Wise Guy

It seemed like a very good idea to quietly creep out of bed and paddle out into the fog that was lifting off the silky smooth ocean this morning.

Until the water started breathing.  My mind immediately raced to the Megalodon, a monstrous prehistoric shark featured in the movie we watched last night, but alas I spotted the sighing sea creatures.  Seals.  Hundreds of seals!  

No wonder Zachary has been paddling out three times a day from our anchorage in The Goslings, a gathering of three small islands that form a pristine harbor in Casco Bay.  The puppy-like slicksters are playful and funny!  They are a good that helps to balance out the weight of the world.

Two weeks ago we sailed our way south in building southwest winds that are bittersweet because they signal the end of the summer season here.  We were on our way to Falmouth, ME to pick up Zachary on August eleventh.  When one of your adult children is coming for an extended visit (think uninterrupted time with little to no internet), everything pales in comparison to the anticipation of such an event.  Therefore, it’s hard to remember the details of our travels in Muscongus Bay.  That said, one doesn’t forget whales.  We’re pretty sure the ones we saw while sailing from Damariscove to Potts Harbor were Minkes because they looked like enormous, shy dolphins in the distance.

The clogged holding tank (boat toilet storage tank) outlet was equally as memorable as the whales.  Under normal circumstances this would have been a level 5 emergency (level 1 being that the boat is sinking), but with Zachary coming in only two days, the situation got bumped up to a level 3.  I know what you landlubbers are thinking, but nope, a simple plunge does not work for a head / holding tank clog.  We hightailed it from peaceful Chebeague Island to Falmouth / Farside, where they had a dockside pump out (waste vacuum.)  Michael’s proposed solution was to create a vacuum in the holding tank by taping up the vent, and having me plug the toilet with a giant rubber bung (conical thingy used to plug holes in boat- looks remarkably similar to chewy dog toy).  Theoretically, this would create enough vacuum to force the clog free while he used the pump out to suck the waste up and out of the tank.  As I held the plug in place (a perfectly sanitary and odorless job) an image of the holding tank imploding under suction did cross my mind.  Thankfully, the whole ordeal was over before my imagination had time to run wild with panic and the head was fixed.

Then, like magic, he was here . . . pensive after working all summer as a COVID contact tracer in riot ravaged Georgetown, but present nonetheless. 

I was hoping like hell that Gerty could soothe his soul, but I wasn’t sure.  Outdoor environments as breathtaking as the Maine coastline often encourage reflection, and in these times contemplative thinking can be sobering. 

In contrast, Oh Hell, a betting card game that Zachary taught us and Rumikub can lead to mindless and obsessive competitiveness, laughter and warm brownie eating.  Needless to say, we played multiple rounds of both games.

Hiking on Seguine Island with really aggressive biting flies is another interesting alternative to deep thought.  I don’t recommend it, but if a distraction is what you need this activity will suffice, trust me.

Treks to secure lobster rolls for lunch and dinner, frequent ice-cream excursions and hours of cockpit reading all seem to slowly chip away at the stress is life realism, creating space for a soon to be new and healthier future. 

And we got to celebrate that future at Hermit Island with news of Zachary’s first medical school interview!

On Friday Michelle Obama spoke to us through our iPad, the only device on our boat that could garner enough internet connection to stream videos and the emotion in her voice drew us in.  It made me realize that I’d be an idiot to think that two weeks of sailing on the Maine coast could alleviate the weight that our collective children currently bear.  So the next morning I made ginger pear muffins and printed out our absentee ballot applications.  This made a small and yummy difference.

A wise young man once said, “There is only one way to go in life.”  Then he paddled out into the rain and this genuinely seemed to help.

Last remarks:

Fun facts divulged during card play: Swordfish swim faster than sharks. sharks have sharp skin as well as sharp teeth, but if you punch them in the nose, they won’t attack you.  Zachary has seen all thirteen Sharknado movies!

Shout out to Rob and Kathryn in Boothbay Harbor. I wish we took a picture for the blog!

Many thanks to Peter in Harmon Harbor for graciously lending us his brand new mooring.