Sails and Styles (Completed)

Chapter 3

After unpacking everything and doing all my checks, we have pushed off from the dock and are on our way.

"Okay, you have two options. Option one is we stay fairly local in the south here so that I can bring you back here to head home."

"What's option two?"

"Option two is we head up the coast a bit, as far as the wind will take us, and then you take a sea plane back."

"I like option two," he says smiling at me.

"Okay, option two it is."

I plug into the navigation system our destination. We are just motoring right now but I'd like to get the main sail up.

"Harry? Do you want to steer?"

"Am I ready for that?" he gulps.

"It's fairly easy when the motor is on. Come here."

He makes his way next to me behind the large wheel. This is the closest we've been, and his proximity is making me lose focus. I step away from him very obviously and I feel him give me a side-eye. I can sense him trying to figure out why I have so many walls up. It's like he is deciding whether he wants to know what is on the other side.

"See that lighthouse on the point," I gesture. "I want you to aim at it."

"I thought boats are supposed to avoid lighthouses?"

"It'll take a while to get there. It will give me enough time to get the main sail up so we can start sailing."

"We're not sailing?"

"No, we're powering with the engine. Ideally you use only the sails whenever there's enough wind and no time crunches."

I start taking off the sail ties and loosening the sheet. I think Harry will enjoy the next part, so I switch spots with him. He looks a little unsure of himself but decides I'm trustworthy enough. I tell him to pull on the halyard to lift the sail and I steer the boat into the wind as he pulls.

"Keep going! Go! Go! Go!" I encourage as the sail is lifted up the mast.

I instruct him to wrap the halyard on the winch and hand him a crank to hoist the sail the rest of the way.

"Just like that. Go! Go!"

I switch off the engine.

"Okay, you're sailing now."

"That felt good!" he says smiling at me and then looking up at the main, admiring his work.

I stare at him while he does this, feeling happy that I was part of that for him. That I judged him correctly. And another moment has strung itself on to the last one.

"Do you want to steer again?"

"Sure," he says and makes his way back to me. This time I don't move away from his proximity. He notices.

"So, it's a bit different when you're under sail. The wind is going to push the boat, and you want that but you're going to have to control it. You don't sail in straight lines, it's more of a zig zag. You need to watch your sails so they don't luff and turn the boat so the wind can hit the sails. We'll need to tack soon."

"Tack?"

"When we want to switch directions and the sail will be on the port side of the boat."

"Port is left?"

I smile and nod at him. He is looking quite proud of himself for remembering that.

"We want to come around this point of land up ahead. You're going to have to turn the boat as I tack. The boom in front of you is going to swing to the port side."