Headin' West

Since the boat was being worked on until the last possible minute, I thought I might as well pull another fast one. After thinking about last year's Weymouth fiasco, and seeing what happened last week at the US Windsurfing Nationals, I thought I should have another sail option. I have arranged with Bill Hansen to modify one of his used sails to create a "mini-rig" a la Adam's high wind solution for Katherine Knight. The area will be 6.5 sq meters and should be useful to me (the wuss) in 20+ knts, or for lighter weight helms in anything 15+. Of course, with this high wind sail in my possession, I have now personally arranged for the breeze to never exceed 20 knots.


My flight out Saturday morning at 0610 requires a 0430 wake-up call. Today was a combination graduation and bon voyage party (our son graduated from Harvard Divinity School last June.) The hectic day included getting the deck ready for a family group of 25 folks and final packing of the luggage. I decided that the smart thing is to only bring a carry-on since I have to change planes and didn't want my luggage to end up in a different direction than me.

It's a three hour flight to Dallas, an hour layover to change planes, then a four hour flight from Dallas to Portland, but with gaining three hours I'm supposed to land at 11:20 a.m. Then I just have to hop on the light rail from PDX to West Coast Sailing, assemble my bike, then ride 40 miles east to Cascade Locks. Looks like it might be a loooooong day!

Slightly Stoopid, a group from San Diego, sings Leaving on a Jet Plane

Leaving on a Jet Plane, by John Denver and Kenneth Browder (1967)

All my bags are packed I'm ready to go
I'm standin' here outside your door
I hate to wake you up to say goodbye
But the dawn is breakin' it's early morn
The taxi's waitin' he's blowin' his horn
Already I'm so lonesome I could die

So kiss me and smile for me
Tell me that you'll wait for me
Hold me like you'll never let me go
Cause I'm leavin' on a jet plane
Don't know when I'll be back again
Oh babe, I hate to go

There's so many times I've let you down
So many times I've played around
I tell you now, they don't mean a thing
Every place I go, I'll think of you
Every song I sing, I'll sing for you
When I come back, I'll bring your wedding ring

So kiss me and smile for me
Tell me that you'll wait for me
Hold me like you'll never let me go
Cause I'm leavin' on a jet plane
Don't know when I'll be back again
Oh babe, I hate to go

Now the time has come to leave you
One more time let me kiss you
Close your eyes I'll be on my way
Dream about the days to come
When I won't have to leave alone
About the times, I won't have to say

So kiss me and smile for me
Tell me that you'll wait for me
Hold me like you'll never let me go
Cause I'm leavin' on a jet plane
Don't know when I'll be back again
Oh babe, I hate to go

Cause I'm leavin' on a jet plane
Don't know when I'll be back again
Oh babe, I hate to go