While we were raising the mast and getting ready to launch, the temperature dropped suddenly and then just as suddenly warmed up again, all within a few minutes. We had been tracking a passing rainstorm, so we continued to watch the cloud bank carefully.
After motoring out from the harbor slips, we came upon several larger boats which had not yet hoisted their sails. We were puzzled by their delay. Usually these larger boats simply motor out to open water while raising their sails. There is less sideways tension on the sail if you are steering directly into the wind. Less tension makes it easier to hoist (pull) the halyard sheet (rope) through the pulleys.
Then we looked offshore to the horizon - or what had been the horizon.
The fast temperature drop and subsequent rise of humid air had created a quickly growing shroud of fog. This was the first time we had been out on the water in the midst of fog cover.
It was initially disconcerting.
We could see pretty well for about 200 - 250 yards on all sides.
That kept us safe from the 3 nearby ships, but unaware of who, or what else might be coming our way. Without our sail raised yet, we could not easily navigate out of harms way, should another boat come at high speed.
Then my first mate (also my bride!) started to think more clearly.
"Use the compass on your fancy wristwatch and get our bearing."
Ah, smart. No radar on our vessel, but a basic compass was sufficient.
We quickly surmised what was probably on all 4 sides of us - even what was unseen.
We had only ventured an eighth of a mile from the harbor slips, so that was a reference due west.
That put one concrete harbor wall to our south, the main breakwater was east, and a lot of open water to our north.
Good deal.
With that, we decided to raise the sail. We agreed to sail conservatively in an area where we would recognize landmarks as we came upon them, and that gave us a reasonable 200+ yard margin of visibility to see and negotiate other boats venturing into our space.
We would not go all the way out into the open water of Lake Michigan where the fog could surround us on all 4 sides with no visible references. Without sophisticated radar, that would be asking for trouble.
So we enjoyed cruising the breeze, and at one point began to hear a distant, booming horn. Then it got progressively closer. It could only be the high-speed car ferry coming across the big lake from the Michigan side. Sure enough, within minutes, a large, ghostly form began to take shape on our fog-shortened horizon. We had already navigated our way out of what we knew to be its usual heading to shore, and watched it materialize and power safely past us. Glad we had planned accordingly!
Later, as the temperature and humidity evened out, the fog lifted more. The city skyline broke through the top of the cloud bank and many large sailboats appeared further out from shore!
It was fun to know that we could navigate the unseen - with a compass and a few basic reference points - and still enjoy a beautiful, warm breeze and the noisy slap of friendly waves.
Now you'll know why I smiled at my daily bible reading this morning:
"For we live by faith, and not by sight." 2 Corinthians 5:7
I read the news and listen to TV reports of many jumbled and broken lives.
Its as though people - and cities and universities and nations - are plunging through a fog of issues and challenges. But there is no common compass or shared reference. So they bang into each other - and us - and take no responsibility for their own sense (or lack) of direction. Its a mess, and they seem irritated with offers of help.
And there is help. We do have a common compass that everyone can turn to.
The bible makes north, south, east, west as clear as the fancy watch on your wrist.
All of us in the harbor yesterday had the same frame of reference. It was not relative to what we thought it "should be" in "our interpretation." God's direction is not relative to a person's perspective, it is the reference for perspective.
East is east. West is west.
You want to know that with surety when the immovable car ferry bursts through into the harbor.
I didn't bristle at the suggestion of a compass yesterday. I was glad. In fact, I was able to go about more freely, with more confidence. Still...somebody else could have chosen to ignore basic navigation and wiped us both out. We can't keep the compass to ourselves - sharing it will make things safer for everyone to navigate -- and enjoy the breeze together!
We navigate by faith, and the reference is truth.
What do you believe?
