Days melt into each other as we forget about shoreside life, swinging on the hook in the Florida Keys. Meals are whenever, clothing is optional, life is good. A craving for people comes over us and we head up to Miami. Biscayne Bay gets shallow in spots so we follow the channel markers closely. Colin goes below to make lunch as I take the helm. I relish in the joy of sailing my own boat.

As we approach a narrow channel in the middle of the bay, I can see a Coast Guard boat tied to the entry buoy. Two guys are servicing the light on the marker. The wind is absolutely perfect as I turn and aim for the channel. We’re on a beam reach and Forbidden Planet is moving beautifully. The sails swell, the boat heels gently and she glides gracefully through the waves. I can see the two guys look up as we approach. It feels great. I look up with pride at the sails. Boy, do we look good!

We get closer and the guys are still looking. The sun shines on my beautiful white hull as she dances closer to the channel. They’re still watching. I feel like one of those great TV shots, the boat is moving so well. All those months of learning how to sail the boat have come together and we are a finely tuned machine.

The guys have stopped any pretence of working on the light as we slice past them into the channel. I smile and wave a big hello. They grin from ear to ear and wave back, their eyeballs bugged out. I’m thinking, “we must look so hot!”

Colin surfaces from below and I tell him about the two coast guard men who couldn’t take their eyes of us because of my wonderful sailing ability. He almost falls backwards down the companionway, laughing hysterically. Giggling like a hyena as he points to me & says, “look down”. I look down.

Oops, I’m naked!