A proposal cruise

[Steve Laume]

So my fellow Cape Dory sailors, I have a late fall cruise that can not be topped.

My sweetie and I planned to sail from Noank to Block Island. She backed the boat out of the slip and got us under way. She figured it was too easy so it didn't count for much. I was lovin it cause it went perfectly. We had a great down hill run under full main and the yankee. It was a broad reach on one tack all the way. She sailed the boat right into the Great Salt Pond. Then we went over what we would do to anchor. We furled the head sail and sailed up with the main to drop the anchor. I dropped the anchor then the main sail and we drifted back with extra scope as there were only two other boats in the anchorage. We planned to run the engine later to try out the new hot water heater so didn't worry too much about backing down on the anchor right away.

I brought bikes so we rowed them ashore and went off to explore. We had a great afternoon and evening. The next day it was much of the same. There was hardly anyone on the island or so it seemed. The weather was awesome, the company was better.

When I gathered the nerve to ask this incredible woman if she would marry me, she said "YES"!!!

So my friends I will have a co-captain aboard Raven in the seasons to follow. Not only that I will have a great companion in life.

The next day when we finally got our act together to leave we managed to raise anchor and get under way without saying a word between the bow and the helm. I was in heaven.

Things would have been perfect if we didn't have to beat straight into some very strong head winds on the trip home. I made for the RI coast as quickly as I could and then snuck home along the beach. Lizbeth had a hard time with those conditions but she is still willing and I am a very happy sailor.

Thank you all for all the help you have been along the way, Steve.

[mahalocd36]

Nope, can't beat that

Many happy years ahead! I know we are very lucky to sail together, have met many a lone sailor whose partner stays home....

[aja]

Steve,

We all saw the twinkle in your eye when you talked about her at the float in at Shelter Island. You knew you had a keeper - and it looks like she thought so too!

Melissa is right - and you know it too well - lots of single handers out there. It's great when you can find someone who not only loves you - but loves your boat, too!

Congratulations!
Diana & Don

PS - You will be increasing the American Laume population by 20%!

[Neil Gordon]

>>She backed the boat out of the slip and got us under way... it went perfectly.<<

That's reason enough to marry her!

Congrats!!!

[tartansailor]

Oh you lucky fellow.
Congratulations.

Dick

[Carl Thunberg]

Way to cap off the sailing season! Melissa's absolutely right. You are a lucky man.

[rtbates]

congratulations and may you have many happy sailing days ahead

[Joe Myerson]

What could be better?

Fair winds to you both!

--Joe

[Cathy Monaghan]

Congratulations!

Will we see you in NH in November? We'll have to celebrate then!


Cathy
CD32 Realization, #3
Rahway, NJ
Raritan Bay

[Dick Barthel]

Steve,

Your happiness absolutely illuminates your message. I am so happy for you. I'm also glad I got to share in your last bachelor sail to Shelter Island.

Congratulations my good friend.

Dick

[Judith]

Many congratulations to you, Steve!

I've always enjoyed your posts, but this is of the "I can't stop grinning" variety.

And just think, besides all the huge major rewards, you have some fringe benefits as well--e.g. since you're sailing together, you don't have to worry about a wedding "shower," it just comes with the territory

Judith

[Leo MacDonald]

Congratulations Steve!
Great news! Will you both be in NH?

[Steve Laume]

I am so happy these days I might burst. I have been around long enough now to realize what I have got and fully appreciate it. Neil, if she said no to even trying to back up the boat I might have my doubts. If she had smashed into the dock it wouldn't have mattered. That wasn't going to happen anyway because we did have a perfect set up that couldn't go wrong. We were backing out to port and the wind wanted to blow the bow into the direction of travel. I explained the entire situation to her before she even started the engine. I stood right there so she didn't have to worry about anything.

I get a fresh start in so many ways here. I have been reading all the womans sailing books and passing them on to Liz. I am still going to make mistakes. Beating to windward, in heavy weather, on the boat and in life. This is such a great time.

You guys with your pretty boats and the ones that smell good analogys rang very true for me. You forgot about the part were a beautiful boat moves with grace.

To Cathy and Leo, unfortunately we will not be able to get to NH. Liz lives in DC and we have a ton of things to work out before she relocates in January. Winter meeting for the NE Fleet would be a great get together.

I am so smitten. The fact that I get to help develope a new sailor is only one small part. I hope we get to cruise together for a very long time.

Thanks again, Steve.

[Clay Stalker]

Steve-

Take it from me, a passionate sailor with a loving wife of 27 years who completely tolerates my hopeless passion for sailboats but has absolutely no interest in joining me....you are a very fortunate man. I would like nothing more than to have my wife join me in my travels and share my disease, but she would rather climb mountains and kayak down rivers....so we do some of this too.....and successful marriages are based on compromise....but I have to admit that I have always envied those couples I know that share their joy in a sailboat....Mike and Merrie, Cathy and Bruce, Melissa and Rich, Dick and Anne, and many more. Enjoy yourself. And by the way, I suspect that your new bride is a very lucky woman also!!

[Bob Emmons]

Steve,
This is an awesome story! What a beautiful thing to share with us! Much Congratulations to both of you, and hope to see you guy's on the water next year!

Bob Emmons