Vacationland by Nat Goodale

Author:Nat Goodale
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: maine, prejudice, love story, vacation, blue collar, summer, sailing, lobsters, yachting, fishing, sabotage, beaches, boating, arson, country club, class conflict, upper class, fishing village, yacht club, lobstermen, neighbors from hell, dogs are awesome, humor action adventure, dogs and adventure, lower class
Publisher: Nat Goodale

Chapter 20

Chase was hefting the spinnaker bag, looking forward to a day of sailing when Shelly popped up and said, "I can't crew for you today, Daddy. I've got plans."

He set down the bag and turned to her.

"I hope you don't make this a habit. I was counting on the two of us taking the June series. You'll be back at Harvard this fall, and I thought we'd take advantage of time alone together. I was really looking forward to it."

"I haven't planned out the summer yet, Daddy, but today I've made a commitment. I'm sure you can get someone to fill in."

"It won't be the same."

* * * *

Chase met the two Biddle boys at the float in the early afternoon. They'd come over in an old but pristine 13-foot Boston Whaler with a brand new Evinrude 35-horsepower E-Tec outboard skimming the crests of the waves. Chase smiled, knowing that their kidneys were taking a pounding, but they were oblivious to the discomfort, being so young. He watched Jason at the wheel come in fast, cut her hard, and nestle into the dock, riding up on his own wake and bumping into the side fenders.

His younger brother Winthrop said, "Good afternoon, Mr. Payson. Good of you to invite us sailing."

"Don't thank me yet. My daughter says I turn into Captain Bly when I get hold of the tiller. And I'm expecting a lot out of you boys. Remember, there's no substitute for winning."

Chase helped them put the whaler on the pulley line. They loaded a cooler and the spinnaker bag into the Paysons' runabout, and Chase maneuvered out to Bellwether, coming in alongside with exaggerated care even though the tender had fenders all around. Winthrop leapt aboard and took the gear from Chase. Jason let the tender tail off the stern of the sailboat.

Even though it was the first race of the season, the Biddle boys, 16 and 18 years old, had been racing all their lives, first with lessons from the yacht club in turnabouts, then the Herre-shoff 12-footers. The Biddles owned a Dark Harbor 20, but money was tight this spring of the Great Recession, and they'd opted to leave her on the hard.

The cooler and sail bag got stowed down below. Jason took the hand pump from Chase, cracked the floorboards, slung the tube off the starboard side, and started to pump out the bilge sections. Winthrop went to unfurl the mainsail. Chase unwrapped the jib. All this was done with little talk, which pleased Chase, who was dead serious about winning this first race.

He looked around to make sure all was shipshape. He stepped up onto the cabin roof, uncleated the main halyard, and began hauling up the sail. The wind was light, and the sail flapped gently as it ran up the track. Chase wound the halyard around the winch and cranked it up to the top. The boom came free.

Jason eased the crutch to the deck, and the boom swung lazily side to side.

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