The owners were away but had given us permission to go any time. I was surprised that the very nice boarding ladder was not in place on their dock. Walter said no one wants to take the time to put it up if you are planning on going any where any time soon. And of course we hope to close on the boat soon and move it our the reserved slip at Fairfield Harbor. Walter just leaped to the swim platform... I stood on the dock with my mouth OPENED! But I did as instructed.. held the double rope in my hands and pulled like crazy... well, he didn't tell me to pull... I was trying to get the boat closer to the dock! It was tied mid slip between the piles so it wasn't gonna move... but I refused to believe it and continued to pull hard.... when I finally realized that I would have to jump.... I told Walter in kind of a whisper, "I want to go home!" Can't believe I said that! But I was so scared... I knew that water was cold and I didn't want to fall in! Worse I had worn my slippery tennis shoes instead of my new boat tennies.
Finally, I made the leap which was really a huge giant step onto the swim platform which by the way has shrunk since we first saw the boat... Walter says it is wider than most.. NO WAY! I was so thrilled to discover I had made the leap without feeling more water than the cold rain on me that I hugged Walter and wouldn't let go. But then I realized he was saying something to me and his voice was getting louder. He was saying, "LET GO.. DON'T HOLD ON TO ME!" Was the man nutz?! I now know that there is very little, IF anything, to hold on to on the swim platform....until you walk far enough to hold on to the ladder that goes up to the sun deck... only a few feet away from me but seemed a lot further today. Can you imagine how slippery that stainless steal ladder was in the rain?!... it was then that Walter suggested I take off sun glasses! Oh yeah! Made a big difference.
I made it to the sun deck but as I was going down the three steps to the salon.. holding the hand rails provided.. I let go toooo soon...slipped & fell on bottom step hitting my hip.. praise God it wasn't my back! My shoes might as well have been greased for all the traction I was getting with them. Then proceeded the next lesson (lecture) on ALWAYS holding on in a boat EVEN at the dock! I know the poor man was at this point having serious concerns about his first mate! AND ONLY crew member for most of the Great Loop! But wait, it gets worse!
While I was bending over measuring the sofa I didn't notice that Walter had opened the engine hatch.... a big hole in the middle of the salon floor. I stepped backward as I stood up and the major part of one of my feet was mostly over that hole with just the toe of my shoe on the floor next to it. Praise God again that my weight was still on other foot OR some of you would be getting a phone call from our hospital.. that is IF the paramedics could have gotten me out of the engine room!!
Getting back off was even scarier. Walter says I will have to do this to get on the dinghy... what? well, maybe so but I pictured sunny skies... this is going to be embarrassing at a marina! I told him he could go for groceries on rainy days and I, as Galley Slave, would stay on the boat!
And so the Grand Adventure begins!
