Battered and broken

Where shall I begin?

Okay. So, we planned and prepared to go out on the boat yesterday. We were feeling pretty good about it. We had picked up extra life jackets. We had checked the DC current to make sure the batteries were charged and the motor would start. We wouldn't want to get stuck out there in the water and have to get towed back or anything.

Seriously. We think about these things.

We knew we had two inexperienced, but enthusiastic sailors with us: Lonnie and Lindsay. And I have to tell you, although we have been friends for three years, and they have been friends with Sam since they were teens, this trip sealed our friendship forever. Nothing was sacred. There are no secrets any more. And that's a good thing.

So, we checked the tides. We lined up Jonathon to come out with us. He has seven years of experience, combined with our two sailing adventures. Right. We figured third time was the charm. This time...perfection.

And it seemed to be going okay. We pulled out of the slip much more smoothly than last time. We took a different route so that Lonnie and Lindsay could see the old prison and the creek. We made it to the other side of the Cooper River Bridge, headed out toward the S.S. Yorktown.

We were at full sail. The area was loaded with boats. And before we left, we all agreed to wear our life jackets. We knew that the waters would be heavily patrolled. Our radio was at the ready, set to channel 16. And our air horn was within easy access.

The genoa and main were gorgeous. Lonnie and Lindsay were so excited and impressed. And Sam was proudly at the helm. I was riding the rail. Jonathon was on the bow. It was fantastic...for about five minutes.

And that's when the U-bolt holding the front stay snapped. For those of you who don't understand how a mast is held up...it's the U-bolt in the front stay and the two side stays. Take it from my experience...without the U-bolt and being at full sail, the wind easily toppled the sail over.

Had I been sitting where I was previously, I would have been nailed by the boom and been in the water. All I know is that everything happened very quickly. Lonnie and Lindsay were covered by the sails. Lindsay was trapped below deck. Jonathon was trying to drop anchor and I went to help him. So did Sam.

There were were, no sail, no way to get to the motor, stuck in the middle of the channel. At least we were all okay. No one had been seriously hurt. We just had to stay calm to get out of this mess.

Come back tomorrow to read about how we managed to get out of this mess. And if you want to see more pictures, visit Suddenly Single Journey.