s/v ENDURANCE: Tuesday, September 10, 2013

Busy day today.

Bill and Jane Exner are in town to see the Yankees. Now, that would be big news to anyone who knew the Exners. They are not known to like the Yankees. But, here they are in Baltimore. And, wonder of wonders. In the deep recesses of their psyches they are struggling. The Exner name is synonymous with the Red Sox. They are not here to watch the Baltimore Orioles beat the Yankees. They are here to support Jane’s brother-in-law John Schoolmaster who wants to watch the Yankees win one “for a change”.

It seems that John has been a life-long Yankees fan (you can’t pick your in-laws, can you?). John has seen them play dozens of times. Hundreds of times? Too many times, for sure. But John has never seen the Yankees win (a Red Sox dream come true?). But sad for John. So John is here in Baltimore, surrounded by family. For one purpose. And one purpose only. To see the Yankees win. A win against Baltimore will suffice. The risk that the dreaded Yankees surpass Baltimore in the Wild Card Race to the Playoffs results in much teeth grinding by the Exners. But, family is family. For John, even the Exners will risk a Yankees win. But one only please.

So yesterday, Monday, the Schoolmaster/Exner contingent have box seats at Camden Yards. The Yankees lose. The box is located next door to the Baltimore Ravens corporate box. A jinxed selection of locations. Sorry John. Better luck next time?

Consolation prize. With the Exners, John, his wife Mary Jo, daughter Beth and college friends Bubba and Tina come to Canton for a Baltimore Harbor Cruise aboard Endurance.

John, as is obvious from the above, suffers from an affliction which those of us from New England would identify from the John Henry/Yawkey Way Book of Psychiatry as a misplaced love for the Yankees. A terrible affliction and, luckily, the worst of John’s problems. But, John is also wheelchair-bound of late. A minor sailing inconvenience overcome by our stalwart crew’s training in Man Overboard Recovery systems.

Up...

and over,...

and down,...

and in, ...

and done!

With John and guests aboard, we motor-sailed through the Inner Harbor in order to give the tourists a chance to take our picture. Then out the Patapsco River, past Ft. McHenry (“our flag was still there”), and under the Francis Scott Key Bridge into the Chesapeake. After much tacking to and fro from Ft. Carroll toward White Rocks, we headed home. A great sailing day. Much relief from the oppressive city temperatures. And hopefully, a solace to John’s prior night’s loss.