Chronicle of Cruising II

[Cruisingdad]

"Hurry daddy, hurry!" Chase urged. I looked behind and looked ahead. We were running out of time. The winds had died down and we were barely making 3 knots.

I looked over at Kris. "What do you think? Iron Genny?"

"We better if you want to make it on time," she replied.

Click. Chug-spash. We were making water and making time. We floored the engine. A nice little smoke screen dissapeared into the drift and the sail luffed behind the stays. I pulled in the Jib, Kris then took the wheel as I jumped on the deck and stayed the main.

I looked behind and looked ahead. Tick-tock. Things were getting serious. We were almost there.

"Can you see it!!" Kris demanded.

"Wait, wait... no, you??" I responded.

"No! I lost it a few minutes ago," she answered. I threw the boat into neutral, ran below to grab Chase, and within a few moments, had killed the engine and we were laying a drift in the sea.

We all three (well four, if you include Scooter), stood at the bow and stared off. The sun was just touching the horizon. There was total silence except the gentle splash of the seas catching the bow and running down the beam. Every once in a while a few drops of spray would make their way onto our faces.

"Right there," I pointed about 30 degrees south of the sunset. "The Tortugas. 121 miles that way."

"The one with the fort?" Chase asked.

"Yep," Kris answered.

"What is that way?" Chase asked.

"Texas. About 800 miles or so I guess," (though I really was not sure). "And that way is Mexico. Over there Cuba. And if you could squeeze around that way the Bahamas. Jamaica...."

We stood there silently watching as the sun drifted into the sea. We could turn all the way around us, but there was no land in sight. No boats. No people. Just a quiet moment.

No doubt people are reading this and wondering what this has to do with cruising? Well, everything and nothing. There is something about getting out of sight of anyone and everything and moving with a boat that is gently rolling with the sea. Watching the sun go down. Taking a deep breath in a moment frozen in time.

We did it often, weather permitting (and sometimes not permitting). Occasionally we would toast the sunset. Sometimes we would laugh and play and joke around. Sometimes nothing, just sit there and stare off. BUt always, for a moment or longer we would glare into the horizon and picture a distant island, a remote anchorage, or some uncharted place.

With a little imgaination you can see them while drifting at sea. A little more imagination you can spot them inside the bay, from a lake, a shore, or 5:00 traffic through your windshield.

Cruising is not always the landfalls, but the dreams of getting there.

[CharlieCobra]

No doubt.

[eryka]

Yeah, there's something glorious about being able to turn 360 degrees and not see any works of Man...