Day Sailing

”Do you want to take the helm?” I asked Patrick.

“Not this time,” he answered.

We sailed around the lake again and I watched with envy as a catamaran cruised past us. This wasn’t a race, though. Patrick and I went out on the day after Independence Day just to have some fun and we did. After enough times around the lake, we headed to shore and loaded up our slow, tiny boat.

“Come on,” I said. “Let’s have a soda.” Patrick ran up the stairs of the marina to the snack bar while I followed. With our drinks in hand, we sat down at a table on the upper level of the marina and enjoyed watching the other boats sail, including this speedy catamaran, as we savored our drinks.

Finished with their sailing, the couple piloting the catamaran came in slowly to the dock. A young man had the helm, and a young lady in a swimsuit stood on the bow, ready to step onto the dock and secure the boat.

The boat had too much speed, though, and bounced off the dock right as the young lady stepped off. Expecting dock, she had nothing but air to support her and she fell cleanly into the water as expertly as if the move had been rehearsed. She didn’t flail or windmill her arms; she just went straight down, smoothly cutting the water. Patrick and I cracked up. The young man laughed so hard that he couldn’t help her out of the water. With an air of “I meant to do that,” she pulled herself up onto the dock and sat, refreshed by her unexpected dip.

“Dad,” Patrick said between bouts of laughter, “Next time we go sailing, just pull alongside of the dock. When we’re stopped, then I’ll get out.”

William R. Bartlett lives in Belton with his family.

Photo Credit: Allison Herreid / Shutterstock.com