“Discovery,” “Discovery.” This is “Miss Kate.”

“This is “Discovery.” Come back, “Miss Kate.”

“Daddy, switch to seven-two!”

Formal protocol concluded, both parties switched to channel 72 of the VHF radio aboard our boat, Discovery, and Kate’s sailboat, Miss Kate. Whereupon Dave got the biggest tongue-lashing he’d ever gotten from our then-15 year old daughter, before or since. Which makes me marvel when I think about it, since there is a tremendous bond between the two of them. So what horrendous thing did Dave do to deserve such treatment?

Our family was making our way down the east coast from Washington, D.C. in late fall of 1997 via the Intracoastal Waterway. The boys, Dave and our 13-year old son, DJ, were in the trawler, and Kate and I were in her boat. “Why” we had two boats is a whole other story, which will be shared another time.

That early December morning, Kate and I had awakened in an anchorage just south of the submarine basin at King’s Bay. Georgia. We might have even crossed the imaginery state line and been in Florida, but when traveling by boat, who knows? The boys had been delayed in Savannah waiting on an engine part, so it seemed logical that the girls would go ahead, since Miss Kate’s top cruising speed was about 10 miles an hour on a good day. The plan was to meet up in the anchorage off Fernandina Beach. Ah, Florida! You are never as beautiful as you are in winter.

It is imperative to get an early start when cruising in December, since the days are short. The lines are untied or the anchor gets pulled shortly before sunrise, and hot drinks help ward off the chill for hours afterwards. By the time high noon rolls around, the better part of the day has passed and all on board are looking forward to stopping for the night.

It was just a short while after we dropped anchor late in the afternoon that day that Discovery caught up. Once the anchors were set, arrangements to go ashore were made via the VHF and soon we were off to the dinghy dock in our Whaler. It was more like our station wagon, for all it hauled those years we lived aboard.

We wandered around, checking out the shops. All were decorated so gaily, it was just the elixir we all needed to get into the holiday spirit, as my dad had passed away just the month before. At one of the shops, Kate and the teenage boy clerk talked while the rest of us went outside to sit on the bench and wait. Eventually, Kate came outside and asked if she could come back after the boy got off work. This would turn out to be her first date!

We said ‘yes,’ and the kids made arrangements for later. Back on our separate vessels, Dave and Kate (mostly Dave) went over things like curfew, and since she’d be taking the station wagon, last-minute instructions in that were given, as well. She took off in the dinghy, and we bided our time over the next couple of hours, waiting for her to come home.

No more than a couple of hours later, the engine on the dinghy being started could be heard, and we could see that she had all the necessary lights on before she even left the dock. We were only a handful of boats in the anchorage, so we knew Kate could see us. She made her way towards our boat, slowly, as to not cause a wake, when for SOME unknown reason that has never been fully explained, Dave flicked on the SPOTLIGHT that shown from atop our mast, and which illuminated everything around us. Poor Kate! I’m certain she was mortified.

“Daddy, how COULD you?” (Unbelieving)

“Bu…”

“Did you think I couldn’t see the boat?” (Sarcastic)

“Bu…”

“It’s a good think I’ll never see (what’s-his-name) again. I am SO embarrassed!  Good night, Daddy!  This is Miss Kate going back to one-six.” Leave it to Kate to remember protocol. And before Dave could utter another partial-syllable, the click on the radio signaled that Kate had turned hers off.

Next morning, the anchors were raised before dawn, and we continued making our way south along the coast of Florida, boys in one boat, girls in another, a blessing in itself, given the all the venting Kate was doing. Years later, our family still talks about the trip down the coast and and many other boat trips, as well. Those are special memories, for sure.