Mission Bay Infinite Loop
We all know good relationships are hard to get and even harder to keep. Sometimes you give up, sometimes they give up, and somehow, we think we’re giving up more times that they do, and they think they’re giving up more times than we do. And that’s the game we like to play. Some people calls it love, others call it chaos (I personally think that the reason is because they count mangoes and we count pineapples, and we all know those two don’t add up… but on a smoothie).
In my case is a nice mix of both. I’m working very hard on our relationship (or at least that’s what I think I’m doing) and I expect (bad Santi, bad,…) some comprehension, some kind of support and some sweet words. I guess the selfish in me is asking for some kind of compensation… and we all know it doesn’t work that way.
Two weeks ago she got a full job done: I first went up the mast (quite scary the first time) to install some protection so the spreaders don’t damage the sails. Then I got in the water to clean her bottom from some substantial growth. Quite a workout!
After that long session she looked really pretty. And I don’t mean pretty only as in ‘beautiful’, but also pretty as in ‘ready’. Is like she had just put her night-dress on and she was ready to go out. And I’m always ready to go out with a pretty girl!
So, in mid afternoon of a Sunday, with the sun still up and the wind blowing, I rush to get us ready…
OK, take the jib out of there… cleat the hanks on, the sheets,… and don’t forget the rings! The main… shit this main is heavy! OK, leeward side… this one! Unroll it, tie the outhaul, the tack, the knot for the halyard and get it ready. OK, next, the small outboard… what else… sorry for waiting Honey, we’re almost there! what else… Ah, yes! it’s windy, so it’ll be wet, I better put my long pants now before I get wet,… OK, I think I’m ready… let me look around, everything looks fine,… we’re ready Honey!!
The plan was easy, as it was blowing about 15 knots, I was going to look for a quite spot on the windward side outside of the marina and hoist the sails. I know she sails pretty well with jib only, but I need to hoist the main as soon as possible.
OK, we’re out of the marina, but… what the hell is this?!? Mission Bay or Las Ramblas? (‘Las Ramblas’ is a long street in Barcelona where there is always lots of people walking up and down, is always busy, day and night).
OK somebody coming close from port on a collision course, they are sailing, I’m motoring with sails down, they are going downhill at about 6 knots, I’m struggling to to uphill at less than 2 knots… another sailboat coming from starboard a few meters ahead…, who the hell has preference if I can not get out of their way? I felt like trying to cross Carrer d’Aragó in Barcelona walking across all cars going fast and not willing to move or stop… no way I could make it without running… and with my little motor I could not run at all!
I still don’t know how, but I managed to get to the windward side. The rest is a sad history, I hoist the jib (the easy one) and when I’m at the mast hoisting the main… yet, another boat screaming at me. But if I’m not sailing at all!!! OK, I need to move or they’ll crash me, go to the tiller, and head down, I’ll do a circle while those ones pass, and then I’ll came back up… and back to the mast to hoist the main,… yeah, right!
I tried the infinite loop of going to windward and having to get back down because of traffic three or four times. After that, I saw the look on her face, and she probably saw the look on mine… and we finally went in, back to the marina, away from all those floating devices…
One of the issues was that my small outboard (an electric one) didn’t give us enough speed to move fast in the middle of the mess, nor the range to motor out of the main channel and hoist the sails on the open ocean. That is now fixed, and she’s got a more powerfull gas outboard so we can get out and sail away!
But, after the play, I was tired, sweaty, and very, very frustrated. I could not even hoist the freakin’ main!!
Sorry, not today, Honey.
Hilarious – ha ha ha “away from all those floating devices”!! I can imagine an Aston Martin DBR9 finding itself having to cross a junction in uh….Rancho Bernardo or according to Jo, worst of all Poway. I think you are in sync with your new love, she is at least always on the same wavelength as you are. Bon voyage, have a great race and stay safe.