QUIET DECISIONS
May 20, 2012
It is little wonder that King Crab costs $30 a pound given the waters in which the Deadliest Catch crews work. They work in full gales and worse and it is somewhat normal to them. To others a 40 knot wind and 10 feet seas are the norm. I like to feel that we of the Gulf Coast sailed routinely in fresh breezes and lively water. Within the past three days, at least two yacht clubs have made this port as a weekend destination. The forecast today is for Beaufort 6 wind (25-31 mph) and the clubs are changing plans as I write this. No one wants to face the seas in the Bay, especially the occasional sailor. Those that must be somewhere tomorrow are being forced to consider another decision, to stay another day or bite the bullet and head out. The dragon is not there but the hard part is to finish the coffee on the big veranda of the marina and slip the dock lines. Methinks that once clear of the jetty, they will face a mind change and embrace the lively water with yet another base for a tall tale. I am reminded of the reward one Sunday morning as we had to return to Port Aransas across the bay. The winds were force 7 and “on the nose”. The USS Lexington was in clear view as we started out. We were taking green water over the bow yet the dodger kept is at bay. We looked back at the Lex and noticed B-25s on deck with engines running. They all took off and later we learned that the latest Pearl Harbor movie was being filmed on deck. For some reason, the concerns about the sea disappeared as we thought about the day Doolittle took off a carrier in very high seas so long ago. We have spent thirty years talking to sailors about the sea and the common thread is the challenge of sailing. Today, some in this marina will make the decision to go and be challenged beyond the comfort zone. For that, they will move the experience needle and be rewarded. The decision is usually not intentional but one that seems to materialize with the crew at some magic moment after the morning coffee.

Alberto the seasons first tropical storm is working its way up the Carolinas. Wow, it is way too early for tropical activities.