wind

4/5/18 St Augustine

Stayed in Palm Coast last night, slept late this morning, finally up and making coffee around 8:30. Computer stuff until nearly 10 a.m. with expectation to leave by 10:15 or so. Not. I think it was a bit after 11:00 when David backed us out of our very narrow slip. Two women fended off from both sides, one on a neighboring boat. Captain Dave did a marvelous job of getting us out without even kissing the dock or pilings.

A pretty non-eventful day of boating. That's good. We shared helms person duties but David got the task of guiding us through the Matanzas Inlet spaghetti twists and turns. The canal HAS been dredged wince we were there in February and nearly ran aground. Much easier passage.

The wind was ferocious with gusts up to 22knots, even in the canal. And it was on our nose much of the time. Coming into St Augustine harbor was a bear, providing opportunities for pissy-ness between Captain David and Admiral Nancy as we tackled the mooring ball.

Me on the foredeck with the boat hook ready. David going around the ball to come at it into the wind. Perfect. Oops. We missed. Captain turned to starboard to realign then a quick (unexpected) turn to port. (I learned later that the low water alarm had alarmed.) WTH is he doing? Okay, lines ready on the other side of the boat. I hooked that sucker! On no! The ball is going down the side of the boat. It's running away from me. I can't hold on! Help! David to the rescue, holding the ball by the hook while I laced the line through the...thing you lace the line through. Wait David laced the line I handed him, gave it (the line) back to me to lace through the hause hole and tie off to the cleat. Okay. Phew! Grace moored enough while we deal with the double line mooring, preferred in this field and, for sure, in this gusty wind. Me ready to take the starboard side line around the bow. But put the chaffing gear on first. Right. Captain holding the chaffing gear so I can thread the line through it. "Let me have it," I said. "I'll hold it for you," he said. Threading wasn't working for me. "Just let me have it," I said emphatically. He did and I threaded the line using my technique. Line around the bow to Captain who wove it through the "eye" of the mooring pendant (?) and handed it back around the bow to me so I could put the chaffing gear on the other end. He didn't offer to help me hold it this time. Smart fellow. I took the weight of the boat on my mooring line so he could put chaffing gear on his line. I didn't offer to help hold chaffing gear for him either.  Boat secure and balanced. Rudder centered. 

Silently we agreed it was best to not talk to each other for awhile. I went below. Captain David in the pilot house. Then I went to the aft deck. We both took naps. I studied Spanish. He talked to a friend in Maine. I cooked. We ate. And we've begun planning for galley renovations.

Spats do happen. We have different ways of solving challenges. Life is good. St Augustine is beautiful. The wind has abated. Our friend, Fordyce, will leave tomorrow without us.