Sailing friends

I mentioned that one of the things that interest me about the sailing blogs is how people get started. I have a good friend, actually more like family, also named Mike. We first met about 25 years ago when he asked if i would drive my forklift to his truck garage and load out an engine for him. I agreed and in the process dropped his recently rebuilt semi engine on the floor. We have been friends ever since.

Mike is on the Right with brother John from Jersey. Doesn't he kind of look like Jesus?

Anyway, a few years ago Mike called me. He said he had a friend coming to visit and wondered if he could borrow Some Beach. Always happy to help a friend get laid, I said no problem. One of the nice things about Mike is things always come back in better shape than when they leave. In this case, his friend fell on the tiller and broke it off so Mike built a new one.

The boat worked out so well for him that he purchased a C27 the next season. Mike's C27 is appropriately named Trouble Maker. I offered to go out with Mike on Trouble Maker and give him a sailing lesson as he hadn't ever put up his sails. We headed out and found no wind so we proceeded to drink wine. Three years later Mike still hasn't raised his sails but does consider the sailing lesson a success.