"Night does not show things, it suggests them." - Jorge Luis Borges

James Jackson

June 1 - Return from Bristol and Mahogany & Steel Show I got under way from Bristol at 9:23p. It's always tricky departing from the wharf because the tidal current goes right through at full speed... It's particularly tricky single handed with the aft pointing into the flow. The Mahogany & Steel show had wrapped hours earlier. A faint glimmer of light lingered where the sun had already set. A cool night, following a comfortable day, requiring my well worn jacket under my PFD. The hush and sounds of water, wildlife, and a few people enjoying a late evening stroll or fishing gave the waterfront a calm that settled on it like a duvet. Moon was low, initially just a ball of pale light behind a gauze of haze, but the breeze picked up midway downriver blowing the haze out to sea. I didn't need to push the engine hard to get a SOG of 6.5-7 knots. The current was working in my favor the whole way... strong and steady, giving me a generous push. The air was calm, the water glassy. I'd have loved to sail it, but the wind was dead on the nose, showing 10-12 knots apparent so about 5 knots true. On a clear ocean passage, maybe you stretch out the canvas and take your time. But inland, at night, solo, it’s different. There's not a whole lot of space and every bend in the river holds surprises... entire container ships can suddenly appear as if teleported directly in front of you, a couple of hundred yards away. Debris was mostly cleared out since the upriver leg, but the traffic was not. I passed two large tugs, a police boat, and at least one small powerboat with no lights at all. More than a few moored hulls bobbed in the dark without anchor lights, barely visible until you were nearly on them. Inland night sailing can be wondrous but it's a constant challenge of looking at reflected lights and working out the puzzle of what each one means. Nav lights, building lights, cars, traffic signals, and brightly lit wharves all blend into a visual cacophony in the black. Still, it was quiet out there. First Light held her course, the engine humming low, her wake barely folding back behind her. The solitude of a night transit sharpens your focus. You scan the banks, read the lights, feel every subtle shift in current under the hull. Inland you're looking for an absence... a void... a place where there should be light, sound, or motion but there isn't one. It’s beautiful, but you earn it by staying vigilant. A Day in the Life Coordinating time in our household is barely managed chaos. Passage makers and vacationers have it easy compared to those of us who stay near home base. The boat had to be prepped for the show in the morning. Our daughter had her first ballet recital in the afternoon. I had a gear hand-off with one of my crew, and of course I needed flowers to give the new ballerina her roses. I also needed to get back to Bristol and get First Light ready to bring her home and then spend the time bringing her back. Mahogany & Steel was worth it. A mix of wooden boats, brightwork-polished hulls, and lovingly restored engines. Boats and cars, each with a story and an owner who has been up to their eyeballs in it. It's good to know I'm not alone in having to repair and fix and bodge every millimeter of a piece of engineering that has become something cared about and for. First Light got her share of compliments... She's a beautiful hull when, like this spring, I've had time to wax and polish inch by inch. Hours and days of work show, and people see it. People asked about her age, her lines, how she handles. Louis and Shelby were aboard Indefatigable and pulled plenty of attention too. We answered questions, passed out stories, and played host to anyone curious enough to ask. It's a good feeling letting people see what you’ve built, what you maintain, and what you carry with you. I tied up at our home marina and just sat with myself in the quiet for a few minutes. Put the boat in order and made my way to the house. Another day, another week, another season of being busy, perhaps too busy, but at least our daughter will have more opportunities to explore and experience things than not.

Boat & Crew

First Light

O'Day, 322

James Jackson

Owner