Hilton Head Island: Day of Joy

 

I am fortunate in my friends who, among other things, often remind me of words I have written and forgotten.  A few days ago in an email Steve Earley asked if I remembered my Day of Joy.  I replied that I did not.  I thank him for reminding me and kindly providing links to two journal entries from ten years ago.  When I finished reading them I was smiling.  Even if you are one of the few who has been following this journal for that long, you may have forgotten them too.

The above flowers are blooming at the driveway entrance to our condo.

        Opua:  a joy-in

        Friday, March 20, 2015

        On different sides of the world, Steve Earley, who had a hip replaced in January, hopes to go for his first sail of the year on SPARTINA this weekend at about the same time I will sail GANNET for the first time this year.  Saturday for him; Sunday for me.  Perhaps thousands of more miles distant Bill and Roger will sail CALSTAR on the Bristol Channel.

        I invite you wherever you are to join us doing whatever you love to do this weekend.

        If you have a boat on water which can be sailed, sail.  Unfortunately that excludes my Chicago neighbors and Eric in Montreal and many others.

        If you are a runner, run.  A walker, walk.  A lover, love.  A musician, play.  A lover of music, listen.  A reader, read.  A tennis player, play.  A horseman or woman, ride.  A cook, cook.  A gardener, garden.  A dreamer, dream.

        Whatever brings you joy enjoy it.

        And if you want to email me about it, I’ll try to put it all together.

        Opua:  sailed

        Sunday, March 22, 2015

        A glorious day.  Sunny and warm.  In the 70sF/ low 20sC.

        I dropped the mooring at 10:00 a.m. in calm conditions and rode the tide north at 1 knot for a half hour before any wind came up.  GANNET went from 1 to 5 faster than I can write the words.  We stayed mostly between 5 and 6 knots, but, still being helped by the tide, did see some 6s and 7s in not more than 5 knots of wind.

        I let the replacement Raymarine tiller pilot steer some, but I mostly steered myself.  No problem with my left arm.  I even hand held the jib sheet with a single wrap around the winch for a while in my left hand.  (I had recently had physical therapy for a torn left shoulder rotator cuff.)

        I turned around near a cruise ship anchored north of Russell.

        On the way back the wind dropped and it took me an hour to cover the last half mile.  I passed a moored sailboat three times both forward and reverse, forward with the wind, back with the tide.  I thought about digging out the Torqeedo, but didn’t, and finally a slight breeze carried us to the mooring which I picked up under mainsail alone.

        My shoulder aches, but not much more than usual.

        Steve sailed SPARTINA on the Pasquotank River.

        Ken sailed on the Swan River in Perth, Australia.

        Tom sailed on Tokyo Bay.

        Shelton sailed on a lake in Georgia.

        Rik sailed off Aruba.

        I expect that Bill and Roger will sail in the Bristol Channel.

        A tennis player played.

        A runner and music lover ran and listened to Bach whose 330rd birthday it was.

        And sailing friends near Chicago where marinas don’t open until May 1 enjoyed martinis.

        I trust more joy will be found before the weekend is over.

        After I post this, I’m moving on deck to listen to music and sip Laphroaig.

        Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy’ would seem appropriate, but is too boisterous.  I’ll find something more serene.