Prosperity had been moved from the boat yard to there due to the “mean German”. A gruff old man who, within the week he appeared, complained about the dogs, and claimed the boat yard’s ladder all to himself pulling it away from Prosperity who had been using it all Winter. This Mean German went on spray painting his boat in the wind as we were at the boat yard getting fuel. All boats around him took on a bit of his color.
A few days after us, another boat, Tropic Bird, slipped in between Prosperity and Juno (us). She was a beautiful 52 foot Jeanneau. I nick-named it the “Mansion” because, between us and Prosperity, there were a striking differences. But thankfully, the boat was also owned by beautiful people, inside and out. Mag and Wendy cheerfully greeted us as we passed and slowly conversations between us started. Within days we were walking to the Pizzeria together sharing stories over dinner.
Both “retired”, Mag and Wendy were from Norway but had lived in Virginia for a considerable amount of time spending six months sailing for about the last 20 years. Their accents reminded me a little of French Canadian but that’s because I don’t know what a Norwegian would sound like. A retired Corporate guy, Mag had a commanding presence about him yet seemed to say everything with a twinkle in his eye. I knew I liked Wendy immediately when on the van to the Market she overheard my trying to convince Shirish that fingernail polish was not all the same and OPI was the best. Wendy sited with me. I knew she was as classy as she looked!
Later the Raging Czech had tied behind us and a nice Italian boat tied up between Prosperity and Tropic Bird on this dock. All lined up awaiting the Channel to open.
This became “Boat Row” and friendships formed mostly between Prosperity, Tropic Bird and Juno. Shirish and Jane discovered that they were both published authors, Jane was Jane Simmons, a highly acclaimed author of the international best selling and award winning Daisy the Duck picture book series. Her deput novel: Beryl: A Pig's Tale had just published, another due out soon. I found out Neil had a recording Studio Studio aboard Prosperity and his artist name “Anorexia” was selling on Amazon.com! Self describing his genre as “hard” it all fit perfectly.
Wendy instigated a get together on May Day at the picnic tables along the dock. We commiserated about being locked in the harbor. Mag and Wendy had decided: “It was not the end of
the World but you can see it from here!”Wine flowed and I got to listen to stories of their years at sea. Wendy and Mag compared stories with Jane and Neil. First of being boarded by search police. One who bent over and dropped his gun aboard Tropic Bird, another who charged the side of Prosperity “just because they wanted to check out what she looked like inside”. Then Octopus stories about Greece; Neil and Jane told of rescuing a tiny fishing boat who’s motor was broke and being gifted a huge Octopus the next morning. Neil filled a bucket with sea water and tried to resuscitate the darn thing. Mag told of the old Greek fisher man who had given the home recipe of tenderizing Octopus meat only by hand gestures---“beat it against a rock, 25 times good, 50 times better” he had said as Mag acted it out.
And on and on. It was a good night. I laughed hard. Everyone was happy. Little did we know it was our last night together and the last time Sibari would feel safe.
No comments:
Post a Comment