I got in trouble today (no pics, just a story)

Not with the boat -- we haven't gone anywhere since Nick's.

Being here a marina boaters (liveaboards) tend to get to know one another. We even have had some socially-distance dock tails of late, where we spread ourselves apart while having conversations.  It's funny how much we've missed the social aspect of boating -- we are a truly conversive group.

Anyway, us ladies went out to lunch this past week. The topic drifted to boating, as it does, then it further drifted to piloting. I swear, I did not bring it up, but when we talk about piloting I am adamant that women need to take the helm. I make the case repeatedly that, should something happen to their husbands (heaven forbid!) that's already going to be a stress, and now add piloting and docking the boat... and further add on they may be doing that alone! Seriously, everyone on the boat should know how to do everything. Women need to know how to dock the boat.

One of the women at lunch was Debbie, crew of Janus. She and her husband, Frank, bought their boat in Maine earlier this year, so it's fairly new to them. She mentioned that had never occurred to her, to be the one driving the boat, and that she'd consider that.

Even we have changed roles a bit in inQuest for the same reasons. If something happened to me, Russ needs to know how to dock the boat. He has done it a couple of times, on walls and t-heads. His next task will be putting her in a slip. But I digress...

I knew that Janus was due for some maintenance Monday, so Debbie and Frank would be heading out today. Returning from the morning dog walk Frank was untie-in the dock lines. Once he saw me he pointed at me. "This is your fault," he said. I looked up to see Debbie at the helm in the fly bridge. "I don't know about this, Jax," she called to me.

"You're going to do fine. It's a perfect day." Which was true -- no wind, little if any current.

And she did. Debbie backed her out, and took her down the fairway, made the tricky 90-degree turn onto the main fairway, and off they went.

Given we were all wearing masks I couldn't tell if Frank was smiling or not. But I think I may have gotten myself into trouble. But if Debbie feels a little more confident today, I also think that's worth it.