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Waiting
on the Sun 
We woke to find that I left the battery bank switched to "both" so the fridge drained both batteries as we slept. By morning, the engine would not even turn over. These daily mishaps were practically expected now. Up until a month ago I probably would have thrown a fit and freaked everyone around me out. But today, being stuck on this dock in this beautiful bay did not seem so bad. The sun was out, and the solar panel was silently charging the batteries. If fact, as I would came to realize later, it was simply a reason for us to slow down and stay long enough to see two of the most wonderful folks we would ever meet.
As we sat in the sun and talked about how most of the boaters out there don’t have a clue, a small sailboat—much like mine—approached the harbor. They weren’t going fast, but they weren’t slowing down either.
We watched as they looked for a spot to land on the crowded dock. Once they were
in earshot we asked if they wanted to raft up to us. They came about and with the same
intensity and commotion as I myself landed on this very spot a day earlier, Marty and
Sherry were moored along side us. They were out for three weeks aboard their Cal 29 named Ceilidk
along with their five-month old son and golden retriever. They crossed our cockpit and
went to the store to stock up on ice and Pepsi. We talked for a while. They were really
nice and had such a great attitude with regard to sailing and parenting. Before they left,
we agreed to raft up if we both made it to Von Donop Inlet that night. An hour or so later
the batteries were charged and we motored away from Whaletown.
We set our sails and ran with the wind north through Sutil Channel finding our way to the mouth of the inlet. We negotiated the shallow (6 feet) entrance and found a quiet anchorage half way up the inlet at the entrance to a saltwater lagoon. After setting both forward and aft anchors, we rowed around area and explored the beautiful shoreline. There was a steady parade of yachts motoring to the head of the inlet. We wondered if Marty and Sherry were there. We decided to stay put and enjoy the desolation. Perhaps we would catch up to them tomorrow. I switched to the auxiliary battery and went to sleep.
