Cruising with Charlie - Islands
Sailing along down the Sir Francis Drake Channel one day with a panorama of islands always in view some bright spark in the charter party asked Charlie, “Are all the islands joined together?”
Charlie answered, “Well, urrrrh, yes, they are, under the water.”
Islands seem to be a confusing geographical phenomenon for others too. Charlie heard this on the radio by a government spokesman, “The government will improve access to the territory’s clinics by providing a special boat because the islands are all separated by water.” Charlie was glad to hear that because he enjoys sailing between the islands.
Then in a local hospitality magazine a woman was explaining how lucky she was because her son was “growing up on an island circled by water.” Well, I suppose there are ‘traffic islands’ and an oasis could be described as an ‘island in the desert’…I’m just being fair here.
One more question Charlie had concerning islands, “Do the islands go all the way to the bottom?”
Charlie had to think about that for quite for some time. Then he answered as seriously as possible “Those ones sailing along at five knots don’t. Those stationery ones do.”
Then Charlie changed the subject immediately… as was his customary way when getting into deep water…so to speak.
The other day I ran into Charlie at the Jolly Roger, where the drinks are exceptionally good. We were chatting about the nature of islands and the waters surrounding them, “ Islands are confusing to many,” he said, “even to those in the upper echelons of government.” A couple of years ago there was a big debate in the legislative council concerning the airport runway extension. A problem was foreseeable… the extension was to be built out and into the popular anchorage of Trellis Bay and the height of yacht masts could hinder takeoff and landing of aircraft.
A minister got up and addressed his colleagues, “Dat ain’t a problem at all,” he said, waving his hand in dismissal of such a minor setback. “We dredge de bay sufficiently to lower yacht masts. It dat simple.”
Share Tweet
