanging locker into shelves with a few stacked milk crates. I tucked cat carriers in the space behind the crates. I can't afford to let any space aboard go unused. A hanging shoe organizer fit nicely but was two cubbies too long, so I cut them off. I will probably turn the one salvaged one into a little bag for tools or something.

Last Thursday I had an offer from a very experienced boater friend to come practice docking. We previously had an in-depth theoretical discussion of my docking situation, but now he could come help in person. Although I had a zillion chores for the day, I didn't think twice about putting them aside to seize the opportunity for serious docking lessons. The first stage of the lessons was practicing stopping the boat and practicing approaching mooring balls in reverse. It definitely takes a lot more time for the boat to respond in reverse than in forward, but eventually she does. We also learned that the dog thinks mooring balls need to be fetched. I'm going to blame some of my sloppier approaches in part on trying to keep the dog from jumping overboard as I tried to steer to or between mooring balls. We made five separate approaches to dock in my slip. Two of the five were very good, went just as I envisioned, backing right between the pilings as I wanted. My friend asked me to admit that my last one was "perfect," but I feel like there isn't really any perfect docking situation. But I should accept the compliment and feel a little more confident that I am getting better at handling her in close quarters. Though three of the passes I elected to just head back out and try again, in every case with some maneuvering I could have put her in the slip, and we never hit anything, so all in all, it was a very successful 2.5 hour docking lesson. Thanks, Chris; I truly appreciate all the patience and guidance!

One of my favorite running routes.

Friday I managed to get my buns in gear and run 14 miles. I'm behind on marathon and ultra training, but not too late to get there. I just need to be better about getting in all my "short" runs during the week. They are easy to put off but they are the backbone of training and getting one's legs strong, so I need to get in a good routine to stick with them. It's just a challenge as my schedule is a juggle, but the running is my "me" time so I can eat food I enjoy, get slim and sexy, and generally keep the stress from running me down. The 14-miler wasn't beautiful, though the weather and scenery were, but I knocked it out, took a nice steam afterwards, and wasn't sore the next day. (This week's long run: 16 miles.)

Saturday morning I jammed some Slightly Stoopid and danced around the boat as I baked brownies. Two dozen each Butterscotch Brownies and Cocoa Brownies. The oven is small, so I can only bake one pan-full at a time. I moved the rack up in the oven so the flame wouldn't be so strong on the bottom of the pan, flipped the pan halfway through so the side getting the heat from the flame wouldn't overcook, and timed them very carefully. Definitely the best batches aboard so far and generally very good batches overall. Half of the brownies went in a care package and half are aboard. I need to start giving them away lest I eat them and undermine my hard work running!

I started gifting cookies and cake to local bands and bartenders a couple of summers ago as preventive medicine for my chronic habit of collecting broken, defective, wayward, or hapless guys and trying to nurture and fix them. By giving away my yummy baked goods I could satisfy that drive to nurture, and have a better chance at avoiding taking in the Charlie Brown Christmas Tree of men, the sad-puppy-at-the-pound guy. I admit I have a hopeless weakness for floppy hair; blame it on my first love and my first lover. Being aboard and having less ability to churn out baked goods en masse, I got out of the habit of nurturing through baking and started relapsing into collecting the broken or wayward boys. I really have to get my act together and stop selling myself short. I deserve nothing less than a guy who is going to make damn sure he rocks my world. And I really should hold out not just for that, but for something real and meaningful. Eventually, I'll find a kindred spirit to cruise away with this mermaid. Until then, I'm busy having my own adventures and charting my own course.

Thirty-plus hours of intensive sailing lessons on a 26-footer is not the same as handling my 37-footer. So although I have learned a lot and feel far more comfortable sailing, my boat remains a challenge. Saturday afternoon was supposed to be a nice day sail with friends. Come Saturday morning, however, no one could make it. It was my first chance to sail my boat myself, my first chance since my basic keelboat course, and possibly my last Saturday off work for the foreseeable future. When no one could or would come out, I was crushed. I let myself be pretty upset and disappointed for a bit and then set about salvaging the day with errands and boat chores. Then at the last minute I heard from friends wanting to go out for a sail.

We got a much later start than planned due to schedules and a couple hours of struggling with the jib furler and then just the usual details of taking the boat out, e.g., unplugging from shore power, removing the dog ramp that is tied to the boat and the dock, dropping the dodger so I can see, and removing loose items from the decks. We motored out of Back Creek, having to dodge several sailboats anchored pretty much smack in the middle of the creek where all the boat traffic is trying to transit. I headed out a ways to find a place where the marine traffic was lighter so we could hoist the sails without having to worry so much about avoiding collisions.

After a slow start we managed to get moving, and eventually got up to 5.6 knots under sail. The boat clearly likes sailing a beam reach. However, we had wanted to sail upwind to the south and drop the hook. But try as we might we never could get her close hauled. I suspect a good portion of the problem is that the jib wouldn't trim in beyond a beam reach. The very aft blocks we used for the jib simply wouldn't allow the trim we needed. I had wondered why there were some blocks shackled at the bow to some anchor rode. I also never understood how the cars on the traveler attached to the toe rail could be for sheets since the opening on the cars faces athwartships rather than fore and aft, so they wouldn't be any good at "guiding" the sheet the way some guides along the side deck keep the furling line in order. After Saturday was done and gone I had an "A-ha!" moment in the middle of the night. Those blocks almost certainly need to be shackled to the cars. Then I can adjust the cars on the traveler as needed to help me get the best angle on the jib for the conditions. I'll have to verify that that is the case, but I mostly trust my instinct on that one.

Although we mostly just headed back and forth across the bay on a beam reach, it was a lovely sail. Pup dog had to be restrained repeatedly because she has such a strong instinct to fetch that she wanted to jump in and fetch every crab pot buoy she saw. When sunset was nearing we readied to head back in. We got up some speed so we could tack and head back. Try as we might we could not get tacked across the wind. I'd get us up to 5 knots, the wheel would be hard over, and the boat would just stall out head to wind.

No worries, this is what engines are for. I would've liked to sail her closer to the channel before powering up, but we did want to get in before dark. We dropped the sails and I hit the "start" button. Nothing. No vroom-vroom, no straining or coughing. Just nothing. I ran up and down the companionway checking the battery monitor and my electrical panel and trying the start button again. How the starter had just given up the ghost I didn't know. Well, no worries, this is what unlimited on-water towing from TowBoatUS is for. I was definitely disappointed to have my very first time sailing her myself end with being towed in. The sense of defeat. The public humiliation. I might have fussed and trouble-shot a little longer if I were alone, but I didn't want my crew to be worried, so I decided it was time to "get my money's worth" for that tow policy and call it in.

I called another liveaboard friend and let him know my cell phone battery was getting low and if the tow couldn't put us in the slip, we might need a dinghy hop. He graciously offered to monitor VHF channel 16 in case we needed to hail him for help. Night came on quickly and despite the stressful and unplanned circumstances, I tried to enjoy this night sail as best I could. We rehoisted the main to try to get ourselves to shallower water where we might anchor while waiting for the tow, or at least get out of the main shipping channel. But the boat pretty much sailed us and we ended up under the Bay Bridge. At just that time the tow boat was hailing us on the radio. I told him we were under the bridge and heading north. He asked if we were under sail or drifting. I paused a second and then shouted, "Both!" There was radio silence for a minute while he clearly had a good belly laugh at this wayward drifting sailor. But we managed to get north and thread a narrow path between the shipping channel and the shallow areas where we could run aground. The tow boat caught up with us, reassured us, and we were quickly heading home. The most harrowing part of the trip for me was when as we were under tow and moving pretty quickly Hunter came out the companionway and almost jumped overboard. Poor seasick kitty still has not adjusted to sailing and wouldn't take his Dramamine. Had he jumped, it'd have been virtually impossible to find a grey cat in the black night water or to stop quickly enough and turn about while under tow. Lesson learned that the hatch needs to remain closed when the boat is under way.

About halfway home I happened to look down at the pedestal and the gear shifter caught my eye. It was one of those time-standing-still moments when all the snippets of a story flash by in sequence and... "a-ha!" I chuckled to myself then turned to each side and smiled at my crew. "Don't kill me," I said, "but the gear is in forward... and the engine will only start in neutral." We all paused for a second and then laughed hysterically. We decided it'd be best to just let the tow boat get us to the slip and then check my theory after we were docked. We got tucked into the slip and the tow guy gave me some paperwork and very sweetly, very concerned, said he hoped the engine was going to be OK. Once he had left, the engine started right up without a hitch. Well, I'll NEVER again forget to check that she's in neutral when I'm starting her, will I?

A huge shout out and thank you to my hardworking and patient crew, Lane and Eli. It wasn't a perfect cruise, but it was an unforgettable one.

So my first time sailing Ambrosia was also my first night sail and my first tow. C'est la vie. No one was hurt, we never hit anything, and it was all an opportunity to practice and learn. It isn't always pretty. It doesn't always go as planned. But don't tell me that I won't.

finding the groove

This past week was intense and exhausting, but also a huge step forward. Monday through Friday from 9AM to 4PM I was at J World Annapolis for my Basic Keelboat certification course. Monday morning was a scramble as I had promised Travis I'd get him to an Amtrak station to catch a train south to his boat. The day before I had volunteered at the Annapolis Ten Mile Run pouring beer, so two days in a row of 6AM wake-up calls were tough on this gal who usually sleeps until 9AM or 10AM. Traffic to Baltimore wasn't bad and we were just making it in time that he'd make his train and I'd get back to Eastport in time for class. But for my iphone GPS having other plans.

When I told the GPS I wanted to go to Baltimore Penn Station it instead decided to send me to Penn Street. Unfortunately, Penn Street is near Orioles Park and still a ways south of the train station, which is just south of Charles Village. Once we realized the GPS was sending us in circles on one-way streets nowhere near where we needed to be, I managed to get the correct street address entered into the GPS app. But now time was of the essence, especially to catch a train that only runs once a day. So, with the navigational mishap and morning traffic it took an hour to make it to the train station. I flew south back to Annapolis in half the time, calling J World to let them know I was running late and trying to get there as fast as I could. Although I seem to be perennially 15 minutes late, a condition I blame on spending half my life in Miami, I actually hate being late and keeping others waiting. I was 20 minutes late to my first day of class, but gratefully they hadn't jumped aboard and shoved off from the docks without me. I apologized profusely to the staff and my one fellow student.

It was nice having just two of us for the course. We got along well and it meant we each got plenty of time at the helm and working on sail trim. Early on it was clear Luke enjoyed the thrill of burying the rail and that I don't seek it out, though I am certainly more comfortable than I once was with pretty significant heeling of the boat. Day one was about sailing upwind close-hauled and downwind on a broad reach, sailing to the telltales or jib sheets, learning how to find the groove to sail as close to the wind as possible, feathering up into the wind briefly to control excessive heel, and tacking and jibing. Day two we had a father and son along as well who were making up a day in their weekend course that had been cancelled due to weather. Day two we worked on "rock around the clock," with each student taking the boat in succession through close-hauled, close reach, beam reach, and broad reach on both port and starboard tacks. As we headed out on day two I spotted a wayward fender and convinced our instructor, Andrew, to let us sail close enough for me to hoist it aboard. Those puppies are about $95 new and even $45 used, so I'm happy to have added a free one to my collection!

Days three through five we had a different instructor, Channing. Both Andrew and Channing were great coaches and I highly recommend J World. Although I am not interested in racing and J World is definitely racing oriented, you don't need to be an aspiring racer to have a productive and enjoyable learning experience at J World. The three coaches I've had there (Mark, Andrew, and Channing) were all knowledgeable, supportive, and professional, equipment is kept in good condition, and they get you right out on the water.

Luke burying the rail as Channing holds on.

Waves crashing aboard as we bury the rail sailing upwind

Channing and I smiling for the camera.

Like me, Channing was an undergrad philosophy major and Luke has a definite philosophical bent, so we had some interesting conversations and philosophizing while out on the water. They laughed that I certainly was a philosophy major when I mentioned the irony that learning to anchor and dock, to tie my boat down, are the skills that will set me free. One day Channing was telling Luke to be more gentle with the tiller, that sharp, sudden movements on the tiller and rudder just make you lose the boat speed you're looking for. I smiled and piped up  wryly, "Not unlike making love to a woman." In both cases, once you find the groove, it's smooth sailing, but be too rough or inattentive, and an accidental jibe or auto-tack will ruin the moment! Ay...I just need to find a floppy-haired sailor who understands how to find the groove with this mermaid.

At the helm as we get close-hauled.

We did lots of man overboard drills, learned how to heave-to so we could stop for lunch, spent time trimming sails to a course and sailing to a particular point of sail. We covered rules-of-the-road in lecture and then applied those rules over and over while out on the water. Surprisingly enough, we had more sailboats violate the rules of the road than powerboats. We were hove-to on a starboard tack (so we would have right-of-way) enjoying our lunch and some old guy on his sailboat would've just plowed right into us if we hadn't moved! As the written and on-water exams neared, it was clear that Luke was nervous about the written one, which I knew I'd nail, and I was nervous about the on-water, which Luke would excel at. I learned rules-of-the-road and boat terminology quite a while ago, so the majority of the written exam was not new to me and I'm a test-taking machine. I ended up with a 96% and, being a grade-junky, I had to look up the correct answers to understand why I missed those three questions I got wrong! I think I sailed better on Thursday than on Friday during my practical exam, but I passed. I'm not ready to singlehand under sail, but it won't take long to get there. For the most part it's just a matter of practice, practice, practice. The course was on a tiller boat and mine has a wheel, so I will need to get used to that difference, but wheel steering is more intuitive for me so I think it will make sailing Ambrosia easier for me.

The last day of class was the windiest and also had the most boat traffic on the water. We managed to get the boat surfing and reached a max speed of 8.7 knots as I sailed downwind. The water was choppy with plenty of waves being kicked up from the wind. As we approached the channel to return to the dock I had the boat surfing. We hit an area where the waves and powerboat wakes were in contradiction, the winds were shifting, and a gust hit. The tiller was very hard to control due to the strange wave action and "Boom!" accidental jibe. Channing told me to remain calm, which I was, and not let the boat round up. I quickly got her back on track and he looked at me and said, "There, you had your first accidental jibe;" and then very sternly and seriously, "now don't do it again!" All was well, no one was hurt or even shaken up, but an accidental jibe can easily send an unsuspecting crew member overboard as the boom swings wildly across the boat with incredible force. It is particularly sneaky because the sensation is that there isn't much wind at all and the boat isn't moving fast because you aren't feeling the wind in your face and the boat isn't heeled over. But the reality is that the boat may be moving very, very fast and the boom may be swinging almost 180 degrees from one side of the boat to the other. Although it's not good to have it happen, I'm actually glad it happened while I was in a course and could learn from it. It was a great, but very exhausting week. A big thanks to my mother for making the course my birthday present.

To celebrate successfully completing the week-long course, I popped a bottle of Chandon gifted by my friend Michelle at the boat re-naming ceremony. Sure, I could down a nice bottle of bubbly on my own, but celebrations are better with friends, so I fêted with my good friends from S/V Octopussy. I showed off my fancy new "official log" that looks like a passport and has a shiny holographic sticker documenting my Basic Keelboat certification. Certifications and fancy logbooks don't make a good sailor, and I have much to learn and practice, but it will be nice to have a handy place to document time on others' boats as well as my own, since my ship's log is only for Ambrosia's journeys.

Yesterday I finally managed to connect up with a friend who had offered me a 4hp outboard motor for my dinghy. Yay! Now once I get the dink patched up I can pirate all over Back Creek in search of wayward fenders and other flotsom. And, of course, a dink with some vroom-vroom can get me and pup ashore when anchored out and having adventures. Thanks, Jody, for the outboard, and thank you Mike and Dave for carrying it aboard and mounting it to the rail. I'm blessed to have generous friends in my life.

Vroom-vroom!