I made a mistake this afternoon

I made a mistake this afternoon.  I took my little 10' sailing dink out into Boca Ciega Bay.  Not exactly the wisest thing to do on any Sunday, but this day it was a little hairier than usual.  Holidays seem to bring out the family.  When the family comes out they must be entertained.  If you have a boat, the visiting family wants to help you enjoy it.

Most boats in the area are power boats.  Most of those are, compared to my boat, quite large.  All of them are faster than my boat.  I should have walked out to the end of the marina pier before I went out and looked for sails.  There weren't any sails.  Mine was the only one I saw.  I should have known.  Most sailors in the bay area know better than to go out during amateur hour.  There were a few sail boats but they were wise and were proceeding under power.

Power boats are to be enjoyed at top speed.  If you ain't airborne from time to time, you ain't havin' any fun.  Now I have to admit that this rule does not apply to the floating condos that look like boats.  With them it's come as close as possible to the little boats, smile and wave as you go by, and then watch 'em deal with your wake.  Happy times.

Now I must admit, I had the unmitigated gall and audacity to be in the traffic channel when all these boats came by, becalmed by a changing wind, trying desperately to get the hell out of the way.  Every time a little wind would come by and fill my sail, a boat would pass, blessing me with it's wake, bouncing my boom and spilling the sail.  At times it was downright entertaining, 4' wake from one side meeting a 2' wake coming from the other direction, meeting me in the middle.  I double checked to make sure I had brought along the bailing bucket.

About the time I was wishing I had an outboard (or a shotgun), a police vessel came by and everyone slowed down.  The wind came up a little and I was able to GTF out of the way and back into the shallower areas where the leviathans couldn't go.  Homeward bound, sore and creaky, gritting my teeth and calling myself quite a few awful names, I rode the deceitful wind.  Sometimes heeled hard, other times drifting, I managed to get safely back to Avalon.  A couple of grapefruit and a longing look at the rum (too early) and I'm at the keyboard extoling the virtues of sail.

From this experience I draw the conclusion that licensing and testing are in order for all power boaters.  Any bozo or video gaming shut in can get behind the wheel of a power boat and go blasting of into the great blue.  Few know the rules of the Rhode and fewer still pay attention to them, unless someone in power is watching.  Thank you, Police boat!  If you are in a power boat and come upon a boat under sail, please keep in mind that the sail boat has limited choices about direction or speed, whereas your choices aren't.  Do the right thing.  Be courteous.  The sailor might be armed.

Next holiday weekend, I think I'll stay in my slip and read.

No one gets out of here alive, so live it like ya mean it.