When you volunteer as crew on a tall ship, you never know exactly what to expect. My most recent unexpected experience was a memorial sail, quite unlike the education sails I'm used to.
A ship is a confined space and while the crew stayed on the perimeter, we were all part of the experience.
About 30 guests, a combination of family and friends, arrived on board for a late afternoon/evening sail. The mood was reserved; what I describe as "respectful."
We motored upriver, raised sail, and motor sailed, for a total of about an hour. There, the Captain cut the motor and we quietly lay to wind and current.
Some gentle words were said about a woman who loved the river, and whose request was that her remains be spread there. And so they were, along with a long trail of flowers.
I chatted a bit with the family and learned just a bit. Pamela was 65. It turns out we grew up in the same city at the same time, but went to different high schools. That, and her passion for the river, is all I know about her.
Rest in peace, Pamela.
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