My Odyssey with the Estimated Prophet
on Monday April 26, 2010 03:27PM
Last week, I drove to Marblehead, MA, to acquire a Sonar, the one-design to be sailed in September in Newport, RI in the New York Yacht Clubs Qualifying Series for the 2011 Invitational Cup. That Sonar (No. 725) is now parked in the one-design area at FBYC with a banner saying FBYC/NYYC Qualifying Campaign. More detail on the Series and the Clubs campaign are provided in last months Log and Lud Kimbroughs article in the next Log, so I dont dwell on those details. Instead, I focus on a lighter hearted aspect of my Odyssey.
I arrived early Thursday morning to scope out the boat. Since I was in no hurry, she and I spent the morning checking out the boat and by noon, I was ready to hit the long road home. I had noticed the boats name which she told me was a famous Grateful Dead song, but not until I hit I-95 did I witness the gravitas of the name. Although accustomed to waves from sailors, I would not have expected vans of dudes to give a boat big grins, screams and thumbs-up. Truckers of a certain girth gave me a toot at the truck stops. 
After 12 hours on the road, I began to trip a little myself, shooting out the sunroof. 
When I arrived at FBYC, Dixon welcomed me with a bit more than his usual enthusiasm and later made me a CD of Estimated Prophet. Only then did I get the message as The Grateful dead sang:
My time coming, any day, don't worry about me, no
Been so long I felt this way, I'm in no hurry, no
Rainbows and down that highway where ocean breezes blow
My time coming, voices saying they tell me where to go.
On to Newport and the Qualifying Series . . . .
