Dec 25 2009
A Sailor’s Skyping Christmas in Mazatlan
David Skyping Home
My friend David and I have landed in Mazatlan, a little worse for wear after being slapped around by an unpredicted “norther” during our crossing from Isla San Francisco (about 290 miles).
We’re now docked at El Cid Marina – and of course the modern sailor’s first duty, even before clearing port quarantine – is to check email from home and start up our solar-powered Skype software.
From our families, we harvested a wealth of domestic info and congrats regarding our safe passage (we had sent regular position reports with our SPOT personal locator beacon). Wendy wrote about the aromatic “foofarah of Christmas food preparations” , Simon wondering about the weather during our crossing. All enough to make this sailor lonely for home.
From my lovely brother Neal: “Bienvenidos a Mazatlan! Feliz Navidad! Get back to work! No more goofing off! Remember that I’m crazy about you!”
A snippet from Jimmy Buffett’s Christmas album “A Sailor’’s Christmas” from my dear friend Gordo:
Cali, Calais no work today, let’s shelve the old log book
The waterfront is reveling, the season has begun
A sailor spends his Christmas in a harbour having fun.
And from David’s wife Susan: “ Dear sailors, I am very happy and relieved to see that on the map you are only an inch from the shore. I hope it was a wonderful crossing. Happy Christmas. I imagine you are indulging in a carol singalong out on the water. ”
Sort of.
Ilkley Moor, without a hat
We did sing songs (David began to teach me the Yorkshire pub song “On Ilkley Moore Bar T’at” – more about that below) but that was before we hit the storm.
For the last 12 hours we mostly thought about how nice it would be to make it ashore in the 35 knot blow we had blundered into. Steep, “square” waves and howling wind had silenced us, except for the grunts that passed between us.
At about 10 pm, while we were still 40 miles offshore, I said to David: “Get below, David.” The wildness around us made it safer for him in the relative calmness of the cabin.
So you can understand our rush to Skype home when we arrived.
Now it is Christmas day. Wendy and the kids will be getting ready for lovely meals with Amos and Hilary, Lorraine and Hal and Jen and the Wake family. I wish I were there. But now all is calm, we are safe and I hope David and I will resume his lessons teaching me “On Ilkley Moor bar t’at“.
David Skyping Susan
He leaves for Vancouver in three days. I am hoping that the lessons will contine long distance, via Skype.
At noon our time, I will try to Skype home and reconnect with my lovely family, and talk to daughter Anna )who was working last night when I called.
Perhaps I will be able to sing a stanza or so for her, with David egging me on.
Ilkley Moor Bar T’at – Yorkshire Pub Song – taught to me by David Mullard aboard SV Wendaway
Where hast thou been since I saw thee, I saw thee
On Ilkley Moor bar t’at
Where hast thou been since I saw thee, I saw thee
Where hast thou been since I saw thee
On Ilkley Moor bar t’at (where’s that?)
On Ilkley Moor bar t’at (where’s that?)
On Ilkley Moor bar t’at
Postscript: I am going home with David! He found a cheap flight to Vancouver and darling daughter Anna made me reservations. Huzzah!
Ah, Mark, reading this invoked within me the feeling of your homesickness. Yet I am at home. We are with you in spirit, you shall be reunited with your family, we shall stay connected and all will be well in the coming year.
I saw all the kids and grandkids inn Seattle – I am in San diego and getting home sick for Koloa Kai in Guaymas – Will be there jan 10 th or so and see Jim Pinter and his newly retired wife… Hope to say good by to all friends in Guaymas and san Carlos so we can head south and meet up with Windaway ..
Meli Kalikimaka – Grover