Maggie's Farm

While out on an anchorage Sunday we were awakened by thunder and hailstones + heavy rain on the roof around 11:30 pm. It was pitch black outside and we realized with the lightning flashes that the other three boats in the anchorage had fled to some safe port. Oh, and it had been such a mild sea breeze that we had left all of the hatches and eisenglass windows open.

It was a dramatic hour or so on the water for us. 

We have some serious boaters who read us. For them, stormy nighttime navigation is probably easy. I have been a day-boater, salt water, most of my life (sail and power), but I am not used to this sort of overnight thing away from port. We have to up our game but I guess that midlife requires new things. Decay, or grow.

Another problem I have with overnight boating is that I like to get to the gym early. It straightens out my brain and body. On a boat, at 5 AM, there is no escape and nothing to do but sit or eat, neither of which I like to do very much.

Ocean sailing with autopilot is another thing entirely. A quote from a commenter on Our Scariest Days At Sea (4 days from land):

"There are times when sailing feels like Murphy's Law in action.  Because if anything can go wrong, it will.  And, most likely, it will happen at night."