Springing Forward with Teddy !

Teddy climbs.  He is on the chair.  He is on the table.  He is on Waverly's back.  His little hands, little fingers pick berries from Cherrios.   He eats and sorts his food objects like a professor.  He is now 18 months old.  He has a personality.  He is engaged in life.  He is spending the weekend  with us !

For her fifth season, Enchantress 's first trip  starts with a blue sky and a warm day.  The water is cold 46 and the air temp is 76.  There is a breeze and a Force 5 wind, exactly on the nose.  We are with Jeff and Terri who bravely come from Charlottesville to sail  the Rappahannock's  waters.

 

We are at high tide but the North Wind has pushed the water out of  the creek.  We have 1/2 feet under the keel.  We do not step up but walk across the dock to the deck.  Waverly likes it. Teddy likes it.  I am trying to remember if I paid Tow Boat US 's fee this year. 

We motor out to  Broad creek with the new BC WR (Broad Creek wreck marker) to starboard.   We hit the bottom!  We are  on the right side of channel.  We drag for a few feet and then turn sharply into the mid channel.  The winter storms have created a new obstacle !  The water is so clear that the edges are demarcated.  I only had to look ahead but I was staring at the chart plotter.   A novice egghead mistake. 

Looking ahead, the water is so clear that I imagine we are seeing the Bay of John Smith.  Several hundred years ago, the underwater grass was like carpet to the oyster beds.  Now there is only mud.  Today it is clear mud.

Jeff is a natural and he points us North.  He loves life and his smile is infectious.  In fact, he smiles all the time!  He has been a Hobie sailor from North Carolina and has a great plan to retire and sail to the Caribbean.  He has never sent his car to a mechanic but has fixed and upgraded all of his vehicles.  He is now fixing high end BMWs and Audi s in his spare time.   He has all the attributes of a Cruiser.  He has mechanical wisdom, practical know how, but is a romantic, smitten by beautiful sunsets and people. 

Terri is his perfect complement.  She gazes across the Bay and then the River, somewhat cold but game to Jeff's plans.  After 29 years of marriage, they are like teenagers in love.  They are teenagers in love. Waverly would rather follow Jeff.   Teddy is charmed.    

Enchantress is below the bridge and the winds pick up to 20 knots apparent.  The tacks are more violent but she is responsive and turns thru the wind without a fuss.  We are more reefed than we need to be but we have Teddy and Waverly.  Rather, we have a gameful Teddy and surefooted Waverly  We are nervous grandparents responsible for  Teddy.   We are more cautious.  We, however, like Oreos and milk and subject Teddy to some new sugar highs.

"the VHF is non-operational"

Still, we see few boats on the first weekend of Spring.  Certainly no other sailboats are tacking upwind with a toddler and a large dog.   I admire  young families with children cruising  and living their dream.  They are crazy brave and resilient ! Childcare is constant.  Sailing is a jealous mistress.

We approach the Irvington bridge and decide to motor sail.  The people above are hurrying to their destinations.  We are lazily taking in the day and have to make the Bridge Marina fore 5 pm.  We are the same people but worlds apart.  Our time sense is defined by wind and waves and hunger. 

The Corrotoman  river greets us with gentle wind.  Enchantress glides along and she is now playful.   Each turn of the wheel  is a caress and  a gentle response.  She is symbiotic, part of us,  rather than a vessel.  Her batteries are however groaning and we have to use manual winches.  The E90 display shuts down.  We power up the generator to see where are headed.  The North end of Urbanna Creek has shoaled in the past, and we realign to the Southern border.  I still have not found my Boat US card but our VHF works.  We are in fine form.

Jeff takes us into Urbanna  Creek where Spring has awakened the marinas on both sides.  Mr. and Mrs.  Mullins has transformed the venerable Bridge Marina.  She is a sparking gem.  Mr. Mullins with a helpful hand and warm smile greets us.  Under his grandson watchful eye, Mr. Mullins pull Enchantress into her slip.  We feel like we just crossed an ocean but we have just come up river.

Waverly bounds along and enjoys every smell.  The Bridge marina's lounge and showers are like the Jefferson hotel.  There is coffee in the morning and DOGNUTS !  The hospitality is Southern charm and the people are kind and also interesting.  We are  next to Gordon Lightfoot's old boat.  We feel like we are in royal company.

We walk to Something Different, and Teddy decorates the floor.  The home made ice cream and chocolate cashew cake is simply stupendous.  We retire early and Teddy watches trailers of Trolls.  I pass out.   Joan rocks him to sleep and we awake nine hours later to brilliant clouds.   We had all slept like Trolls drunk with life. 

So often in life, we measure time by the clock.  We should mark the passage of time by events.  Our time sense is rich when we fill our time with loving people and meaningful  passages.  A journey up river with Terri, Jeff and Waverly, Joan and Teddy seems like a  joyful ten year voyage rather than a weekend trip.  Unexpected problems and how we solve them define our character.  Having laughter and love and sharing common experiences grows love.  We all have a kernel of common memory but we all have different interpretations of the same life.

I am in love with Joan, Terri, Jeff, Waverly and Teddy.   We climb on each other backs and into each others' hearts.  We all have had a very difficult winter.  We have many challenges ahead.  Not all paths are filled with sunny days with gentle zephyrs.   Yet we cannot paralyze ourselves with potential bad outcomes.  We cannot live in a fantasy world where everything is rosy.   We only can wish for people who are loving and kind that we can all cultivate and cherish.  We hope for a stable world not filled with capricious happenings.  We do not want foul weather but steady winds.  Yet if bad weather comes, I wish you all are lucky enough to have friends and family that love and cherish each other.    We have each others hearts and backs.  We are crew together.  We endure the storms together.