Wednesday, August 16, 2017

Marathon: Carol: a love story


        You are looking at the scene of one of the great passions ever known.  I did not say the greatest.  I am sure there have been equals.  I hope that you yourself have known such passion.  But I am confident that there have been none greater.
        Twenty-three years ago today, Carol and I left THE HAWKE OF TUONELA, who was anchored—this was before the mooring field existed—here in Boot Key Harbor, rowed ashore, and drove down to Key West where we were married.  I believe we have lived rather happily ever since.
        We had known one another for only two months,
meeting when I flew to Boston to take her and the man then in her life, a German born physician, and his Peterson 44 across the Atlantic.
        I don’t like to sail boats I have not myself prepared and have done only three boat deliveries.  One from San Diego to San Francisco.  One San Diego to Cabo San Lucas.  And the one with Carol.  
        I did the first two because I needed the money.  I made the one with Carol to meet Carol.  There was then no woman in my life, and I agreed to make the delivery because I thought I might meet someone along the way.
        I flew into Boston on a Monday.  The three of us lived on the boat from the beginning.  Carol and Henry in the aft cabin.  I in the forepeak.
        Two evenings later, on Wednesday there was a bon voyage party on the boat, after which Carol’s best friend said to her, “Henry is a good match maker.”
        The three of us set off.  There was a problem with the self-steering vane, which I fixed.  We stood watches and during mine one night an NBA play-off game I was listening to on radio headphones was interrupted by the police chase of O.J. Simpson down an LA freeway.  By the time we reached the Azores, alliances had changed.  I flew back.  Carol continued on to Portugal, from where she flew back.
        It was a great risk for Carol to marry a much-divorced man.  I am so glad she made that leap into the unknown.
        We will share a video call this evening and a drink at distance.
        To love and passion.