WPSU

Thursday, April 14, 2011

Cup Overboard!

The saddest sight in the world

We're working our way up the Chesapeake. Hope to be in Annapolis this weekend.

At the first "changing of the watch" this morning, SlowBoat had a moment of drama.

Cap was chasing the morning chill with a steaming cuppa java. He set the cup on one of the stern seats.   And in the shuffling dance to change places . . .  into the drink it went.



OK, so it's an eight-dollar go-cup, bought in the grocery-store coffee aisle.  We could have steamed onward.

BUT!  Who knows when we'll get to a grocery store next?  Could be days of coffee-less boating.

And that cup has major sentimental value.  It's fueled the Cap through more than 5,000 miles of chilly, early-morning turns at the helm.

I can't say the Dragonfly exactly wheeled around.  But she did an about-face just as fast as a 14-ton steel vessel with a top speed of 6 mph CAN turn.

The mate was at the helm. Cap hung face-down over the port side, reaching . . .  reaching . . . dang, missed it.

About-face again.  Reach.  Repeat.  About-face. Reach.  Repeat.

Don't get between a man and his coffee!
Meanwhile, the clock is ticking.  We want to make a lot of miles today.  Half an hour of cup chasing could put us at our anchorage after dark.

Finally, by backing down on the errant mug, Cap got it trapped against the stern.

Then it floated free.

Clutching the boathook, the first mate scampered over the side and down the tiny exterior ladder (breathe, Mom, she's wearing a life vest) and, reaching with the boathook, gave the mug a nudge, then fast as an Olympic baton relay, passed the boathook to Cap, who neatly snared it.

Victory!

Hey, we're an eco-boat. We hate to litter.




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