We are on the Bad River looking at the Devils Gate, and we are not about to die- But Wayne thinks we are. Roger is at the controls of a 15 hp two stroke out board with a beat up prop. The four of us, boat and engine are over 1100 pounds. Up ahead are some rapids. Roger read somewhere that you should be able to go UP the rapids. There’s that glint in Roger’s eye, a mischievous grin and just the subtle clue that some adrenaline might be flowing. Roger started his company right out of college, and sold it 18 years later for a small fortune. When Roger decides he’s going to do something, there are no road blocks, or class five rapids. Today Wayne is the speed bump. We pull over to the side and drop Wayne off to video the excitement.
The waters flowing about 10 or 15 mph. The drop is about two feet. Up we go.
I wish I could be that confident about everyday adversity. I think Roger is living proof that an optimistic outlook in life is a key to success.
When ever I get back from going on a trip with Roger I review all the exciting memories to try to make sense of it all, and learn some life lessons.
Optimism isn’t all that’s required for success. You also need persistence and balls of steel. I mean great big fucking cannon balls.
When not motoring around in the dinghy, we are on the mother ship: A beautiful 50 foot sloop sailboat. The sailboat weighs 15 tons (30 thousand pounds). This time I don’t think we are going to die (probably), but I’m in way over my comfort level. Roger has just grounded the boat TWICE trying to sail into an anchorage that is surrounded by granite rocks. The sound of 15 tons of luxury yacht slamming into solid granite rock is not something you ever want to hear, feel or experience… Try it twice in three minutes. Roger is at the helm, STILL trying to sail into the deserted harbor. This is fucking insane I think to myself. The boat has a draft of 5.5 feet. The harbor is supposed to be 6 feet deep, according to a book of notes authored by some random fellow sailing (drunks) who claimed to have checked the harbor out. They also noted a rock. Turns out that the rock wasn’t so clearly marked.
You’ve got to ask yourself, would you have to guts, persistence and optimism to continue sailing in after grounding your 50 foot luxury yacht… Twice? Roger does. We make it in the third time. The depth reading is now 3.5 feet. “Must be an echo off the weeds.” Roger says dismissively.
What I take from this experience is that I’m way too cautious to ever put myself in a position where I would run the risk of grounding a luxury sailboat onto granite rocks. I can proudly claim I’ve never done that. But, what I have to admit to myself is that because I’ve been so cautious my whole life, I never took the risks required to start the business to make the money to buy the boat to be able to even run the risk of grounding it…
