October 9, 2003
Adventures of the Justin MarieWe watched as the ghost of Justin Marie dragged towards shore.
The anchorage was as rolly as the open seas.
Clutching my blankey, pillow and favorite retching bowl,
I listened to the heavy, strong, determined footsteps of my Captain as he ambled up the steps to the cockpit.
I could feel his watchful mind preparing for all encounters.
An anchor dragging has so much to tell.
Every sailor has a favorite tale of anchors set and anchors drug.
Was it set correctly, did the physics of the angle of repose set,
Was the weight of chain on the sea floor sufficient to hold the hull above?
Roll as we did, it was not clear what caused Justin Marie to drag.
Miss Moon was rising in the sky.
She sneaked peaks as the gray fog and clouds filled the mystery of nightfall.
At one point when I surfaced to look, I saw her beckoning the Justin Marie
to join her on shore, like a siren, she had all her forces aligned; winds,
tides and night's darkness working on her command.
Justin Marie so small and so easily swayed.
She moved slowly, giving us enough time to worry.
Neighboring boat, Phaedra hailed the neighborhood watch.
He holds a calm voice, this Captain of Phaedra.
He, like we, watched protectively over our homes.
He confidently converses with one and then another of us.
Finally, after an anchor watch of an hour,
Phaedra hailed the Harbormaster to warn of Justin Marie's fate.
She had dragged passed us all, about 300 feet,
on her way to the south shore of Monterey Bay.
Then we all waited. Waiting is like breathing.
Waiting for the United States Coast Guard to come.
They determine the fate of the Justin Marie.
Another hour passes, or was it two?
We, four, sit in the cockpit, life jacket upon our shoulders.
Circling the Justin Marie is the Coast Guard, round and round.
Seas are choppy and rolly, dark seas and skies; it is nightfall.
A spotlight shines stead and intently, as intent as we watch, a mere 100
feet away.
Miss Moon dances with the clouds, fancing the tide to the wind, changing
partners as she moves to make boarding Justin Marie difficult for the Guards.
Circling the Justin Marie is the Guard, round and round.
Reaching her is tough.
Finally, a tow rope attached and the Justin Marie is pulled clear of Miss Moon.
The Guards, drag her pass the sailing vessels: Anjuli, Sweet Witch, Encanto and Phaedra.
For the moment we are safe.
The chill of a long night still hung.
Should we anticipate more from Miss Moon?
We roll and joggled back and forth.
Miss Moon was not happy as her conquest disappeared with the Guard.
She would try again, this time with the vessel, Sweet Witch.
Sweet Witch, her enchanting black aluminum hull begins to drift.
Temptation.
Drifting she comes within ten feet of Encanto.
My good Captain standing watch,
starts our engine,
readys us for the stance.
You-Us, Aluminum or Steel. Hull to hull.
Protocol, as we know it.
first at anchorage, last to pull anchor.
We were here first. Our anchor has held for a week.
She who drifts should move, however,
not all sailors read from the same verse and psalm.
What will she do? What can she do?
Our engine roars, chest beating.
My Captain at the helm.
I rose my head from my radio watch position in the corner sette.
The girls stirred in their bunks. We waited, as if at a dual; for the flag
to drop.
My Captain's heavy feet stomped on deck. Momentary silence.
An engine roars back.
Chain clattering on deck and an anchor dangles off their bow sprite.
Sweet Witch was off, to the patch of light, where Miss Moon shone.
We are clear of danger.
What fate might be brought to them? What fate might be brought to them?
Then just as suddenly as the drift that sent them to us,
the winds shifted, the seas calmed and the clouds broke into a star filled
sky.
Miss Moon ascended to a tight spot above the groves, now distracted to the lands and the wolves of the forests, where her lore at full splendor is known.
Content with what he sees,
My Captain called it a night; a "Goodnight" for all, even the Justin Marie.
Though a mire stint from sunset to midnight, it felt like a very long night.
We were weary and ready for sleep.
Later, we would learn that on Sweet Witch they stay up on anchor -watch
until dawn, unsure if they were next on Miss Moon's dance card.
My Captain, came to bed.
We slept cuddled and nestled with each other, an ear to the sea and a sense of the roll on our hips as the hull swayed with the waves;
ever aware of Miss Moon and her seductive desires.
By light of day, all was calm.
All was well.