[Public-List] An honourable duty

Gordon Laco via Public-List public-list at lists.alberg30.org
Mon Sep 29 06:38:32 PDT 2014


Good morning friends,

On Saturday SURPRISE performed an honourable duty.   A few weeks ago, the
widow of a good friend asked me if I¹d take her and her sons out to scatter
her late husband¹s ashes in the Bay he loved to sail.

At the appointed time they arrived at SURPRISE and after chatting a bit we
cast off and headed out.  The day was lovely with a light breeze from the
north west.  We reached away for about an hour, mostly in silence but
occasionally talking about sailing with John.   When we got to what I
reckoned was an appropriate spot, we hove to.    John¹s sons are performance
sailors who used to tease their father about his preference for his heavy
displacement full keeled yacht (not an A30) and expressed mild surprise at
how docile our boat was and how easily she was Œparked¹ with her headsail
aback.    I took the opportunity to point out that I reckoned fin keels are
just a fad that will pass as people remember how superior Œnormal¹ keels
are....

I carefully pointed out the leeward side to our friend¹s widow, and with the
help of her two sons we opened the box containing his ashes.  At the last
moment she could not bear to lose them all, so we quickly found an
appropriate receptacle in which to save some.   Each of the three family
members said a few words, then with all three of them helping, John¹s ashes
were put over the side.

Standing back a bit and minding the boat, I happened to glance to windward.
There I saw what I can only describe as a wondrous sight.  Hove to, SURPRISE
was fore reaching a bit and the usual boils of gentle turbulence were rising
in the form of a wake stretching to windward and aft from our starboard
quarter.  Deep in the water we saw spirals and twists as John¹s ashes
swirled in our deep wake after coming under the keel.  We were awestruck by
the drama of what we saw as well as the unexpected beauty of it.   We
watched in silence as SURPRISE slowly worked herself along leaving the great
white swirls beneath the surface, which we could see sinking as they
expanded in dramatic, slowly developing curves.   After a while we cast off
the weather genoa sheet, the headsail popped over and SURPRISE gathered way
and sailed away.

Farewell John.  



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