with the first swell of the season and the north shore winter bearing towards us a short month away… i found myself short changed and laid up, shore bound with no way in & no way out
back to back cuts… one from getting tubed and then not getting tubed, the second from a minor demolition mishap turned survivor man tv show turned disaster
the epic continuing saga of cuts that never heal had sidelined the team and left us essentially stuck between a rock and a nightmare waiting to happen
two back to back 19 foot 21 second impending NW swells heading our direction AND 5 to 6 foot east seas with 30 knot winds at the only refuge available made the statement… “close only counts in horseshoes & hand grenades” seem a bit more profound than usual
you’ve got to get your boat out of Hanalei or maybe you should see a doctor about that… haven’t decided yet?
the calls went out and were thankfully returned “i’ll meet you at eight o’clock…” Al Baroni Master Sailor and the King of Diddling himself had come to the rescue
some heavier head winds and an off placement slowed our start but with a minor sail adjustment we were able to power through… beating down off the brilliant fall coast of Kauai
with daylight ticking and the forgone perfect timing thing in swing we were able to work south and east as support groups kept track of our progress from shore
we watched the sun set over mountainsides as we laughed, we talked story instead of crying and don’t tell his wife, smoked cigarettes & bonded realizing that as Al was to less than lightly say a few hours later… “this is going to be dicey”
praised be for jet fuel and as to be as under spoken as can possibly be thank you but not my boat
keep checking back at www.luckystarsail.com for more of those body flushed, blind in the night, wing on wing and hauling with flames on your ass & you had to be there kind of moments…