Expectations

leeonsea
Lee Price
Fri 9 May 2008 02:34
What most people who don't sail are surprised to learn, is that sailing is not a quick pastime. While at times it can be exciting, thrilling, perhaps even scary, it is not quick. Nor should it be, it would miss the point. I'm ready, the boat is full of fuel and food, the wind is good, I'm ready.

Yet as I sit here, Karaoke bar in one ear (totally appalling rendition of (insert crap karaoke tune here)) and party boats in the harbor (god awful dancehall boombastic black music) in the other, Elvis on my stereo and a KaliK (beer of the Bahamas) in my right hand, I'd be devastated if this was to pass by in a blur of swell and spray. A gentle breeze is tickling my feet, the sounds of a city in constant party mood invades my consciousness, the moon in a new crescent smiles down at me and Elvis is jailhouse rocking. THIS is civilisation, more civilised I have rarely felt.

Tomorrow, I have absolutely nothing to do, nothing, nothing at all. I've planed nothing, no one is expecting anything of me, the carpet doesn't need cleaning, the windows can continue to leak for a little longer (well, it's not rained since I got here), I have NOTHING to do. No one is going to call out of the blue, I need not catch up on that thing or that stuff that I should of done a week last Wednesday. I will be chuffed as a train if I can just get to finish my book. I love it.

Monday looms larger and the serious business of doing nothing for 32 days begins. My nerves of yesterday seem to have passed, perhaps it was the Rum afterall. I am ready.

L.