Just before closing the office Thursday afternoon, I decided to give myself Friday off and have a long quiet weekend. Kay James and Hamari were visiting and doing God know what up in Boston, I just got my little intruder Amanda settled in into her new housekeeping position a week ago on my real estate and I needed some time to clear the cobwebs out of my head. It had been a profitable but hectic couple of weeks trying to juggle all of that in with my busy schedule.
"I know!" I thought to myself: "I'll reserve a boarding skiff to run me out to The Heart of Joy after an early breakfast tomorrow and I'll take her out where we can't be bothered." I mumbled and as I stepped on the elevator. In minutes I had them on my cell, I set it for five in the morning and I stopped in the lobby, picked up a tidal chart and headed out for dinner.
A storm had blown in off the gulf in the wee hours of the following morning making Sarasota Bay and the surrounding bay area uncommonly cool for this time of year. I remembered thinking that I might be just a tad underdressed as I stepped out of my Escalade on the Parking lot of Marina Jack.
I was in my new boat shoes without socks, dress shorts and light silk shirt. But I was going boating and I was certain from the current local weather reports and NOAA that the sun would be high and bright in a couple of hours and everything would warm up and if not, I had cold weather and rain gear on board and let's face it, I'm a bit vain and I didn't want to look overdressed for breakfast at their fine restaurant.
As I walked toward the main building, I experienced the bustling sounds of all the fisherman readying their boats to go out and do some serious game fishing. A cold front of any kind seems to stimulate a feeding frenzy in fish, but I always thought that it stimulated more of one among the fishermen.
Anyway, I walked in through the rear service door of the restaurant well before their posted "Open" time and saw one of the chefs receiving in two large mesh bags of fresh bay oysters for the lunch and dinner crowd and I told Jenny (the Assistant Manager) to tell my server to bring me a dozen with my coffee and a breakfast menu. When she brought the tray over, I saw the skiff Captain walk in and I asked him to sit and breakfast with me.
"Where are you off to this stormy morning Mr. Swiftt?" He asked: "You taking her out by yourself?"
"Yes, I just want to head out and shake her down in some open water." I answered: "I have a few days off, but I will probably just take her straight out and come right back. My intentions are to be moored back out in the bay before dusk. Are you on all day?" I inquired.
When he told me that he was, I mentioned: "If my plans change and I decide to spend a night or two on board, I'll call and let you know."
Less than an hour and a half later, we're motoring through all of the fishermen's wakes in the cold crisp morning air and he pulled me right over to The Heart of Joy's lowering boarding ladder platform and when I jumped out he tossed me my bags and was on his way back without even tying off.
Once on board, I did a quick perimeter check of the deck, unlocked the hatch and stowed the meat and perishable groceries that I'd brought along and I grabbed a cigar and my trusty heavy windbreaker jacket.
Back out on deck, I noticed the morning sunlight was just starting to peak through the dark predawn clouds out over the horizon and before I had all the sails uncovered, I was out of that jacket and weighing anchor. I remember how all the smaller boats way up ahead were huddled around some under water structure they found, with each fisherman trying to land a trophy, so I was careful to glide on past them trying to leave as little wake as possible.
They all just kind of stopped what they were doing and stood there in awe of her as we silently glided by, all seventy two feet of the proud, shiny and beautiful lady that she is and that always gives me a rush, for she has never failed to make me feel proud of her.
Out in more open water she was anxious to perform for me and as I gave into her need by adding more sail she took off and together we set our course due east into the wind and the spray and I clipped the end and lit my cigar.
The Heart of Joy is a lot of boat, almost too much for one man, and if it was up to the Harbor Master, too much for three. But her and I have been together since before all of those rules and the authorities just kind of turn their heads when it comes to me and my fat annual donations to the various sailor's funds helps, I'm sure .
As we ventured further out, the sun started shining, the sky had turned a cloudless pale blue and she was cutting into the waves and kicking up her heals and I was having the time of my life. I checked up ahead: "All clear." I announced out loud to myself and I opened the on deck liquor cabinet next to the wheel, grabbed my trusty bottle of Bookers, pulled the cork with my teeth old Pirate style and I poured a healthy shot and enjoyed it with my cigar, my boat, the wind and the sea.
After only two plus hours out, I knew that I wouldn't be heading back that night: "Who could leave all of this?" I thought to myself, so I contacted Marina Jack and told them to cancel the ship to shore skiff that I had booked for later that evening and when they asked when I would return, I just told them: "I will advise." And I adjusted our heading just a touch southwest.
Just before dark at the onset of twilight that evening, I noticed up ahead what I thought to be the beginning of the everglades and I started my tour of dropping her sails. Within the hour she was firmly anchored in a small secluded deep water cove and I was in the on deck captains chair listening to Sinatra, sipping on another Bookers and contemplating what to have for dinner.
I looked around through the last light of day at all the primitive looking tropical foliage and thick undergrowth vegetation that grew right out to the very edge of the saltwater, wondering if anyone else had ever seen this cove. I was thinking that It had to have looked exactly like this for hundreds of years, unspoiled by man when all of a sudden I became annoyed.
I didn't know why at first until I realized it was from something I had been hearing over Frank's cool effortless singing, so I turned off the music and listened, and there it was again. A voice, an angry male voice, off in the distance, then a woman's scream: "NO!" I turned off the deck lighting to get a better view and I saw the silhouette of a long cigarette boat slowly gliding near the mouth of the cove: "The haven't seen me yet." I thought.
Quietly I opened the water tight hatch and decided on the twelve gage Wheatherby over the slimmer lines of my AR-15. I guess at that time I wanted it more for intimidation purposes. I wanted to be ready, but hoping that I wouldn't be required to use it.
For my left wing radical conservative readers, let me explain. It took me well over twenty years to restore The Heart of Joy to her pristine condition. Everything about her with exception of her electric sail hoists, stabilizing gyroscopes and her electronic security, sonar, radar and communication systems are spot on original, making her a prime target for the modern day pirate, so I keep her well armed both on and below deck.
