Walkin' On Water
A farm kid learns how to sail.
Walkin' On Water belongs to the following groups:
Nautical and Twisted TalesBill Rhodes sat on the dock and cried.
Bill’s weight loss program, though phenomenal, was unintended; after crewing a fifty-five foot sailboat to the Caribbean, he couldn’t find a job and ran out of money. Bill’s last dollars paid for a place to sleep— a birth on an old Norwegian icebreaker come hotel boat named the Torhelga.
Bill suffered two jobless and very hungry weeks. All Bill could think of was food. He rationalized his weight loss as good— after all, he wasn’t paying for a gym, or diet foods— and he was hanging out in paradise!
That was shallow consolation for a parched swabbie in dire need of good grub and a barley pop or two!
Bill wasn’t born to sailing. He was a farm raised and learned about sailing in National Geographic.
Bill’s first plan to go seafaring was simple: quit school, get rich laying sod, then catch ol’ Jacques Cousteau somewhere on the Indian Ocean. How could it fail? It was good-bye bullshit, hello adventure!
Sadly, the sod job sucked and flipping burgers wouldn’t buy a boat.
Bill started hitchhiking. Bill fished at night for thousand-mile truck rides using a signal strobe and a C.B. radio. One night it dawned on him: Why not hitchhike on boats?
In Milwaukee, Bill strolled out to the end of a pier, dropped his pack, and stuck out his thumb.
Result: one bad sunburn!
Next try: another bad sunburn.
Bill parked his thumb. Asking around the Chicago docks he learned of a boat needing crew to Cleveland. Once aboard a boat, it was easy to find another boat. Turns out sailors like proof you aren’t just a vomiting wannabe. One ride led to another. In time Bill hitchhiked to St. Thomas.
Bill wiped his eyes. He’d been so happy to finally find a job, buy some food, and drink a couple beers.
Through his tears Bill could see an antenna poking up in the harbor. What a catastrophe! In broad daylight, the Torhelga had sunk at anchor.
Bill turned to another sorry sailor, “Ever hitchhike on planes?”
Solar Zorra
Well, Bill sure got his adventure in life! Great story Bob. If I ever wound up marooned somewhere, St. Thomas would be just fine. :) SZ
Bob Fox replied
Thanx much, Sol!
Have you ever been to St. Thomas? The place is actually kinda creepy— and you better watch your butt at night! I was there for a while and unfortunately, can tell many unpleasant anecdotes. The weather is great though, and the waters are fabulous for sailing and diving!
If I ever get marooned again, I hope it’s in Bermuda…
Zolton
At least he still has his thumb and his shoes!! I enjoyed the pitfalls of this. He seems to have good spirit.
I have a fantasy of traveling on a National Geo boat, then, I saw this at the waterfront a few months ago. My mind raced at where it may have been. An actual National Geographic ship…
Bob Fox replied
Thanx Colleen! Fairly level character arc in this one. And nine locales. Is that a record for 350 words? Ç;-)
You know, I think being on a National Geographic explorer ship would be the dream job of a lifetime!
Matt Penfold
Interesting story Bob, being a sailor I can relate to this. Coming back to find the boat sunk is every yachties worst nightmare, a catastrophe indeed. :-(
Bob Fox replied
Thanx Matt!
It was April 1988 and the Torhelga really sunk in St. Thomas. Fortunately, it was the end of the season and not many folks were still berthing on her. I wasn’t living on the boat either, but as I sat watching from the Bridge Bar overlooking the harbor, I felt bad for the folks I knew out there diving down trying to fetch their belongings from the bottom. It was a catastrophe for them.
My biggest nightmare was alway a fire at sea.
Danielle Daven...
haha…love the ending! Nicely done Bob…your imagery and the way your stories flow, hold the reader and if you can keep my attention then your doing something right ;-)
Bob Fox replied
Thank you Danni! Holding your interest means more to me than anything else— after all, if a piece doesn’t hold a readers interest, nothing else about it is of value.
Alway good hearing from you! Are you taking pictures?
Solar Zorra
Yes, I have been to St.Thomas several times, but always on a cruise ship. I do remember the people there aren’t real fond of tourists, and I was never there at night soooo, good heads up. I change my thought to Aruba, beautiful tradewinds….ahhhh. :) SZ
Bob Fox replied
The British Virgin Islands were nice. And I liked all the people I met down-island. All the folks I met from Puerto Rico were pleasant too. Don’t know what the problem is in the USVI— hostility was even worse on St. Croix.
Micky McGuinness
I’d liked to have seen it as a slightly longer piece as I like it when you weave in a few more of your anecdotes. Still a good read though…
Bob Fox replied
Thanx Micky. Actually, this is an abridged version of a longer story idea. Tried to make it work here by cutting it down.
Paul Rees-Jones
Great read Bob.
Bob Fox replied
Thank you for the comment. I appreciate it.