Drifting Through Paradise

I finally left Solomon’s Island on the morning of Tuesday the 12th.  Motored out of the Harbor and into the Patuxent River. Past Drum Point and into Chinese Mud where I killed the engine and found no wind. I restarted the engine and continued south. Through Cedar Point Hollow and past The Targets, through Fish Hawk and past Point no Point Light House. After passing the Light it was only 5.5 NM to Point Lookout and the mouth of the Potomac River.

Like I said before, the Potomac is dangerous where it feeds into the Bay. At that point the Bay is approximately 15 NM east to west, the Potomac 11 NM from point to point. On all the Charts this portion of the bay is clearly marked DANGER ZONE, and for good reason. With the opposing tidal flow and currents, wind shifts, and distance from side to side, if you get in trouble, help is a long way off. The safest route, is go across to the eastern shore of the bay, and then back across from Tangier Island. But instead of adding the extra distance, I chose to cross the river. Looking at the chart I saw I could cut some time off the crossing by leaving the ship channel and going straight across to Virmar beach. About 2 NM into the crossing, I realized, I might have made a huge mistake…..

Starting across, the waves were only 3-4 foot, and the intervals were not bad. Emmanuelle rocked up and down every so often a wave lifting us so the prop would leave the water, but nothing bad, yet. Sitting on the starboard side, my back against the transom, feet on the seat, just chilaxing. Then I look and see a wave higher than Emmanuelle’s bow coming at us. I turned and assumed the position, back flat against the gunwale, head against the lifeline, legs stretched straight across braced on the port side seat, both hands on the tiller. The wave hit the bow, splashed over, pushing Emmanuelle’s bow to port, as she turned she heeled over, toe rail buried, water coming in the cockpit. As she righted herself the opposing current heeled her to starboard and buried that toe rail. I went from looking straight down into the water to having it hit the top of my head.
The force turned her counter clockwise as I fought to control the tiller and keep her on her course. The next wave hit and lifted the stern, dropped it back down and lifted the bow. The tiller and rudder groaned with the pressure as I fought to keep her straight, Emmanuelle fought back.  For close to two minutes we fought the river and the bay, I was feeling scared and wondered if it was to late to head to the eastern shore. I looked at my hands on the tiller, white knuckles, shit, I was losing control, not just of my boat, but myself. I took a deep breath, and thought as quick as I could. Every sailing journey, each passage across the Gulf and the Caribbean sea. Thinking fast, but not fast enough as another wave hit. The crash inside the cabin was bad, but  there was nothing I could do about that, I had to get control. Trips to Catalina Island, Jamaica, previous trips on the Bay, the east coast of Florida, all ran through my head, no help. Another hit….
My thoughts kept coming back to the danger I was currently in. I couldn’t think straight. I was in trouble and I knew it. My life jacket was down below, my emergence whistle with it. If I went over, I was alone. Could I tread the water with this force long enough for some one to find me? My friends know I was crossing today, if I go over, and they don’t hear from me tonight, will they worry about me or just think I lost the phone or have no signal? Another wave hit, hard. My legs pressed against the other side bracing me in. What if Emmanuelle goes over? I could lose everything I have. Shit, I had to get control, not just of my boat, but my head. Think Dammit! I have been in this situation before, I just have to remember, clear your freakin’ head and relax…..
Another hit, Damn, the waves are the same size but stronger. I know my mind is strong and my will as well, but the is the River stronger than me?  I know Emmanuelle is a strong Lady, she knows the love I have for her and the sea, but is She strong enough to withstand this ride? My mind started to clear as I thought about it. It went back to the comment the Decorus Inferus Campana said that day “Get Over It”……..
Get over it, how? My mind kept racing faster…. Dammit you need to Relax! I thought, go through  the questions in your head, answer them, and dispel your doubt….Am I afraid of dieing? No. Do you know what to do? No. When you have doubt what do you? I react, with a clear head. Another wave hit, the salt water sprayed my face and stung my eyes. And I thought, treat this like you would a Lady you care for. Chill out, Relax, breath in, and picture the tiller as that special lady’s hand. Chilax and picture her hand in yours…… Another wave hit…….
My mind went back to when a few fellow parrot heads first taught me to sail in St. Augustine. They told me, the biggest and worst mistake a captain can do is fight his boat. See, we call boats “her” and “she” for a reason, you should treat them like a Lady. When you walk with your Lady, do you hold her hand so tight that your knuckles turn white? No, you don’t. I don’t anyway, I hold it gently, when you walk, you walk beside her. Think about it for a minute. You walk side by side holding each others gently, walking straight, but when you walk you sway a little side to side. Not in a straight line, but more wavy. She doesn’t force you one direction and you don’t either, you go where your feet and heart lead you.
Another hit, she rocked and spun, the questions again….. Do you know what to do?  Yes….

I let out my breath, turned my head towards the bow, and loosened my grip on the tiller. I just rested my hands on it, like when you put your hand on your lady’s knee as you drive your car. I let the tiller move 10-20 degrees each way, not fighting it. don’t try to control the Lady, don’t let her control you, move together as one. One body, one mind, a combined spirit. I let the Lady fight it. By loosening my hold I gave Emmanuelle the ability to rise above it and fight the current. And she did. I let the rudder move, which helped Emmanuelle raise above the waves as they came at us. I laughed as She rode up one and down the next, and back up again, she found that spot between  the waves that allowed me to adjust our course, as I did  I kept my eye on the starboard side, another set coming at us, I pushed the tiller hard to port and brought her around to take the waves head on, only use force to protect the ones you love, my Pappy told me. As she crested the last one in that set and came back down I eased  the tiller to starboard  and readjusted again.
The pleasure I felt at that moment, was surpassed only by the feelings I felt the day my daughter was born. The fear, the feeling of loss of control, then euphoria of  taking on the River and the Bay. For the rest of the day I was high on adrenalin, a buzz from the salt water hitting me, the rush of excitement as Emmanuelle took the waves like a woman fighting for her man. Fight for the ride. It was a high I’d long since forgot, a thrill ride like no other.
The next set came and Emmanuelle was in control, as she took it, I felt I was on the biggest long board ever made. Surfing the Chesapeake. We rode along the top of that one for close to 10 seconds, when she came back down  and the next wave hit, I knew Emmanuelle had won the fight with the River. It hit hard, spray  all over, I was already soaked, but Emmanuelle didn’t budge. She barely rolled. At this point I was having so much fun I hadn’t even realized how much time had passed.
We were approaching Smith Point, just leaving the Potomac Tidal Flow, when the phone rang. It couldn’t have been more fitting, that Special Lady I mentioned I share things with was calling. I was glad she did, this had been one hell of ride, exhilarating, exciting, and fulfilling. I was glad to share it with her before the feeling wore off. She told me the time, it took us two hours to cross. Not too shabby, I thought. After hanging with her I called the Almighty Webmaster who was at home taking care of the Gunslinger who’s pretty sick today. I told him about my ride, and He like The Lady was excited for me.

After finding a spot to anchor for the night, I went down below and took in the mess.
My hats had all fallen down, laptop on the floor, one wave hit us so hard, one of the cabinet doors in galley broke. that’s all the damage that was done, and if you ask me, it was worth it ……..

PS: A note for those concerned about my fellow sailors Capt. Handysides and First Mate Garth aboard S/V Gonzo’s Flying Dog; Sarah emailed me and grateful         for the concern, Garth and her are doing well. They had lost their laptops and have not been able to get online. They are at a safe harbor where they have acquired jobs for the summer to save for new laptops. As fellow travelers I know their journey continues, even though they are at port.

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