Cold Fronts, Condensation, Drips

It is 0545 on Saturday and the Bear is still asleep. The wind is down a bit from yesterday but still howling from the north. We leave Matagorda today, hopefully at sunrise bound for some harbor or anchorage north of this place. Last time I came this way , it was the middle of the night, so this is a new adventure for both of us.

We have spent well over 600 days aboard Why Knot before this cruise but we have not experienced a little trait she, and I am sure all boats exhibit when cold fronts pass a boat that has been occupied for some time. I speak of the condensation that forms in the boat and particularly of that which forms on the frames of overhead hatches. Methinks it is because of all the CO2 that builds up in a closed boat from normal breathing. The boat is warm inside and the outside cold air caused moisture to form on some surfaces. It is not usually a problem except when that moisture is on the hatch directly over one’s sleeping berth. Deep nighttime sleep can be interrupted by a drop of cold water on the neck, in the ear or between the eyes during the night. One might expect a drip from one of the opening portlights during a heavy rain, but the sneak attack from the overhead is something else. It is the source of weird twitching from one’s mate and on occasion an assault on one’s mate of the unintentional kind. The crew adapts quickly and so we sleep in parentheses around the drop zone of the hatch over our berth.

We left Matagorda at 0730 and motored into the wind for 11 hours 45 minutes, 78 miles and made Harborwalk Marina, Glaveston.  We had many encounters with tows and in several instances, up to five were dancing in the same water to pass each other and we were in the middle of it all.  The tow captains were all very professional and accomodating.  We made the slip at 1830 and are tired.  Tomorrow will be much easier as we plan to sail to Galveston and stay for a day or two. 

A Dance at the Bottleneck

Having just installed AIS (Automated Information System) on the boats navigation system, I noticed a huge stack up at the Colorado River Locks on the ICW (more correctly the Gulf Intracoastal Water Way or GIWW). We are in a municipal harbor just north of the locks. There were 15 tows with about 28 barges waiting to transit the locks. I am not sure why a boat that pushes barges is called a tow but that is what they are called. Anyway, the locks consist of a set on the east bound side of the Colorado River (more like the south side) and a set on the west bound side (more like the north side). Each is capable of handling two “strung out” sets. Strung out means they are tied end to end . If the set is to be tied side by side or there are two sets of two, the tow has to park one of the two at floating moorings on the approach side and take one at a time through the locks. That means two trips. Put 15 sets in line and that makes for a long day and patience on the part of the tow crews. They have to wait for staging through the locks.

The barges are roughly 50 feet wide and 280 plus feet, more or less, long. This nation is served well by the trucking industry. Each truck carries about 20 tons. The barges carry about 1500 tons each, more or less. Along this stretch of the ICW, that usually means petroleum or the “enes” (a friend calls them enes such as benzene). As of about an hour ago, there were a bunch of tons stacked up at the locks. If, by chance we were just arriving at the locks, we could most likely count on a very long delay doing circles in the ICW and an early morning transit. Good to be on this side already. Now, between here and Key West there are about 25 lock sets. Methinks I will need to plan ahead.

Underway Day 2

An exciting day, well almost. We left Army Hole bound for Matagorda Harbor since the winds were not great for an offshore passage. After a brief stop in Port O'Connor for a fuel topoff (Bear does not want to chance not having heat in the morning), we entered Matagorda Bay. The bay was most definitely ugly due to the shallow waters being stirred by the wind, which was on the nose. Again, we had to motor to windward or face a long tacking exercise to windward. Four hours and fifteen minutes later we left the bay and got back to the ICW.   This is the bay in which La Belle sank in 1687.  It was the command ship of one Rene Robert Cavalier, Sieur de La Salle, a Frenchman looking for the Mississippi.  Missed it by juuuuuussssstttt a little bit.  The ship was discovered a few years ago and much of the booty is in museums around Texas. Little know fact is that one crew member was found curled up in the anchor locker.  Seems all they had to drink aboard the LaBelle was rum. 

Just before arrival at Matagorda Harbor, we had to wait our turn at the Colorado River locks, two of them.  It was a busy time and we watched several tow boats stage barges on the west bound side for later bundling and movement west.  Since the locks take on single wide barges, it is a bit of a bottle neck.  Recreational boats are way down on the food chain in the locking pecking order.  We were lucky in that we were able to motor through without stopping for an elevation change.  Just after we passed, the locks were closed due to currents and normal locking up and down started.  We arrived at Matagoda Harbor at 1615 only to lear the restaurant was not open on Tuesday or Wednesday. 

WK at Matagorda

We need to repack some of the million or so pounds of stores to bring the most often used stuff to the top of the lockers.  Why in the heck would I put the 30 amp shore power adapter in the bottom of the deepest locker?  Stupidity, that's why.  Perfecting stupid here.  So, we will stay a day or three to categorize stuff and wait for a cold front due Friday. 

Underway Day one
We set sail at 0830 bound for Rockport, Tx, a mere two hours away. The cockpit enclosure made it almost 80 degrees in the bright sunlight and we were enjoying the sail down Lydia Ann Channel, past the light house and into Aransas bay. Strong currents opposed us in the channel, but once in the bay we were seeing just over 6 knots in a light northwest breeze. We got to Rockport but decided to continue, perhaps to Army Hole near Port O’Connor. We made it through Deadman’s Reef in the northern part of Aransas bay at 1145. That sounds like a real adventure but actually it is a real narrow spot in the waterway. There were very few tow boats on the ICW so the day was mostly ours. This was the furtherest north we have been since 1998 in Why Knot not counting bringing her back to Texas after Katrina tried to eat her. Bear has never been this far north on Why Knot. We dropped anchor in Army Hole (28 degrees 20.617 N, 096 degrees27.497 W) at 1735. The sunset was spectacular and a gift for our first day of the cruise. Bear whipped up a stew that tasted a bit like Dinty Moore (or was it?). We hit the rack almost before sunset, but then again isn’t that what cruisers do? Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that we also spent some time aground in Aransas bay just after we decided to continue north. Seems that I was a bit remiss in minding the depth instrument. What the heck is that alarm?

Sunrise at Army Hole, near Port O’Connor, Texas. Pass Cavallo lighthouse to the left of the sunrise

Day One redo

Up at 0330 to check on some ticking sound I could hear other than Bear’s sleeping noise. Mind you, it is not snoring at all, just clicks, chirps, snorts and general deep sleeping sounds. That ticking was the ship’s clock on the other side of the bulkhead from my noodle. That is the first time it has ticked. Don’t electric clocks just hum? Most likely it is signaling that it is about to take a vacation. Then there is the little code blinking on the heater controller. Investigation disclosed that I, or someone, closed the through hull for the condenser water. It is surprising that the unit would run at all but it would cycle for about a minute or so. It has been doing that all night. In a few days, we will be able to hear the boat talking and will discover stuff like that sooner.

I have always believed that every boat has a troll that hides in some secret compartment. His or her sole purpose in life is to mess with stuff. They hide stuff from the male crew members and put it where the Admiral can find it. Usually, that is back in the place the male just looked. Said troll also might be the one that closed the a/c through hull. Been looking for him or her for some time and have yet to find him or her but I will sooner or later.

Ok, so yesterday was a real howler. The winds hit 35 kts or so and did not subside until well after midnight. The decision not to sail yesterday has rewarded us with a fine prospect for today. Light, shifting winds may well minimize our actual sailing so we will most likely motor to our target anchorage. We have limited choices for anchorages within a day sail from Port Aransas so we will most likely sail to Rockport sometime today. That follows the overall plan to keep the adventure more “laid back” and keep the long hauls to a minimum.

Bay Butt Kicking Postponed

The boat next to us hangs a green light in the slip overnight just to attract the minnows and whatever else that might like to dance. I awoke before the Bear this morning and went outside to see what the light was doing. The food chain was in great evidence as very tiny fish were swimming counter clockwise around the light. Larger minnows formed another ring outside the little ones and were swimming the same direction on the surface. Under them were piggy perch darting into the two rings for breakfast. As they attacked, the rings would momentarily break up then rejoin as the piggy left the area with one of their friends. Under them were other larger predators attacking them for breakfast. Who knows what lurked below them? It is good to be at the top of the chain but that could all change some day at sea. I sure hope not.

Ok, so at breakfast it looked like a good window to beat it out of this harbor and head for another.  By the time we were done with breakfast ashore, purchased fuel for the carry on cans and got back to the boat the winds were already above 25 knots.  Forecast called for gusts for 35 later on today.  The front that came through the area earlier today has created a strong northerly conponent and that is exactly the direction we must take leaving here.  I know, I know that is something that always happens but we chose to stay in the slip one more night to see if we can really mash the fenders that are keeping Why Knot from dancing with the dock.  As mushy as our brains are just getting ready for today, we are not wanting to start the cruise with a Bay Butt Kicking.

S minus 1.5 more or less

The pickup is loaded the final time before pushback.  This time it is fuel cans, alternate dock steps and winter clothes which we will ditch somewhere along the way.  As it is our plan to have no plan, no set amount of water to transit daily, we have yet to decide if the first day will be at sea or in the ICW (ditch).  Methinks it might just be a short sail to actually start the clock and lay some miles under the keel.  We will still be stowing stuff even after the departure.  I am sure we have too many provisions since we will be able to stop along the way and pick up whatever we need.  The Bear has provisioned as if we are to be at sea for several days and I think our normal eating patterns will prevail when aboard.  We actually do not eat very many real sit down type meals.  At some point the consumption patterns will dictate a far smaller provisioning, I would bet. 

So, it is actually upon us.  Our vehicle will come back to the Hill Country on Sunday and then we are in the element of cruising.  We are told that is the hardest thing to get used to- being without a vehicle.  No wait, we have two folding bicycles for the moment.  Methinks they make a tempting target for land pirates.

S minus 3.5 more or less

We have not moved for over 28 years and although we moved often before that, we are out of shape, mentally.  Seems as though our minds have turned to mush and we are working not from memory but from "to do" lists.  So far as the home lists are concerned, we think we have them done which means we have forgotten something, most likely something critical.  We have watched many friends head "out there" and often wondered why they got wierd just before leaving.  They were almost unfriendly.  We now know why. 
The weather window is cooperating for a Sunday or Monday departure but does pose a bit of a problem for transiting the ICW from Rockport to beyond Matagorda Bay some 60 nautical miles from Port Aransas.  The winds are supposed to be nice but from a northern component.  That means there are few anchorages that are good with a north component, particularly northeast component,  That  also means I will be on anchor watch most of the nights unless we find some protected spot.  Then again, it is time to get into that mode. 

Once, a few years ago, we anchored in Army Hole near Port O'Connor (28degrees 21.266 N, 096 degrees 29.219 W) and was awakened by a brisk, almost gale, NW wind at about 2200.  I thought we were hitting bottom in the big waves so I took the boat hook and stood on the swim deck to see if I could tough bottom when in the trough of the waves.  That was when I leaned that even in a storm there can be real beauty.  When I stuck the pole in the water, it lighted up like Luke Skywalker's light saber.  The bioluminisence were doing their thing.  I spent the next three hours sloshing that dock pole around in the water in the wind and the rain.  I am sure there will be other nights like that.  Meanwhile, the Bear was sound asleep in the vee berth.  I will do that again but next time I will definitely be wearing a teather and inflatable life jacket.  Dumb not to be safe.

S minus 5 more or less

Ok, so the pickup is inspected, the new license plates are on and it is ready for along stint in the garage.  The folding bicycles and the bean bag along with four fuel cans are all that remains to take aboard.  The stuff in the garage that was accumulated for that time "when we go crusing" is all aboard.  The list, though large, is locked and static so that we are done with it for the time being.  The Brazos River locks are subject to some recent rains and a repair schedule so we might just do an offshore punch to Galveston, or not.  Now, we wait until Friday to go to the boat where Why Knot sets patiently.

Last Monday at Home (for a while)

So it finally hits Bear and I that we are spending the last Monday in the Hill Country of Texas for some time.  At least we hope it turns out that way.  We have decided to keep our home since we built it.   We had the shell built then we hung the sheet rock, did the plumbing and electrical and even mined 52 tons of rocks from our property and laid same around the outside.   Too much sweat equity to sell it.  Anyway, we might need the place for a retreat during hurricane season or if we don't like life in a 41 foot floating, fiberglass, non-square, never still, slanting, overstuffed, under comfortable, sometimes hot, sometimes cold, sometimes wet, sometimes smelly, mold producing, always needing maintenance home.  It is S minus 6 (more or less) and we are into the moment.  Done all the list I care to do yet I still have a list.  We have gotten brain cramps thinking about what to take and what to leave.  So be it.

Sailing Orders From the Admiralty

Sailing Orders from the Admiralty
Port Aransas, Texas

Year of our Lord two thousand and ten

To: Crewe of the goode schipp Why Knot

Hailing Port: Port of Aransas, Texas(The Republic of), United States of America

Sailing
In preparation for over five years the time has come. Be advised that the sailing vessel Why Knot, a 42 foot sloop, laying rigged and ready (hopefully) will depart the port on Sunday, January 23, 2010 (weather permitting) on one or the other tide bound for some Caribbean island by way of ports along the Gulf and Atlantic coasts of the United States of America.

Underway and making way
Why Knot will have no specific schedules or port calls planned insofar as published information. She will endeavor to advance toward some daily destination so as to arrive in suitable time to secure the vessel and observe the locale and indigenous critters. She may combine inshore and offshore sailing at the discretion of the Admiral aboard. Strict safety procedures will be utilized at all times whilst underway. Inasmuch as Why Knot is not a “dry” boat, libations will be available to guests and quite possibly crew whilst underway but not to the extent of compromising safe passages and docking. The libation lamp shall not be lit before 1700 hours (somewhere).


Not underway- at anchor, aground or in a slip
Whilst at anchor or in a slip the crew shall observe whatever can be observed and record observations in the ship’s log or cruising log. Advanced and/or close up observations shall be conducted aboard the tender to Why Knot, followed by the consumption of libations followed by dinner ashore not more than every other day most likely followed by more libations until such time that the captain, crew and guest may choose to retire.


Return
The exact length and return date of the vessel shall not be determined in advance and shall be subject to the forces of nature and condition of the crewe including, but not limited to knees, necks, hearts and mental capacities. She shall sail until she cannot.


Bligh

Commanding (at the approval of Admiral Bear)

Transition to a Dream

Transition to the Dream


10/5/2009 by: Howell Cooper, S/v Why Knot, Port Aransas, TX

For years, my life mate taught 8th grade English. As they say, rain, hail, sleet, snow and even illness never stopped her from “standing and delivering”. It was such a routine that it took over three years to get her to actually retire. I thank the foolishness of the administrations, federal, state and local for providing the actual catalyst for her retirement. We discussed how I would make the transition with my company and get the time to loose the dock lines and extend our weekends to months cruising. Her retirement was a milestone but not quite enough make my mindset actually embrace the concept. It will be like the realization I had standing in the door of a C-130 so long ago when the jump master said “go”. Who me? Now?

We have now added capabilities to Why Knot (our Beneteau 411) to allow my “virtual office” to function. That did not enable my mindset to start the process toward that moment when we take in the dock lines and head to sea without a return date. After adding several technical items, I am now starting to actually allow myself to dream a bit. The reading has expanded and now the stack of articles is getting too thick to store. So much for recreational reading. The past few weeks have been spent working on the list both aboard and at home. We are keeping our house for that time when we will no longer be able to sail. That is something most cruisers discourage, yet it fits our realistic evaluation of the remaining physical capabilities we think we have.

I recently met a marine surveyor that made an interesting and somewhat eye opening statement. He said that one needs to read the guides but bear in mind that much of what has been written is not first hand and in some cases, the authors admit to writing articles many months after the fact and with fabricated information. I don’t think that is the rule but I do think one must be prepared for the changes that Mom, as we call Mother Ocean, has made since the articles. This means that everything is subject to error.

Now that it is turning cold here in Texas and we know that it will possibly be even colder when we leave Port Aransas, we are working on attitudes. Northerners really don’t understand that native south Texans are actually cold below about 65 degrees. So, the clothing gear comes into play. Winter stuff and how much to take is an issue storage wise.

The Countdown to Launch



S minus three weeks (more or less):

At home going through the barn surveying all the stuff I have been saving for “when we go cruising”, I am finding way more stuff than Why Knot can carry. It is just three days before Christmas and we have a lot of stuff to do with the family before we actually transport said stuff to the boat. Not only that, but the autopilot control heads are still at the factory for repair. Notice I said heads? The original died so we bought a “new” one on EBay only to discover that it too was not working. Both were sent to the manufacturer for repair. Meanwhile, the seller from EBay is involved to see if we can get the new on covered under warranty. Who knows on that one but as expected, things are jamming up against our unscheduled departure. The ditch bag emergency water maker needs inspection which will not be done before mid January if I get it and a couple of boat units to the manufacturer fast. Another trip to the UPS store is what I don’t need at this time. Topping the list is a slow house painter that may further delay our getting to the boat to do the preparations. Three years in the making and there is, as predicted by everyone, still a list.

S minus 21 days, more or less

I have never been a late sleeper but I have managed to make it to 0900 a few times in recent years. Not so now as the internal alarm goes off around 0500 with gentle reminders of things yet to do and dreams about to be lived. The hardest part, we are told, is to actually climb aboard and “take in” the dock lines. We usually leave them on the dock even for whole week trips. This time, we will actually take them with us. We just received the companionway hatch doors yesterday and that will be the last pre-departure project. Now, I start to look at weather trends to see how they are developing. Of course, there is all that gear in the barn to be loaded.



S minus 20 days, more or less (Christmas day)

After a five hour drive to West Texas, we arrived to visit family only to find that everyone was having difficulty getting there due to a snow storm that blanketed the area. So we made it and I checked to see if some last minute orders had been delivered back home. Ok, so focus on the event and leave the boat list alone for a bit--- can’t do that completely. Thus, I am awake at 0400 to get some things done in the quiet of the morning. I had the pickup loaded with stuff to take to the boat; among the items is the ditch bag with water and emergency rations, which I remembered to take inside due to the cold outside. One would not want to find the water bags compromised in the event of real need of the bag. We are looking forward to being back aboard after the Christmas break. As I write this, I am thinking of more stuff to complete prior to push back.



S minus 19 days, more or less

Now things are getting serious. Bear just came home with the provisions, plus what she inventoried the other day from our household stuff. Dang, where are we to put the stuff. That aft cabin may no longer be available for guests.





S minus 16 days, more or less

It is down to the small stuff. Finally found a diver to do a last minute prop check, which is good news for this old carcass in that I don’t have to suit up and do it in the very cold water this time of year. I definitely was not looking forward to that. We will need the hull and prop clean as we are now riding a bit lower in the water. At least one question remains: do I take the extra headsail or not? It is a big one and difficult to store. We both admit to feeling weird. We are making the transition but really can’t get it properly stored in our minds that it is upon us. There is a kind of emphasis from our friends to “get together before you leave”. We aren’t sailing over the edge, just around the Gulf. Now the words of so many articles about the subject are starting to come into view. I guess that is the hard part of this.

S minus 6 days, more or less

Ok, it is one last visit with some of our grandkids and a few more loose items to complete at home and the great adventure starts. The home computer and the ships notebook both took a vacation last week, thus a complete reload of the software and data in each. Thanks to an on-line backup service, this is merely a nuisance. Today was the last Sunday before the sail. We are both sure we are forgetting something important but at least we will still be in the USA for some time. Next week at this time, weather permitting, we shall be underway. Yikes! It’s here

Stepping Over Dead Center

Stepping Over Dead Center


Howell Cooper

October 16, 2009

Although it has been done countless times before, when it is personal then things take on a different importance. I am speaking of that moment when you step across that wet void to board a boat. It is even more pronounced when that boarding is to take her to sea and yet another order of importance when one is embarking to “live the dream” as Bob Bitchin of Seafaring Magazine puts it. That space between the dock or dock steps and the weather deck, that space that separates land from the sea is a milestone. The expectation of an hour or two day sailing or of months of cruising determines the nature of that crossing. Mechanically, there is no difference, but as many have found out, it can be challenging to those not prepared to simply go past dead center. Sometimes the wind sets the boat against the fenders and that step is short. Sometimes the wind widens that gap and the step is challenging. So too, is the step that takes one from the day sail to the cruise. More stuff goes aboard for the latter. More parts, more food, more tools, more clothes, more galley utensils, more books and tapes, more of everything is loaded. The boat starts to “squat” a bit more as the fuel; water and galley take on more stuff. For some, it is the first time the second water tank is filled. Those extra sails now occupy the guest quarters and that space starts to resemble a small storage shed. The chart plotter is now full charts for those places never visited before. The book rack holds guides which will take the boat and crew to that great anchorage or that out-of-the-way café with the great fritters. Now that one anticipates fewer shore side dining facilities one has to “lay in” additional galley gear. Perhaps that charcoal grill that gives such good flavor is exchanged for a gas grill that does not have the mesquite flavor. Stuff in the spares locker is inventoried and one wanders how many joker valves to inventory so that the head works at some place where West Marine isn’t. How many fuel filters are enough? Does one really need the third anchor? If so, where the heck to put it. Summer or winter gear?

Then things get really complicated when Phydeaux, the family pet is along. Since he does not use the head, how do you get him to use the foredeck? Is it possible to get a larger holding tank installed in a 5 pound dog? What about the requirements to let him run ashore every day? That sometimes dictates the itinerary. We had a friend that learned about Atlantic Coast tides the hard way one morning. Seems his pet needed shore liberty and they piled into the dink and went ashore. After an hour or so, the returned to the dink to find it 30 yards from the water and stuck in a mud flat. The human in the shore party waded in hip deep mud to get to the water whilst carrying the dog. For that and several other reasons, it will be just my mate and I. Our household dogs are gone to old age. We will not redog until our cruise is done.

That pesky autopilot that works most of the time takes on a critical importance. What about that wire or hose that one has been meaning to replace some weekend? How about the ADHD that previously was treated with a short drive ashore? What about that heater that seems a bit “noisy”? And don’t forget the towing membership with “unlimited” service. Are the fuel tanks that skunky or will one have enough filters to “polish” one’s own tanks whilst underway? Is The List actually growing or has the efforts of the past year reduced it a bit? I think not. Then there is the adage that if one waits to complete the list, one will never leave. What about the mail? Then all other things accomplished, there is the departure date. We have watched many boat crews get ready and announce the date of departure only to watch that date come and go while dock mates harass the delayed crew. As a result, we have decided to just say that it will be sometime a month or so from now and the destination is just “out there”. Then we will take a hint from dear friends and simply not be in our slip some weekend. We will just slip away before sunrise some sleepy morning. Twenty years of discussion, many day sails, some offshore passages and a lot of preparation of the boat are about done. It’s time. It is time to step over dead center.

In Port Early Morning 6/12/09


Ok, so it is early for a boat day, 0533 hours, but I am done sleeping. That often happens where I get up early and stay up. As usual, the wind is piping here in Port Aransas and this being Friday, we are expecting another fishing tournament to kick off this time tomorrow. It will be fun to watch weekend fishermen deal with docking in this wind. Some, for instance, are from inland lakes where one simply does not go out in winds over about 15 kts. That makes the experience level somewhat in short supply for docking in the wind. So, about 1700 today, we will start to see the bumper boats arrive. One can often have a great time at the launch ramps just watching those without a checklist launch boats soon to be full of water or those that simply won’t start.

Bear and I are starting to formulate plans to live the dream. Now that she if officially retired, and I am running out of enthusiasm for my work, we can see a time, most likely after hurricane season in November, when we will actually point her east and start to explore the Gulf of Mexico and the East Coast. For all these years we have dreamed of getting “out there”, it may well become a reality soon. Now that it is a possibility, many of those boat items on the check list are starting to stand out. You know the ones, those items that have been on the “before we go list”. So, as I sit waiting for the coffee to make, I feel the wind in the wire, the gentle rocking of Why Knot in this slip. I can almost feel her starting to come alive just as a family pooch waits for the master to get out of the chair and get the leash. Soon we will get the leash and open the door. Soon, we will provision and lay in all that stuff in the barn that only goes when we take her to sea. Soon, we will load her to the water line and point here out the jetties. Soon, that is, if some nasty hurricane allows here to live another year.

Wind in the Wire

March 7, 2009

OK, it is 0530 aboard Why Knot. She is secured in the slip and after days of howling winds from astern, the shift finally came and the winds are light. Winds are now from the other end of the marina and we have hundreds of boats blocking the rollers for us. Days of high winds have caused us to tune out most sounds. Then, this morning, in the earliest moments of consciousness there is no sound save the low sound of wind in the rigging. That low sound is so soft and so musical that it reminds me of my childhood when I visited my grandparents in the grasslands of North Texas. It was back before air conditioning, back when one could actually hear the sounds outside. My grandparents lived on small hill, way out away from town. When they needed cooling, they opened the windows. When we visited, I got to sleep on a bed they prepared for me on the screened in porch. I remember the wind coming though that screen at night and how it was music to my ears. This morning, just for an instant, I awoke in that place so long ago. Wow, how nice it was. Mother Ocean was singing a soft song to those who would listen. There were no slapping halyards, no bird sounds, no engines running and no systems noise aboard at the moment.

One can appreciate that sound most often at anchor in some remote anchorage but it is rare in a marina. Add to that the glow of the moon through the hatches and you get one of those perfect fleeting moments that are gone quickly. I am almost always rewarded when the cool breeze taps me on the forehead early in the morning and I listen. This was one of those times.