The Sound of Sand Beneath the Keel

I like the coast during a good blow, hurricane, or full fog—just as long as there is a nice spot to dive into for tea, coffee, and something to snack on. Looking out the window is much more pleasurable than being in a blow, reefing sails, and getting ready to rig a sea anchor to steady the boat. Playing hopscotch over the waves is no fun.

This is not speculation on my part. I’ve been there, not willingly, but yes, I’ve been there and done that. The Cap’n had spent his entire life at sea or in local waters and did not see why a little spume, sea foam, heavy tide, storm surge, or any other act of nature should impede his time sailing. And so, as his son-in-law, I was ordered by the women of the family to ensure his well-being while on the briny reaches – as if he’d ever listen to me.

That is why I hurried to reef sail and rig a sea anchor in a full blow one June morning. Hearing a weird hissing and scrubbing sound below the keel, I looked toward the Cap’n to confirm what I thought was happening. “just the sand bar below us. We still have plenty of depth to make it!”

So when I get that distant look in my eye as I watch the sand sucked from the shore, don’t look to me like I was some experienced master sailor. I’m just reliving the terror of that moment. Don’t mind the slight shake in my hand as I sip from my cup. It’s a chill.