First Sailing Lesson

Nantucket
My son, Chris and my grandson joined me for a sail in Nantucket Sound earlier this week. The Endeavor is a replica of an old vessel used by fisherman in New England in the 1800s. So, it's not the fastest boat on the water, but it's steady and doesn't respond too quickly to a change of direction at the helm. It's also just a beautiful 38 foot boat with a long bow sprit that was crafted from beautiful teak wood.

When Chris was growing up, he and I would sail the Chesapeake Bay. Chris loved to sail, was a good sailor instinctively, able to read the water and was always right when he suggested I cut a "can" short because he could see that the depth of the sometimes very shallow Bay wasn't going to cause our boat to get hung up on a sandbar ( my constant fear! ) So, seeing him show another generation how to hoist the jib, how to steady himself when the boat high sides, and just feel the motion of a boat starting a tack was fun to watch.

I was at the helm for part of the sail, and although I haven't captained a boat for over 5 years, it was like riding a bike--just came right back to me.

My mother used to tell me a story about a little kitty who wanted to hop on the moon instead of go inside and have his dinner w/ his kitten siblings. All I could think of when I watched Ethan shreeking with laughter at the feel of the wind and the waves was the refrain of the story: " And he sailed, and he sailed and he sailed away."

M.C.