Six Weeks

They say that the flu lasts for 6 weeks. I thought I had a cold, but now it looks like I have the flu. Not a bad case, just bad enough to be distracting.

I went sailing under the second full moon of the year with the Admiral, Glacier Girl, Radiation Man, and a couple (read guy and gal in love) that GG brought along.

GG started throwing up even before we walked down to the dock. She insisted that we all go sailing anyway. She did not want to dampen the evening and create a situation where her friends did not enjoy themselves.

As 'Captain', I suppose it was my responsibility to do the right thing, but I didn't know what that was. So my experience offshore kicked in. Sailing sometimes involves bile. A good sailor knows how to deal with it. There is no such thing as someone who doesn't get seasick. Just people who have yet to discover the particular conditions with their name on them that makes them turn green and hope to die.

One way to deal with it is to grab your crew mate by the ankles and prevent them from sliding overboard as the bile is directed overboard - the windward stern quarter is a good launching point as the leeward rail involves a drowning risk. I've been both the holdee and the holder. The midnight watch motoring up the coast looms large in my memory. One hand for the helm, the other for the crew mates ankles. Don't expect thanks, seeing your crew mate upright in the morning is thanks enough. If memory goes overboard, that seems to help the recovery.

Another way is the bucket. Tie a dock line to the bucket, make the crewmember as comfortable as possible in a berth below, and bring up the bucket for a quick saltwater rinse often. A sleeping bag thrown over the stricken crew, and shifting them from berth to berth as you tack . . . well, you should be so lucky to have a crewmate do that for you someday.

Funny thing though. GG recovered the next day, I've been sick ever since.

Two weeks down, Four more to go.

I'll be heading out the gate about then, I'm hoping my example will not go unnoticed should I meet the particular conditions with my name on them.