MM 593 to MM 660, it's all about trust.

After yesterday's fiasco, we decided to get an earlier start to our day.  We needed to get some serious miles under our keel if we were ever going to get out of the cold!  With a new system in place, Donnie attempts to start the engine after a good thirty seconds on the glow plug.  When that fails, I take off the engine compartment door, grab a wrench, and start beating on the fuel pump.  Mom, you would have cracked up.  I had visions of you patting the dashboard of your red Tempest convertible when I was a kid saying, "C'mon, Bessie!"  There I was, my head in the engine, wrench in hand, beating all over that fuel pump saying "C'mon, Bessie, C'mon, Bessie, You can do it, C'mon Bessie!"  She started choking and sputtering to life and I'm screaming, "Give it some gas!" and she fired right up, just like Mom used to pump the gas pedal on the Tempest :))) Funny how/when those images of early childhood come flooding back...

Whew! I took to the helm, and Donnie went forward to the bow to weigh anchor, and we were off and running...at a sailboat's pace, mind you.  A really good day is averaging about six miles an hour.  If you put in a ten hour day before sundown between 5:30-6:00pm, well, you can do the math.  Yep, we could be to the Indianapolis Airport in about one hour's time, but you don't take in all the sights and salty smells around you nearly as well.  No sirrreeee, not on a sailboat. You get a REALLY good look at things, 'cause you might be looking at 'em for quite some time :) 

Things like marshes, palm trees, ICW markers, dolphins, and all sorts of water fowl.

Early in to the day, we encounctered our first 'navigational hazard'.  This is where the first lesson of the day about trust presented itself.  The Captain has to trust that his First Mate knows how to read a map and call out the upcoming directions and MM signs.  And the First Mate has to trust that the Captain is listening to those directions, and reading the MM signs.  You can see where all this was going...I assure you, it was NOT the ultimate back seat driving on the waterway!  Somebody has to read the map and navigate, and somebody has to pay attention at the helm.  Unless, of course, you own a handy-dandy chart plotter (of which we don't) and then all you have to do is follow the line on your electronic map. 

The good news of the day was we got to throw out the jibsail, and actually do some motor-sailing.  It usually gave us at least another knot of speed if not more.  The bad news is it was a biting cold, northerly wind.



We're sailing!



Lots of layers and cranking the sails will keep you warm.

Thankfully, we picked up a buddy boat along the way, and it made the day go MUCH easier.  Donnie had his very own chartplotter just ahead of him.  All he had to do was follow in his wake.  All I had to do was go down below to get going on the book I started earlier in the week. After some time, I was noticing that the engine was powered down, and we were doing alot of zig-zagging.  I checked through the hatch to make sure my Cap'n hadn't fallen asleep, and he responded with, "You don't want to be out here right now."  I said, "Why?" and he said, "Don't look at the depth gauge."  So what did I naturally do?  I looked at the depth gauge, and it read 3.5!!!  Keep in mind we draw 4.5, meaning we must be in at least four and a half feet of water to float, or we're touching bottom, aka, "running aground."  I looked out over the bow to see we still had our buddy to follow, and Donnie explained that they both were zig-zagging looking for more water.  I looked up our present MM in the Waterway Guide, and written in big red letters, "CAUTION! Do not enter Mud River at low tide."  Where were we?! Right smack in the middle of Mud River... at low tide... and there was no turning back.  Mud River became mud ditch, with only 3-5 feet of water... anywhere.  I think the only way we were moving was because the boat's prop in front of us was making a trough for us.  Talk about scary....which is where the second lesson of the day on trust presented itself.

I sent out a quick (panicked) text for prayers, and with tears in my eyes, I fell to my knees and also started praying.  My prayers were for a safe path for us to travel, and for me to calm down.  It seemed a LONG time coming, but we finely made it throught the winding path of Mud (ditch) River without getting stuck.  As soon as we came upon deeper water, the sun was going down, and we dropped the hook.  Wine was definitely on the dinner menu for the night.

As for our furry friend?  How did he do?  He was in his usual position when the engine is running...

asleep!