This is a true story that spends a great deal of time talking about sailing. It will have a ton of sex thrown in but I would hate to have you disappointed in thinking that it was going to be an over and over slam-bam thank-you-mam kind of a sex story. I've tried to throw in the landlubbers' description of nautical things whenever I thought it was needed.
We were having major modifications to our 42 foot Pearson sailboat at a yard up at the head of Buzzards Bay prior to our trip from Massachusetts to the Bahamas. Sam and I both had full confidence this yard would do excellent work. Besides, we knew the owner of the yard and he was doing the work for nothing more than the salaries he paid his workers. That saved a bunch. We also were having them check over the hull as well as the rigging holding up the mast. Having the work done up in Massachusetts was going to add almost 400 additional miles from our homeport outside of Annapolis, Maryland but we felt the safety of having this particular yard do the work more than justified the extra few days of sailing. What the hell, it was designed to be a pleasure trip rather than simply transporting a boat anyway.
It's over an 1100-mile sail and in addition to having it inspected we wanted to have everything on the boat in tip- top shape as well as having a few nice additions installed such as a fresh water maker that would convert seawater into drinking water. In addition we were having the icebox converted into an honest- to-God refrigerator/freezer. Our sundowners would then have the clink of ice-cubes rattling around in the glass.
I'm Jan and Sam and I have done a ton of sailing together and we had been talking about this trip for what seemed forever. I had bought the boat the year before and we had done a lot of work on her freshening her up for the trip. Sam and I have been "an item" around our local yacht club for a few years and we do get along well and do a pretty fair job of handling a boat the size of the "Harmony". Each of had taken a month leave of absence from our jobs figuring the downward leg would take at least eight days and then we wanted to spend a few days around the Islands before heading back on the 900 mile return trip to Annapolis.
We had rented a car for the trip up to the yard from Annapolis and would have the yard guys return it to Hertz for us. I had spent most of Wednesday shopping for the food list we had prepared so we were going to drive up on a Thursday and then spend Friday and Saturday loading the boat. In addition we wanted to go over some of the changes the yard had made with the workers before casting off on Sunday morning.
Our first night dinner in Mass. was going to be special. We were going to treat ourselves to a great lobster dinner at one of the local seafood restaurants we had enjoyed on other times we were in that area. The last time was a few months ago when we brought the boat up for the yard to get it ready for our trip. No touristy spot for us; we wanted to eat as the locals did and pay local prices rather than the exorbitant rates the tourist spots charged.
As we walked in the door to the restaurant we were greeted with a big,
"Hi, haven't seen you guys in a while."
It was Sally, the waitress we had on previous visits and she honestly seemed glad to see us. She's a gal of 23, with a great shape, very thin but pretty. She quickly ushered us to a favored table by the window overlooking the harbor.
It was early and we were the only ones in the place so she sat down at our table with us asking,
"Well, tell me about it. Are you up here to make the big sail you talked about during your last visit?"
Sam jumped in with; "Yep and we shove off on Sunday morning."
"Oh Gawd, I'm so jealous I could explode. You will remember I told you I had made a couple of trips like yours with my folks when I was younger and loved every mile we sailed. We only had a 33 footer and if I remember right you guys will be enjoying smoother and faster sailing on a larger boat."
I answered, "Yeah, you've got a great memory. Our boat, Harmony, is a 42-foot Pearson and is pretty well equipped. We just had refrigeration and a fresh water maker installed so we will be able to have some cubes for our sundowners."
"Oh man, you guys are sooooo lucky." She cooed.
Dinner went great and we thoroughly enjoyed the lobsters.
Sometime during dinner I questioned Sam about the possibility of asking Sally if she would be interested in joining us. Sam and I have sailed many overnight trips and it gets awful lonely in the cockpit in the middle of the night when you are out there with no one to chat with. Besides, she sounded as if she had had a good bit of sailing experience and that could be a huge help. Sam responded that he would think it over.
We hit the sack fairly early and the sun was up in all of its glory when we were back out in the cockpit. Sam seemed all excited as if he had something on his mind he had to share.
He started the day off with, "Jan, I thought it over last night and I think it would be a super idea if Sally would join us. I do know the loneliness than comes over each of us when the other is sacking out below and we are out in the cockpit talking to the stars. If you still think it is a good idea why don't you go over to the restaurant and leave a message with whoever is working this morning to have Sally call you on your cell phone."
We were both in the yard office settling up our bill when my cell rang. It was Sally and I asked if she would come down to the boat right away for we had something to talk to her about.
She was sitting in the cockpit waiting for us before we even made it back to the boat after paying our bill. She looked nervous as hell.
"Jan, you ask her. I think it would be better coming from one woman to another." Sam whispered as we were walking down the dock.
Jan barely got the invitation out before Sally was screaming with joy.
"Yes, yes, yes. I know you won't be sorry."