Lessons Learned-Princess Louisa

Soon after we arrived in Oak Harbor, retired from my work schedule and hoping to stay in touch with friends not living right here, I started this blog. It was originally modeled on a few other blogs created by knitters, showing their work and projects and discussing knitting things. Then it changed into a blog about our family. I hoped it would keep people up to date on what we are doing here on Whidbey, sort of an all year Christmas letter. I was lazy at posting until my friend Elaine in Montana sent me an email and asked if I was going to post to my blog again. She checks it out every week or so to read what we are doing. Then she faithfully sends me an email to tell me she loved reading about our lives here on the island. I try very hard to post at least once a month. Elaine reminds me if I forget.

Yesterday I wrote a long article about our boat trip up into Canadian waters to Princess Louisa Inlet. The article was all about the things we learned in a three week long cruise on a sailboat, things like where to get water and fuel and food and how to fix overheated engines. It was a pretty practical accounting, but embedded in the article was a sentence that got me to thinking. "Being in a group gave us security, fellowship in the evenings, and solutions to problems.

When you plan a cruise of two or more boats, someone usually takes the leader role and starts planning the itinerary and making reservations at marinas. Brynn and Gary, our cruise captains, had a few cruise meetings before we left on June 6, but we only knew the other cruisers casually from other short trips together. In the beginning we were only a loosely organized group of boats with 2 or more crewmembers on board, but as soon as we left the dock, things changed.

First, we stayed in touch with each other regularly. Brynn and Gary established a good pattern of checking in often via radio to give us news about the weather,winds and waves, or to find out if we were still underway and sailing along OK. Like little ducklings we followed along, sometimes changing lead boats, but always keeping in touch. It was comforting to look across the water in the middle of the Strait of Georgia, a big expanse of water, and see three or four boats, our boats, all going the same direction. Some of us sailed more than others and would fall behind, but someone would find that speck on the water in his binoculars and announce to all that "Papillion" had been sighted, flying his spinnaker and taking his time to enjoy the day. Anyone in the lead would radio back and tell us there were big logs being towed by a tug, and we needed to avoid that hazard. Sometimes our radio connections were funny. One morning Brynn, taking on the job of radio announcer, called with information, got confused and ended her call with, Over, Out, Over!" We all laughed and responded with various "Overs and Outs" the rest of the trip.

Second, we took the time to get to know each other. In the evenings we would share dinners and conversation. We had fish and chips at local restaurants, we had pot lucks, we had campfires at marine parks, and we had a progressive dinner. We weren't together in a large group all the time; sometimes it was one on one, or couples who gathered. It seemed like everyone made an effort to share some time together, telling stories about other sailing adventures or swapping ideas on how to fix things, or why we named our boats Misty Isle or Sweet or Papillion or Karen Marie, Too or Spika or Hasenpfeffer. You'd be amazed at how people come up with names for their boats!

Third, we never left anyone behind. One day we had engine trouble and the entire fleet elected to stay with us while we fixed the engine. They sacrificed a day of sailing and time at a good anchorage because we were a group, and the policy was to never leave anyone behind. We missed the slack water at 9AM and had to wait until 4PM for the next one. Another day, when were were slogging against a current, trying to get to Friday Harbor to check in to immigration, Alan on Misty Isle sighted a boat that needed assistance. He went over and tied up to the small boat and towed the man in his boat for two hours. We all slowed down and lazed along in the wake of this good seaman, helping someone out of a difficult situation. We could have gone on to Friday Harbor and waited for Alan, but we stayed together as a group and he was in the group.

The lessons we learn at any time apply to everything in our lives. Friendships are like cruises. We should always stay in touch with each other, take the time to get to know each other better, and never leave anyone behind. That last one is hard, since we all move now and then, but it can be done. Sometimes we need to be reminded about those three standards. I know I do and I am eternally grateful for my friend Elaine who reminds me when I drop out of sight and forget to post to my blog. It's a gentle and loving reminder, but it lets me know she is thinking of me, cares about me and wants to know about me. Every now and then we need to be reminded to take care of those we love. Thank God for Elaine! Peace, Virginia