We passed the final mark the Sauvie Island Rd. bridge.. The bridge towered above us and we watched cars driving by unaware of our little sailboat passing through. I could see the Willamette Rv… To my right I could see the St. John’s Bridge… the bridge I cross everyday to get home… Even though the trip is over, every time I cross the St. Johns bridge I glance over to the mouth of the Channel and think about when I was right there taking the “big left turn” towards home.

We pulled up the main sail.. wind was strong and the waves mellowed out. Re-entering the Columbia river, you forget just the volume of water that moves around there. A roller just picks you up and drops you with little effort, but a motor boat that zips by hardly feels like anything. The Columbia River is big.. biggie big… at least to me.

Our sail caught the wind and our hearts soon followed. Both Tink and I wanted some real sailing after all that phony motor sailing. It was 5pm.. the winds were up and we were moving home. It really didn’t matter what time we’d get home, it was all fun at this point. Our previous troubles were fading as our boat launched forward. Soon Tink had it in her mind to perhaps lower the RPM’s of the motor.. Put it in neutral and just run with no motor, but leave it on in case. I was designated to do the motor business, but like I could do any better then her 🙂

I reached back.. way back.. over the edge with the mighty waters lapping up the back of the boat. It looked scary.. leaning way back with nothing to hold me in the boat. We could hit a roller… sway to one side and I’d be in like Finn. I carefully twisted the black touchy controls. The motor revved down and I flipped it into neutral. With no stress on the motor or no prop to turn I heard the motor rev up.. way up again and I fell for it… I twisted it more clockwise and the motor just gave up… again silence. Not the noiseless silence, but the lack of that humming motor silence… It’s eerie.. more so because of earlier that day.

My heart had the sinking feeling that you get when you know what you gotta do. I swear my hand shook just knowing that I was going to pull and pull. The difference here was that we were moving. Luckily Tink was on the tiller and our main sail was still pulling us forward.. If Tink could maintain our momentum and keep us moving forward then there was less stress on me to get that thing roaring again. Of course this offered a new challenge (boy do I like challenges) I had to lean over that motor and get it started while the main sail downhaul was pushing against me… I had to contend with the moving waters and get that motor started with pressure on the prop. I had to contend with a moving boat and if some smoker buzzed us then I’d have to work with sneaker waves rocking the boat. All of this mattered, but not to detur me from what I had to do. On my favor, at least what I initially thought, the motor had just been running.. Everything was just running so getting it back to that point should be easier.. right?

First things first. There’s an order and as soon as you move away from the proper order of things.. everything get messy fast. I re-assured the motor was in neutral.. To make sure I watched for the prop to spin freely.. It was. Ok *check*
Second I pulled the choke out.. ok *check*
I adjusted to Gas throttle to “Start”… ok *Check*
Pulling once to set it and then….. I gave it a mighty yank

Putt… putt… VROoo….. dead. Almost I said.. I tried again, but the next 3 pulls gave me nothing.. no life.. “don’t freak out” I told myself, “it really does want to run” Tink suggested that the motor had it out for us… Like it was mad that we were trying to mess with it so it was going to get back at us.. I wouldn’t put it past me to think that as well… If you think Cars don’t have a personality.. you’re wrong… why not a touchy outboard with a sassy attitude?

So my rescue maneuver was to flush out the motor.. re-set the motor and do it again. I can’t stress how much I was getting from the situation. I overreacted.. no doubt, but this was different. A giant freighter could come toward us and decide not to move and that’d be it. I had to do this.. It was a very bad mission impossible situation and I had to start the motor before everything blew up.

Come on.. start… start… pump… pump… ok once more.. “I have to tack” Tink said.. that meant that outhaul would be in my way again. Ok give it a break for this tack then go at it again. After we crossed the river and tack’d back I’d gave a new motivated try.. Every little bit of knowledge and Navy know how came into play. Once more I pumped out extra fuel.. set the choke.. and pulled like I had a pair. With new motivation it started.. The motor came on with a passion to burn.. As soon at I heard that thing go I flipped into forward and didn’t look back. I didn’t care if it was loud and at max drive… WE HAD MOTOR FOLKS…

Tink acknowledged the accomplishment… We were happy again and on our way..

Up the Columbia & Willamette exchange… Up the Columbia and down past Frenchman’s bar.

I took a breather and enjoyed the sailing experience once again. The sun started to set and it was a classic sailing moment into the sunset. Relief, Joy, Stress, Tiredness, all of it made up my condition… But I stilled enjoyed every bit of it.

Both Tink and I approached the mouth of the Marina and carefully (oh ever so carefully) throttled down.. We were coming home.. home from a great adventure that I’m really eager to do it all again….

hopefully soon.

~J out

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