A Sailing Log of Summer

Day 0

My hair spills out, inky black in the crystal clear water. The hot sun beats down on my face and I am glad to cool off.

I lift my head out of the water and paddle closer to the shore. My feet scrape the bottom and the sand is soft. I step out of the water and the warm sand sticks to my feet, kind of marble and kind of slate.

Sailing. The knots, the main sail, turning the rudder harshly and my best friend's laughter. She mans (womans) the jib and I steer. Last summer we saved up everything we had and worked double shifts to buy this little boat we named Catfish, and Evie painted little whiskers and a fish face on the front. Her delicate calligraphy and artistic skills shine through in our boat, meanwhile my artistic contribution consists of splattering yellow and orange and rustic wheat colored paint across our hull and over the sides. I had a craving and she complied.

We're going to sail around the UK this summer, specifically, tomorrow. We've been sailing since we were ten, off the coast of Wales with her mom and my dad guiding us. I remember Dad's steady hand on top of mine as my small hands manned the tiller and Evie's mom sitting across from Evie, helping her with the jib.

Tenby, Pembrokshire. It rocks, and I live there. When you think UK, you think England, so you think rain. Let me fix that.

UK = Wales = Tenby = Looks like Bali.

Legit.

And it's perfect for sailing.

I love the freedom of sailing. The wind in my hair. I love the speed I can get on the water. Evie says I'm crazy, but I'm actually crazy fun. There's a difference!

Besides, it isn't like she has any interest in steering or getting a different sailing partner, so she's stuck with me.

Day 1

It is hot today. We lick ice cream of dripping cones, cotton candy for me and bubble gum for her, our colors mirroring. I like the look of bubble gum more but I loathe gum with a burning passion and have a fiery desire for cotton candy, so until I find the time to file a complaint to the makers of ice cream I shall put up with it.

Evie shoves me, saying something about first world problems, and I laugh.

We throw our bags into the boat and roll up our jeans. We run and push off Catfish and jump in before she gets too far. I grab the main sail tightly and pull it taut. Evie does the same with the jib, and for once, I hold the rudder steady. We're off.

Day 11

A big, blustery wind blows my hair. Evie drops the anchor down and I secure her "swimming braid". She says something about how her little brother could do better (and her braid is flawless) and I smile sweetly and push her into the water. She comes up laughing and, before she can splash me, I dive into the cool water.

Something brushes my ankle and I look down.

Jellyfish.

Lions mane jellyfish are poisonous, but it isn't fatal. It stings, though. I hold a cool cloth to Evie's arm, she got it worse then me. I try to apologize, but she laughs and says the jellyfish were there anyway, I didn't do anything. That may be true, but I still feel guilty.

(Alright, Eves, it's true, it isn't my fault. Ow! That was my foot, you realize!)

Day 13

There is a cat in the ocean.

We saw her in the shallows, although it was deep for a cat, and probably unpleasant. We asked around shops in town and no one said anything about a missing cat, so we name her Moon, due to her white crescent going from the middle of her neck all the way to her chest. She loves the boat, the wind, and sits up on the stern of the Catfish like the queen she is.

Day 20

Moon had kittens. I am so confused.

There are two little bundles of love and fur and cuteness, a little tabby she-cat and and white and black patchy tom. We name the tabby Stella and the other becomes Lune.

Day 29

Evie talks about sailing to Fiji. She has a dream of coconuts on the beach, and I sail if we sail anywhere I want to check out Indonesia. My mom grew up there, and I would love to hear stories about her from my grandparents. Dad can give me their time together, but not so much her childhood. We pop open cans of sparkling water (Evie hates pop) and cheers to being a third of the way to home. With perfect timing, a whale breaches the shining waves.

Day 44

The water is not as warm as I'd like, but it looks beautiful and tropical so we decide to surf. It's summer, we can handle it. There is a small beach where we rent surfboards and boy the water is cold, but I don't care. Then we practice our knot tying skills on the hull of Catfish with Moon, Lune, Stella and the sea.

Day 67

I feel so close to home. Summer had just begun when we started, and it feels as though it's drawing to a close. With home and school so near, Evie and I swim as much as possible, pretending we're somewhere tropical.

Day 77

Leatherback turtles swim not far from the Catfish. I feel especially lucky as they are both mine and Evie's little brother's favorite animal. She hands me the jib and hang on tightly as she takes a picture with them in the background.

Day 82

I am beginning to see some trademark signs of Wales. My hair is stiff with salt as I write this and I can taste the pink salt and black pepper fighting the deliciousness of the tomato almost hard enough to overpower it.

Who am I kidding, I love salt.

Day 101

We arrived home today. We were hurried into dresses. White ones. Matching ones.

The wedding was so beautiful. Evie and I were her mom's bridesmaids and her little brother was the ring bearer. Her little cousin was the flower girl, and my dad's best friend was his best man. School has already started, Evie and I missed a bit, but how could I be sad about my current F in math (I've never gotten lower then A-) when I have sailed around a country.

My father and I have been lonely for so long, and we have missed Mom so much. We have a family now, though, and I feel as if Mom is smiling down over me.

That night my sister and I lay up and look at the stars.