THE MAKING OF A YOUNG SAILOR


| Story and Photos by Gary and Gail Hayes |


on several overnight sailing trips on Lake Wateree, SC. He could paddle his own small kayak and was ripe for a longer cruise. We hoped for something enjoyable—some- thing that would increase his love of the outdoors and whet his spirit of adventure. But first, we had to con-


O


vince his parents. What I said was, “We’re


looking at a ten-day weather window.” To us, that meant ten possible sailing days. What our son and daughter- in-law heard was “We’ll be gone a few days during this time frame…” So of course they agreed and we packed up our gear, connected with our sailing buddies and took off on a six-hour trailering ride with our Rhodes 22, the Vagary, well-provisioned for a long (for us) cruise. We had every intention of luxuriating for the full ten days, weather permitting. We arrived in St. Mary’s, Georgia at the end of a day of


driving, having stopped at every rest area along the way to stretch our legs and check trailer bearings. Aſter masting up, we followed North Creek to the St. Mary’s river and the St. Mary’s town waterfront to anchor out and wait for the morning’s favorable tide and wind. Aſter dinner on the boat (everything tastes better on a boat!), we tucked the tired traveler into the V-berth and enjoyed a night on the water. We awoke to a beau- tiful sunrise, a falling tide, and a consistent ten-knot breeze, which carried us all the way to Cumberland Island, Georgia, a paradise on the Florida/Georgia line, which is part of the National Seashore. Te wind was so gently consistent that the little guy was able to handle the tiller in sprints. We anchored beyond the Sea Camp docks, far enough away to avoid the daily ferry that shuttles campers and day-trippers to the island. Te gentle breeze meant evenings were pleasant, even in June.


SMALL CRAFT ADVISOR


ur grandson, Grayson, was 5. He had been


The first morning we


had pancakes as dolphins circled the boat. Grayson was hooked! We kayaked daily to the island and walked trails where we saw deer, armadillos, and wild horses. Though the horses were always calm, we kept our distance and allowed them plenty of space on the trail. We turned Grayson loose when we could. He ran when he wanted to, gathered a collection of shells, and splashed on the shore. When he got tired, we (or one of the very patient Dixons) car- ried him on our backs. We ate our lunches at the ruins of Dungeness, the old Car- negie mansion, under live oaks draped in Spanish moss while horses grazed nearby. One morning as we were


paddling to the shore, we saw a bonnethead shark. A small alligator played around the water plants near our boat, or harassed fishermen in nearby boats. We saw manatees and


turtles. Exploring the beach, we saw the tracks of loggerhead sea turtles, leading to a newly covered nest. Night birds flew up to us on our evening hikes, totally unintimidated. Lazy days passed as we enjoyed the rhythms of cruising life. Grayson attended lectures and seminars and earned a “Junior Ranger” badge. When we called his parents, he informed them that he had “paddled in shark-infested waters near a hungry alligator.” We could hear our son mentally reviewing other questionable parenting decisions he had made. One evening, aſter a long day of paddling, hiking, wildlife


encounters and identifying constellations, we realized that we had put him down for the night without brushing his teeth. We debated what to do and decided that we wouldn’t wake him up but would wait until the next day. From the v-berth, we heard a horrified cry: “You’re supposed to be responsible! What if I wake up with a cavity?” Needless to say, we adjusted the plan


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