Baptism of a sailor
Revised — Now with the video at the end
I had travelled a few times in ocean liners, many hundreds, I think reaching thousands, in planes of all types, from puddle-jumpers to Concorde. I loved it, in-flight turbulence lulls me to sleep.
My son Pedro, who has an international certificate of “Instructor of Captains”, came from France to Ilhabela in a 28-foot sailboat — well… at least with a steel hull… — bringing with him his wife, his little daughter, Jasmin, who has completed a year on board, and the brave Zion, his other son, a French spaniel, or Drenthe’s hound spaniel, a sailor since, as a baby, it was donated to him.
The vessel needed maintenance and services, the best shipyard was one in Guarujá, where we, Pedro’s parents, lived.
He, Marcão, a great friend of Ilhabela, a four-sided sailor, and Zion came sailing; his wife and little daughter were on the bus.
While the adult troops worked at the shipyard, the grandparents enjoyed being with their granddaughter: she was still crawling, tangled up with our two Chihuahuas, it was the grandmother who taught her to walk by supporting her by her armpits with a rolled-up diaper; we took her for a walk, to the beach… Delight!
Much more than maintenance, it was a large and beautiful internal and external renovation; I tried to help a few times: I was given tasks compatible with my ignorance and age.
In addition to our more spacious apartment, we had a smaller one close by; our granddaughter stayed with us and the workers slept in the other. But after washing and changing clothes, we all had dinner together; After dinner, granddaughter in an angelic sleep, we would go to what we called “Papo of the veranda”, where conversations, cases and stories were held, Marcão almost pontificating.
Ship ready, daughter-in-law and granddaughter boarded at the Guarujá terminal in the morning, at the end of the afternoon we boarded the three sailors towards Ilhabela.
A gentle after-starboard wind, I, sitting on the stool, enjoyed the ride, the captains’ manoeuvers.
Dark night, the strong wind and sea currents warned my son and Marcão of a storm ahead; they said to me if you want to go down to the cabin, ok; if not, hold firm the guardrails and not get up unaided.
I don’t know if we entered it or if it came to us, but it was sensational!
Firm hands gripping the supports, I felt and saw with the light from the mast, the huge waves ahead, the boat climbing over them and then falling behind them… Pam! And another and more…
“How wonderful! What beautiful waves! What a delicious experience!”
Wet, soaked with water, I put the useless glasses in my shirt pocket, and I stayed there until my son suggested I go downstairs because it wasn’t good to stay so wet and in the cold wind for so long.
I went downstairs with his help, sat down on the bed close by where they took turns.
“Son, I think I’m sick.”
He gave me the big pot: “You can vomit at will; it’s normal”.
I disembowelled the monkey, he took the pot to the wave washer; he came back and asked me if I wanted to lie down on the double bed in the bow. I went.
Pam! Up, down, boat to and fro, Pam!
I ran to the bathroom, threw up even what I didn’t have, I couldn’t get everything in the basin, I messed around.
I apologized to my son, “Don’t worry, cleaning this up is simple; and congratulations, you are baptized. You can lie down again and get plenty of sleep”.
I woke up with the noise of chains or ropes(In Portughese, ropes and clockwork spell and sound the same Don’t tell a sailor that! He’ll tell you what rope is on the clock, here there are only cables!), I thought we were docking.
Smooth sway, only the waves, I drank water, I went up.
I had never seen heaven like this! Moonless night, covered with stars and stars, myriads of them, enchanted, stunned, I didn’t even remember sitting on the stool.
Marcão didn’t disturb me; waited until I looked at him “It’s wonderful, isn’t it? Gift only for sailors”.
“Yes, Marcão, wonderful gift for you, which I share now!”
I knew, in the past, all the constellations, their names, all the planets visible to the naked eye; but now, apart from the most famous constellations, I knew little.
My son’s shift and he explained to me.
I didn’t want to leave there; they brought me sandwiches that I devoured with beer.
It dawned slowly, before long the silhouette of Ilhabela appeared on the horizon
Closer, a flock of dolphins accompanied us!
I went down fast, took my cell phone, missed the best part, but I recorded this here.
I want more!
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1pB-rJJqyxgAyiKwXILPEIwRFmzzctMJ6/view?usp=sharing