A Warm, Sparkling Lap-Wave
Sails are trimmed to just below the speed of the slowest boat allowing the chance to catch up. Genoa is reefed more, the down haul tightened, main is over trimmed as an easy way to regain speed once he’s near. I sit down and sing a song to match the beat caused by the rise and fall of the boat. The hum of wind on sail fills the song. Every now and then there is a crash and then the roll as the top of a wave curls. Nearly 20 knots of wind now, it is a gorgeous night.
Suddenly a wave comes and sits in my lap. I smile, but it keeps coming, and coming, and coming, and coming! A yelp comes out uncontrollably all the way from my toes! SO much water is a surprise. Jumping up, I find myself standing in a bathtub filled to mid calf. “Oh, no, I hope there are no fish!” Finally really realizing what has happened, I attach my teather to the ring lest another comes and tries to take me for a swim. A laugh rolls out as I examine the scene. Standing in the cockpit, filled with water like a bath, the boat rocks dramatically back and forth, splashing sparkling water all around. Rather than special bubbles or candles from my past, I find bioluminescence swishing inside this bath. A voice calls up from down below, “What’s happened?” I quickly say, “Everything is alright, I’m just taking an unexpected bath in the night.” I suppress the giggles while still standing in this bath, sparkle tossing from side to side. Cockpit drains make a sucking sound adding to the whole delight.
