June 9, 2021 – Here in the far north, boating season is under way – but not quite making way.
Huh?
“Under way” means a vessel is free to move– in other words, has left the dock or anchorage. “Making way” means it’s actually moving, under its own power. (I learned this on board Navy ships. When the Officer-of-the-Deck engaged the engines after the boat was released from its moorings, he or she would announce to the captain that the ship was “under way, making way.”)
The Mainship Many Moons is both under way and making way. We’ve braved choppy seas and thunderstorms, and spent a night at anchor.
Other than occasional fishermen, we don’t have much company yet.
Summer arrives slowly here on the 46th parallel, and boating season does too. In mid-June, the water temperature is still in the 40s in many places, so unplanned immersion is a sobering thought. Man-overboard drills should be done before springtime excursions on Lake Superior!
By mid-July, boating season will be in full swing — for a month or two. In some ways, I’m glad that the season is short; lots of privacy for an introvert like me. After lurching through three-foot waves, it’s comforting to slide into a protected anchorage with no competition for that anchorage in sight.
Welcome back to the water, Many Moons! Jeff has spent another winter improving your seaworthiness and livability. Time for some more sea trials. And we won’t wait for fair weather.
For Many Moons 