The sea was smooth with few gentle swells as we motored away from Ocean City.  Shortly after sunset the night darkened the sky, and a fast wind came from that place; you know… the place,  “where it pleases”.  The ocean responded immediately.  We were too far out to turn back, and even if we tried, the 40 to 50 knot wind gusts would have just pushed us further out.  The wind blew furiously in the same direction we were heading but we could not use our sails as they would rip to shreds and we could even be de-mast.

A sailboat is designed to be balanced under sail.  With the sails put away, it acts as a pendulum due to the massive weight of the keel and tall mast.  So there we were, being tossed violently back and forth, surrounded by what looked like countless angry lions jumping in and out of the ocean with their mains thrashing in the wind.

Lisa returned to the cosey sleeping bag where everything that could go wrong goes away when she falls asleep.  Somehow, Gabriel and Noah slept soundly through it all.

Andre and I took turns keeping Aleph Tav heading in the right direction.   The large unpredictable waves came from every angle, slowing us to the point where the chart plotter was delayed in giving us an accurate heading.  The only way to keep Aleph Tav on course, was to stay fixed looking at her floating compass.

It is difficult to describe what happens to your mind after endless hours of staring at nothing but a compass wobbling from side to side, while you grasp for every last bit of strength to hold the helm steady.

“Peace be still!” I spoke over the ocean with my best Yeshua voice.  I even waved my hand over the waters,  but nothing… Then I asked Ad-nai to silence the storm, but nothing…  Then I resorted to using reverse psychology on the storm by shouting the words of the disciples; “Who is this that even the wind and waves obeys Him?” I figured perhaps the wind and waves might have remembered what happened when Yeshua silenced the storm, but still nothing… the wind and waves were  undeterred.

Then I remembered how right at the height of that storm, some 2000 years ago, Yeshua was sleeping peacefully in the back of the boat, so I handed the helm to Andre and joined Lisa in the cozy sleeping bag on the back of the boat…

Alas, all was peaceful and still as I fell asleep… Or should I say: my dreams were peaceful and still once I fell asleep.

To be continued