Let Loose All Dock Lines

I Was Highly Motivated To Get Underway!

I was waiting on the last delivery aboard, before loosening my lines and setting off on perhaps the scariest trip of my life. For the past ten years, I have been planning and scraping and trying, and now, almost ready to leave for Alaska, aboard my very own boat. I was going to do this single handed. Meaning, by myself. She was a big boat, 60 foot, and yes, I was terrified! For decade plus, this had been my dream. To see Alaska on my own boat.

Hundreds has made the same trip alone, too. I was not the first. But, it was MY first major voyage, so, it was a big deal to me. AND, I was motivated to get moving, before I changed my mind. For a decade plus, I KNEW this was a good idea. Right up until I woke this morning. Now? This was the dumbest, stupidest idea ever, in the history of ideas. Period.

I heard the truck arrive before I saw it. Looked up from my chair int he cockpit and saw the truck backing to the long pier I was docked at. As I walked up the ramp, pushing the little 4 wheeled cart to collect my supplies, I saw her again. That woman. She laughed and told me her story the other day, but, never told me her name. Tease, I'd say. Yes.... a challenge to understand.

She was at her wits end. A bad relationship just ended. She had nothing keeping her in Southern California. She moved on... simple as that, she said. She took a short term job up here near San Fran. In fact, working in the office at the marina. She lvoed the sea and all the boats. Had never been on them, she told me. Had spent her life watching them from shore and waving. She laughed, because, I was the only one who always waved when passing her by!

I made short talk with the delivery driver, and loaded the last of my fresh fruit and vegetables aboard my cart. "Do you need a hand?" my new friend asked. I looked at her, "Sure, why not?"

She grabbed her backpack, tossed it over her shoulder and picked up a large duffle on the ground at her feet. As she passed me, bag in hand, she turned slightly and bumped into my hip with her backside. "Scuse me," she said and walked on by. I was almost to my boast when it dawned on me, her idea of giving me a hand involved carrying her own bag aboard my boat.

"Here, let me get the door." she said as she struggled to open the door on the transom.
"Let me..." as I passed her, and opened it with ease. She stepped through with her tanned legs, her arm and shoulder brushing my chest. "Excuse me again" as turned to face me. "Permission to come aboard, Captain?" I laughed, since, well... she was already well aboard.

We spent the better part of half an hour transferring from the dock cart to the boat. All the bags went on counter spaces in the galley. All the bags were piled everywhere, I noticed. She started to head back to the door at the rear of the cabin. I noticed her visibly stop, look down, look aft at the door, and then, turn her head only...

"Are you really leaving for Alaska today?" I nodded. Her face, a mask, unreadable to me. She stood facing me silently. For some reason I didn't dare interrupt. It seemed important to let her process... she interrupted my thought, "Is there somewhere I can change...? Before we undock...?" As she turned and faced me. Bag in hand, holding it up, as if I knew what it was.

"I... we... undock..." not quite understanding.
"That is what it's called, right?" I simply nodded.
"Undock" I repeated again. "...the boat?" I asked her. She nodded, back, too.

I pointed back towards the starboard side, forward a bit, at a set of stairs leading down below.
"There's two cabins. Below. ..." I hesitated. WHAT. The. HELL. I screamed inside my head. "Both are empty. Mine is upstairs, behind the pilot house." She nodded at me, and passed again, this time, turning her back to me and slid by. I don't think I moved for two or three minutes. My mind was a complete blank.

I was putting away the fresh fruit, in the one of the gallery cold storage drawers when she came back up. Like a fridge, only it was a drawer, to keep things from bouncing and rattling on the seas. She was wearing a white halter top. And white, breezy, cotton pants. her feet were bare. And tanned.

After a moment, all finished, I asked, "Would you like a tour around the boat before I... we shove off?"
She nodded, and stood close to me. Her arm, entire side, and thigh was leaning against my chest, hip and my own leg...To this day, I cannot tell you whether I was nervous, lightheaded or my glasses fogged. I only know, I have no idea what I was doing.

But, I sure was MOTIVATED, to get Blues Dream underway!