AND THE HEAT GOES ON… & on (Part 175b)
Even though I knew the
marina owner and his wife I didn’t know any of the people who kept
their boats there. Most were outboard type with very few sailboats and
cabin cruisers. Both of those type were moored in the slips that were
actually located out in the creek itself. Because I’d run out of gas the
first time Elle and I went for a sail I’d bought a one gallon can so I’d
have more gas than what was in the tank that was built into the motor.
The marina’s gas dock was out where those boats were located. While
waiting for the attendant to come and pump my gas I took a look at them. The
sailboat was way bigger than mine by at least fifteen feet. The bow
(front) was sticking out into the creek to the point that boats moored
further up the creek had to maneuver to get past. To me, it looked out
of place so went over to take a closer look.
Two of the main components
of a sailboat are the mast, which is vertical, and the boom, which is
horizontal. Sails are attached to them and when they are hoisted become
the propulsion for it. However, when anchored or tied up to a dock the
sails are furled and lay on the boom. If the boat is not expected to be
under way (moving) for a period of time the sail is covered. The usual
covering is canvas (and 90% it royal blue) and many sailors then use it to
lay another piece of canvas over it and attach the ends to the safety
rails. It affords the people some respite from the sun. As I approached I
could see what appeared to be clothing spread on both the sail cover
and the added canvas. Still on the shore I was trying to make out
exactly what they were but my attention was diverted by the sight of
four legs moving about the cockpit of boat. The makeshift cover
prevented me from seeing all that much of the bodies that went with the
legs. I was about to return to the gas pump when I saw the lower half on
one of the two… and I swear to this day what she was wearing was a pair
of white bikini panties. I know that bathing suits can be white and
I’ve seen many of them but by then I’d pretty much discerned that among the
clothing on the canopy were two bathing suits. I wanted to stay to see
if I could see more but the gas attendant was calling.
When he
was pumping my gas I asked about the big sailboat and who was on
it. The kid was only about 15 or 16 years old but the look on his face
when he told me that among others were two teen aged girls was quite humorous. That helped
to solidify my theory that what I’d seen on that person was a pair of
bikinis. I didn’t get a chance to ask anything about them because the
kid continued that their father was there with them. He thought the man was in the
process of doing some of business with Dave, the marina owner. I knew the owner but not all that well. I also knew the neighbors (including both Elle's and my parents) to the marina were
still upset that it had been allowed in the area. “Big B”, the guy I
bought the sailboat from, was a very good friend of the owner and “B” had told me he
was looking to expand the size and scope of it. As I walked back to
Elle, the kids and the boat I looked around and couldn’t imagine what
he’d be able to do with what was, in essence, a lot of dredged up sand.
Elle
was wondering what had taken me so long but I kind of sloughed her off
and started the outboard motor so as to get out of the boat slip and into the
creek. It was really old and “B” had only given me cursory instructions
on the operation of it. But, I managed to get us out of the creek and
out into the bay. Once the sails had been raised Anne took the tiller
to steer the boat. As I’ve written any number of times she’d taken to
sailing right from the first time we’d had her out on the water.
However, this boat was a lot more boat to handle than the Sunfish she
was used to so I was a bit concerned. I shouldn’t have been. Even
though not quite nine years old she’d already grasped the basics of
sailing and how the direction of the wind dictated which way she’d be
able to steer the boat. The wind for our ‘maiden voyage’ as a family in
our new boat was perfect. Not too much and yet enough to keep us moving.
The only problem was in getting Anne to give up the tiller to let her
sister have a go at it. I was proud of her for her sailing acumen but
not proud of the way she acted when she had to give up steering.
Jean,
the oldest daughter had not learned half of what Anne had. It was hard
to fathom why since she also professed her love of sailing and being on
the water. She was a rote learner having to have things explained
multiple times whereas Anne pretty much got the concept when presented.
In any case, I won’t say the girls got bored but after a while they both
wanted to go for a swim. Once in the water the Lightning class sailboat
was not a boat that an adult could climb back aboard without
difficulty. I found out the first time I tried so gave up on it from
that time forward. For the kids it was easy because Elle and I could
grab them by their arms and swing them aboard. So, it was only the kids
who got wet. Well, that’s only partially true. By that time it was well
over two hours since we’d left home. With the kids in the water Elle
went up on the fore deck and sat down supposedly to keep a close watch
on the kids. I knew better. As she made her way forward I could see that
telltale yellow spot between her legs. She proceeded to sit down with
her feet dangling over the side and all I could do was to watch knowing
full well that she was peeing… and I couldn’t even see it. That didn’t
stop my ’bulge’ from appearing. I knew she’d never let me’ play’ when
she returned as she never did when the kids were around. So, all I could
do was wait for her to return to observe the ‘damage’ on her shorts. As she
stood up I could see her whole backside was wet halfway to her waist.
But, when standing and coming towards me, the stain was hardly
noticeable. The girls knew of their mother’s problem so there was no
worry about anything being said by them so we went about hauling them
back in the boat as if nothing had happened. My biggest regret was in not bringing a camera to
commemorate our voyage and possibly a picture.
Up to that point
we’d been lucky to have decent wind. With the kids back in the boat we
felt it was time to head for home. The normal southerly hadn’t arrived
and when it didn’t it usually meant the wind we had would fade as the
afternoon progressed. Anne wanted to keep sailing but I told her it was
my turn at the helm and pointed the boat back towards the marina. When
we were back to the mouth of the creek and with the wind, such as it
was, out of the North it meant having to use the outboard motor. While
under sail it had been cocked up so as not to be a drag on our progress.
After putting it back in the water I tried to start it but with no
success. I couldn’t understand it since it had been running only a few
hours earlier. Luckily, a small power boat was entering the creek at the
same time and towed us in. It was not the perfect ending but Elle and
the girls agreed it had been a fun afternoon and they wanted to do it
again. The big question was when?
To be continued…
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