The Death of a Sailor

I preface this post with the rationalization: It could happen to anyone. As I write this, I am in some degree of danger. I mean right now! I can hear the thunder in the distance that tells me that electrical charges are passing through the atmosphere…. and I know that we have a long metal stick pointing over fifty-five feet in the air! Less than a half-mile away thick, black smoke is rising from a fuel dock fire and several expensive boats nearest the fire have been moved away from those docks. We seem to be safe from the fire where we are, but who knows.

I am surrounded by electrical wires, which could start a fire. We have propane tanks on board, which might explode. The boat could spring a leak and sink. Any of us could slip and fall and crack our skull. How about food poisoning? If one starts to worry about these possibilities, and they are possibilities indeed, one might not get out of bed (as if that was safe!) Danger is all around. People die!

One person died while we were back in the USA. He was a man that Barb and I never met, but he intended to ready his boat for cruising here in Rio Dulce so we feel some connection. Bryan (S/V Pearl S. Buck) had met the man and his wife while we were away. What follows is the short version of the incident. Local bad men boarded his boat looking for dollars and killed him and seriously injured his wife. The men left with no dollars and only a little of the Guatemalan currency. The wife has recovered. The long version and details may be found on the family’s blog:

http://danieldrydenincidentdetails.blogspot.com/

While Bryan and I were visiting the agent, Raul, to renew our Guatemala cruising permit, the surviving wife came by and Bryan introduced me to Nancy. Her family had joined her and when Bryan inquired about her plans, she shared that she wanted to take the boat out sailing, but that they would need a captain because they had not had a chance to ever sail the boat and didn’t know how. Bryan volunteered to captain and I volunteered to help if they thought they needed help.

Last Saturday, Bryan and I met the fledgling crew aboard S/V Sunday’s Child, soon to be renamed Kwiana and we all went sailing and had a wonderful time. If you have checked their blog you already have a sense of the quality of people we accompanied. They are wonderful. I was at the helm initially while Bryan held a class for the rest of the crew on the foredeck. Nancy was gracious and eager. Jen and her Brian seemed to take to sailing like they were born to it. Daniel, III, was a wizard at the helm and the instigator of a man/woman/whole crew (under the age of 50) overboard drill. Alejandro took a turn at the wheel as well. While Renee seemed shy, she was watching closely. It was an almost perfect lake-sailing day with enough wind to keep the boat moving, but not so much that any fears arose. At one point we had the boat heeled a bit and running with the wind just forward of the beam so she was moving out smartly. Nancy was moved to tears at this moment. This was what her husband would have wanted – a fine craft, doing what it was meant to do, with his family aboard and working together.....and life goes on. Get up each morning and treasure every minute. Hug your family. Help another. Accept another. Give everyone a cheery greeting. Appreciate. Celebrate.

No photos accompany this entry and it is relatively short because I should stop now. Barb and I have just completed our third day of Spanish class and I have homework to do!

Buenos noches.

Jay & Barb