Tete a Tete

by Dave and Jaja Martin

Understanding the chain of command on a boat is important. My son is nine years old so I don't have to tell you who is Head Honcho on DRIVER. It wasn't always that we took orders from a nine-year-old--last year he was eight.

After chain of command, communication skills are a prerequisite. I'll never forget the time in Fiji we nearly sank DIRECTION on a coral reef in the Yasawa group. It was a close one. It would have been a terrible day to lose the boat, too: the sea was calm, the sun was shining, and there wasn't a breath of wind. I usually tend to be more cautious when the weather is nasty.

Here's the scenario. The outboard was pushing us at five knots and Jaja was on the bow keeping a look out. In her arms she was holding six-month-old Holly. I was in the cockpit steering. In one hand I held the tiller, in my other hand I held onto two-year-old Chris, who was trying to balance on top of the sheet winch. You might say we were distracted.

"Dave," Jaja hollered, "I see a reef!"

	DRIVER at 0 degrees Fahrenheit in Akureyri, Iceland.

"Where?" I asked

"In front of us."

"Which way should I turn?"

"The reef is to starboard."

"What?"

"Starboard!"

"Turn Starboard?"

"No, port!"

"The reef is to port?"

"No, starboard--go port!"

Meanwhile, Jaja had been pointing at the reef but her arm was hidden from my view by the mainsail. The reef was eighteen inches below the surface, a real ripper. We managed to turn at the last minute, and how we avoided a rudderectomy defies reason.

Our system after that was to yell to the helmsman in simple landlubber English which way to turn the boat. i.e.: right, right, right! or left, left, left! If you felt like pointing, you pointed at the way to turn.

Communication skills are also important if you want to avoid unnecessary chores. I returned from a long day at work once and as I stepped aboard Jaja put a beer in my hand. Full of gratitude, I slipped off my shoes. But before I had a chance to get comfortable Jaja asked,

"Dave? Do you think you could clean the head? It's so bad it hardly works."

I took a big swallow of beer, "Sure," I said.

I grabbed brush and cleanser and went to it. I held my tongue, and scrubbed my irritation with bleach. Jaja's laughter rankled.

"What's so darn funny?" I finally asked.

Jaja was laughing so hard tears were dripping off her chin.

"Oh, this is priceless!" she roared.

"Why?" I growled back.

"I meant for you to clean the head on the tape deck."