Off

It's 4:00 AM and my phone is chiming a wakeup signal. The captain, Beth, has called for an early departure for the 80 nautical mile trip across Lake Michigan. The swallows, which live under the slips, and a more exotic song bird I can't remember the song of are already awake.

The plan is to motor out onto the Lake quickly while cleaning and eating before setting the sails. Dock lines are casted and we're off.

The sun is still below the horizan as I carefully wind and stow the power cable and lines. The fenders, which we thought so highly of a few hours ago when they rotected us from the slip boards are forgotten until after coffee and then hastily stowed. The coffee was the best I'd ever tasted. The sun rose red.