posted 09-08-2000 12:11 PM ET (US)        

Since I've been offline for a while (system problem and vacation at the gulf coast) here's a quick story from one afternoon at the beach.....

There I was, sitting at the helm with rain coming down so hard visibility was down to about 40'. The storms had popped up on all points of the compass this hot late summer afternoon. Wind gust were hitting close to tropical storm numbers and the seas were getting real ugly. The worst of it was all the lighting going on around me. These afternoon summer thunder storms can really be bad here on the upper Gulf coast. I looked down at my hands and my knuckles were white from gripping the steering wheel so hard. I was thinking I'm sure glad this is a Whaler. I tried to decide what the best course of action would be. Do I lower all my antennas and fishing rods. Turn the bow into the wind and use just enough power to ride the waves, hoping the lighting avoids frying me. Maybe I could put out the sea anchor on a long rode and hide in the cabin. I knew things would calm right down after the storm went though, almost as fast as it turned ugly. Damn I hate being out during a thunder storm. I tried to picture running the concrete walled narrow pass in these conditions to get back to my home dock. The sand bar at the mouth would be so shallow between waves that it would almost be dry. I'd have to catch the back of a wave and ride it over the bar, then into and between the walls of the pass as it broke down. Too slow and it would strand me on the bar while the next wave crashed over the stern, then it would pick the boat up and slam it into the walls. To fast and I would drop over the top, broach and slam into the walls. Funny I remember thinking how it would be a shame no-one would be on the beach to see how expertly I negotiated the pass. But hell, those who've never tried to run a pass in bad conditions wouldn't understand the skill and confidence needed to do it. Plus how could a non-boater appreciate the Adrenalin rush anyway. Well I made up my mind, jumped out of the boat, glad I was older and wiser now, and had decided to leave it under the condo this day. Who says we don't get smarter as we get older. <grin>