LandfallVoyages

One of the funny quirks about living aboard is the compulsion you develop for situational awareness. First thing in the morning, even before you pee, you’ve got to stick your head out the companionway and have a little look-see session with the wind and the waves. What’s the weather doing? Which direction is the boat facing? Is it high or low tide?

I’ve lived aboard plenty and done time on land as well. Living dirt-side, none of that matters very much. Generally speaking, you mostly don’t have to worry about your neighbor’s house dragging anchor in the wee hours of the morning, coming to rest rather uncomfortably smack dab in the middle of all your important stuff.  The family car (skiff) won’t get swamped or wiggle itself loose, bouncing merrily to and fro across the bay like a giant blow-up pinball gone rogue in the night.

You’ve got to pay strict attention to what Mother Nature has coming on down the line. You’ve got to take care of your boat and your crew, because only your everything depends on not letting things slide. Poseidon is kind of a stickler that way–start stacking bad decisions on top of worse ones and you’re guarandamnteed to find yourself on the wrong end of that rather sharp trident of his.

Today, when I stuck my head out to see what’s what, I spied a curious smudgy thing far out on the horizon. It could have been anything, really–a little smog plus the Long Beach skyline; a container ship or possibly even the ferry. I rolled my eyes across the rest of Two Harbors and by the time I’d come full circle that smutchy bit looked altogether different.  Like a cloud atop the water only massier. Like a ship but the proportions were kind of off.

A squint through the binoculars proved she was, in fact a ship and a magnificent one at that.  The Tole Mour…she’s a 156′ tall ship out of Avalon and they use her as a teaching platform–a little seamanship training, a little science, and a whole lot of incredible fun.

Heaving into view

Isn't she lovely?

Hailing Distance

Scramble for Safe Water

Incoming Ferry--These Guys Haul @ss