there is a limit

This weekend Sam needed to put the dinghy back on the davits. With all the snow we got in Seattle he took the dinghy off the back and put it in front of our boat in the slip.

Fortunately our dock mates were gone so it was a pretty easy task for him to do by himself but they have returned and now the dinghy can't get by. Since marina rules state that a dinghy needs to be stored at the dinghy dock or on the boat it was time for Sam to get it back on. Sam had gotten an exception with all of the snow as we didn't want the extra snowload to make the dinghy too heavy.

Since I needed a boat that would still zip around marinas, bays, and fulfill my need for boating speed (without leaning so much) we got a dinghy that had the largest engine we could but still stayed within the weight limit of our davits, just barely. Too much snow and this might have been a problem.

So Sam recruited me to help him move the boat so he could get the dinghy back out. I was somewhat obligated since technically the dinghy is mine though he seems to really enjoy it. It was not the nicest day outside. Think plenty of wind gusting to almost 30, rain, and cold. Since Sam would have to move the boat away from the dock and circle around while I moved the dinghy I kept waiting for him to say "lets take it for a quick spin".

Well he hadn't even mentioned it and he was now away from the dock. As he drove away to circle around I wondered how long it would be before I saw him again. After all he is now away from the dock and it might be a bit too much temptation for him to immediately return. But within just a few minutes he was heading back down for our slip.

I am sure I would have been more shocked if I hadn't realized the wind had picked up substantially in the few minutes he had been gone and the boat was heading straight to me. We hadn't really come up with a plan before he left for his return and now in heavy wind I had to somehow figure out how he wanted me to help dock.

Remember we learned from all of our docking experiences that the best way to get the boat in the slip with minimum drama is for us to have a plan before we are at the dock. Fortunately he got back in the slip without a whole lot of assistance from the first mate - or dock hand in my role of the day.

Never once did Sam mention taking the boat out for a quick sail or even a motor. Turns out even the most die hard sailor or the most passionate one still knows when port is the best and warmest place to be. Yes there are even times when Sam doesn't have the desire to go sailing or cruise around on his boat, guess I am still learning things about him.