After our life-affirming night of high winds, P & I moved onto the fuel dock of the Marathon Marina - the only space available. Tying up to the dock felt like a welcoming hug from my mother - warm and safe. We had a one-manatee welcoming committee. This mammoth-sized sea cow was sucking the concrete wall on our bow. He didn't mind that we invaded his space so P rewarded him with some fresh water from our hose. Manatees love to suck fresh water. Just watching his playful lumbering lowered my blood pressure.Our intention was to get some sleep, but P & I quickly realized that we had too much nervous energy to rest. The familiar routine of doing laundry - scrounging quarters, bleaching t-shirts, etc. - gives me a sense of control. P set out cleaning - and drying out - the boat. By late afternoon, we had changed the oil in the dinghy motor, air-dried our storm gear and found some solace in our organization.
We met an adorable family from Alaska whose boat was also tied up on the fuel dock. They had a similar experience the night before, but unlike us, they had to wait most of the night for the towboat to arrive. In fact, the towboat captain told them that he wouldn't have arrived until morning except that one of his calls (us!!) had been able to get off the shelf with the help of a fellow-sailor. Angel Don was looking out for more than just us that night! Once again, this is a great story about not knowing how many lives you touch when you do a good deed.
Our evening ended with a fabulous dinner with our good friends, Vicky & Sam, who are vacationing in Florida and the keys. It was so wonderful being with familiar friends after a night like last night - good to laugh with each other and at ourselves. P & I take credit for introducing V & S several years ago. They're both avid sailors and we thought it would be a great match - we were right. Sailing connects people in such interesting ways.
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