Page 53 of The Sailor in Polynesia
Jonas stood at the port side of the boat, holding on to the rigging and standing at the ready to handle lines.
I motoredWelinapast the fuel dock and squinted at the numbers on the dock, trying to find my slip. When I found the right aisle, I turned the wheel, sendingWelinainto a ninety-degree turn down the aisle.
My fingers were tense, and I tried to open and close my hand and take some deep breaths. It was going to be a heck of a lot easier to do this if I could get it on the first try. If I missed the slip, I would have to come all the way out and approach it again. No matter how many times you docked your boat, it was still a pain in the ass.
And of course, anytime a boat came into a slip, people had to stop and watch. And in this case, it was even worse: the rest of theEikcrew was walking the dock and scoping out the marina before going grocery shopping. They stopped and put down their bags, preparing to catch lines.
I felt my heartbeats, counting them until the right moment when I spun the helm andWelina’s bow veered toward the slip. I corrected course early, shifted into neutral, and letWelinaglide into the slip. Jonas tossed the spring line to Eivind on the dock, and I gently shifted into reverse. With the engine and Eivind securing the line,Welinacame to a halt perfectly in her slip.
Jonas played deckhand and followed my instructions, working to get the lines just right. When I finished checking and tightening the lines, I stepped back and surveyed my boat.
Beside me, Jonas slipped an arm around my shoulders. “You did good.”
I smiled, finally. “Yeah, I did.”
Lila bounced on her toes on the dock. “Forget free-diving lessons. Mia, teach me how todrivelike that!”
Jonas squeezed me close to him.
Twenty
In the marina office, I filled out multiple pages of paperwork for my slip. The receptionist looked them over, then pointed to a blank section I hadn’t filled out. “You are leaving the boat here and exiting the country, yes?”
I nodded.
“Who is your caretaker?”
“Caretaker?”
“Yes, you need someone to be held responsible while you are gone, in case anything happens or your boat has a problem.”
“Uh—”
“I will be the caretaker,” Jonas interrupted. He was sitting in one of the upholstered chairs, flipping through a magazine.
“Really? Are you sure?”
“Yes, of course. We will be here anyway.”
I looked at him skeptically. “Your plans could change.”
“Nah.”
“Okay.” I handed the form over and Jonas wrote down his name and number. The receptionist helped me arrange a taxi to the airport for my flight. Jonas and I walked back to the boat and I showed him where I was going to leave a spare key, just in case.
I checked the time. “My taxi will pick me up in a little bit. I have to finish packing.”
Jonas read while I gathered my things and dragged them to the cockpit. He helped me unload them onto the dock.
“Why don’t you stay on the boat until your crew comes back from the supermarket?”
“Thank you. I will, but let me help you with the bags.” He threw a duffel over his shoulder, and I hefted up the other one. As we walked down the dock, Jonas rested his hand on my lower back.
It hit me suddenly—I was going back home. While I was excited to see my family, I was also going to miss Jonas, this companion whom I’d had for the last month. We’d spent so much time together now; how would I be able to quit him cold turkey?
While he said they would be here the whole time I was gone, sailing plans were written in the sand at low tide. Things could change, and it was very possible that Jonas and the rest ofEikwould be gone by the time I got back.
That was part of the lifestyle, but that didn’t give me any comfort. Cruising friends often came and went in my life, but Jonas... I wanted Jonas to stay. But part of me knew that this wasn’t in the cards for us. Our futures were too different. Jonas had an end goal and a home to return to thousands of miles away from mine. He had made a commitment to his brother, who’d changed his whole life to help Jonas accomplish his dream. He had to see it all the way through, even if it meant leaving me behind.
