New Crew for the Big Blue

When I was a young lad of…43,…and once again took up sailing I had no idea of the value of good crew. As I wanted to get as much experience as possible and found myself volunteering for day trips, weekend races, regattas of any sort, and deliveries up and down the east coast. To me, the skipper was doing me a favor. Certainly not the other way around. As I am every so often I was dead wrong. Ok, ask my lovelely bride and she’ll certainly say that I am rarely dead wrong, just mostly and oddly enough it’s usually when we are together. But I digress…

Oh yeah, good crew. Last weekend we did an overnight from Gasparilla and hoofed it south approximately 150 nautical miles to sunny Marathon. While in Gasparilla, we picked up some new friends. And by new I mean like we’ve only known a few short months. 

Readers, let me make this crystal-clear…HOLY SHITBALLS! 

These two were amazing. By theses two I’m referring to Josh and Miranda. 

I met Josh a few short months ago doing some contracted dock repair. A quick discussion turned into him doing some carpentry work to Marionettes Revenges salon. From there a friendship ensued and voila. New friends were formed as he introduced us to his most lovely fiancee. So that returns us to them joining us aboard and making our lumpy trek down the Gulf of Mexico.

Mother nature was kind to us the first third of the trip, then the winds shifted and our ride turned rather bumpy, rocky, creaky, and certainly sleepless. We decided on four hour shifts at the helm of which I’m pretty certain Josh carried the heavy load. When the dinghy decided it no longer enjoyed the company of it’s contents, Josh saved the day and did some fancy line work to secure things. If anyone was Johnny on the spot it was Josh. Then, to top it all off, he and the rather chatty Miranda treated us to a delicious Easter morning breakfast extravaganza.

To have extra souls on board means additional responsibilities for their safety as well as giving up precious personal space. But extra souls who go the extra mile, that means the world. 

A huge thanks to some of the best crew we’ve ever had and for making a potentially unpleasant trip due weather conditions a boatload of fun!

BTW, Miranda is quite quiet and shy, which like I tell many folks… that makes them an ideal traveling companion. 😉

Hubby out.