Finding Moments of Joy

Finding Moments of Joy

Saturday 19th June 2021

Today started with a few concerns about the possibility of uncomfortable swells (forecast to be 4-6 feet) and winds (10-15 knots gusting to 25 knots) as we were going into open seas en route to East Greenwich, Mike and Gloria’s home port.  The sound of strong wind blowing while we were moored did not make it any easier.   All three of us took a “Stugeron” to prevent seasickness and I later discovered that Mike had brought out the throw-up bag, just in case.  We delayed our departure by an hour, and it ended being fortuitous as Gloria heard the cry “Andiamo”, and the Aldo Pastry Boat was outside!  Can you believe our luck!!   Mike hailed them and they came over with an assortment of pastries.   Sadly, they did not want to sing for us, which was a bit disappointing after I heard the history of the pastry boat.  Nonetheless, we chose a few and Mike treated; they were a bit pricey, presumably due to the delivery fee.  After breakfast, we set off.  We took the added precaution of attaching a safety line to our life vests (which Mike and Gloria typically do when they are offshore on their own).  I have complete faith in Mike and Gloria’s sailing knowledge, so I was not worried.

After leaving the protected harbor, there were swells making the ride a bit more choppy than normal. One could see the white tops on some of the waves.   Nonetheless, we were able to sail most of the way as we had wind and current in our favor.  The sail was so much calmer than we anticipated, and after we entered the Narragansett Bay, it was very calm and relaxing.  Shortly after arriving at the mooring, we were joined by Gloria’s family, Paul and Fran, and Rod and Sue.   I never laughed so much as they told sailing stories and talked about races that went awry.  They really are blessed to get along so well and actually enjoy each other’s company as many families do not. While they were visiting we had heavy rain and thunder and lightening and we were glad to be safely on the mooring.

So overall, this was without question one of the best experiences of my life.  The past year of the pandemic was not easy and I found it helpful to find moments of joy every day to help me get through it.   I have to say that the past ten days were filled with countless moments of joy.  As you may have gathered, I had gone sailing only a few times on short sails, nothing like this.  I am a complete novice.  I did not know if I would get sea sick, but I knew there were a few ferries from Long Island in case I had to bail (and obviously I did not).   I was worried about riding the dinghy and I have to say that I am so much more comfortable riding it, but not in bumpy harbors.  Mike and Gloria were very patient, teaching me about currents, the wind and that if neither are in your favor, you have to motor sail.  They explained the charts to me, and that white means the water is deep, blue is shallow, and how to determine the distance in nautical miles.   They explained how to read the wind speed and depth on the navigational instruments.  They are wonderful teachers, very patient despite my numerous questions.  Hopefully, I did not drive them crazy with all of my questions.

And of course the sailing was spectacular!   Better than expected, exceeds expectations, five stars! When I first got on board, I was too uncomfortable to stand while the boat was moving.  When it started tipping (heeling) I preferred the high side of the boat.   I slowly moved from the lower bench to the upper bench in order to have a better view.   I even was comfortable enough being on the low side when it did not tip too much.  And the views were amazing.  I finally was the person on the sail boat that I previously took photos of from the land!

And of course, we all know that both Mike and Gloria are fantastic chefs, although I was astounded at the type of meals that came out of the tiny 2x2 kitchen.  I did feel guilty as they did all of the work, although I do believe contributing a few blog posts counts for work, right?

So overall, Mike and Gloria, I do not know how I can possibly thank you enough for this experience, filled with countless moments of joy.   And blog readers, if you are ever lucky enough to get a phone call inviting you to join them for a sail, Do Not Hesitate, say Yes! You will not regret it; it will be the best time of your life!

Sheila

41 39.410 N, 71 26.681 W

Storm over East Greenwich 

Sailing from Block Island to East Greenwich

Ten miles of wing-on-wing downwind sailing inside Narragansett Bay