The Sailing Trip Becalmed

Selin and Jack rent a small sailboat every summer for one weekend, just the two of them. They sail out along the coast and back before the marina closes on Sunday evening. This year, they plan a slightly longer route than usual, out to a small island and back.

By early afternoon, they have reached the island and eaten lunch on deck. They turn back toward the marina with plenty of time to spare. Then, gradually, the wind disappears completely. The sail hangs limp, and the boat barely moves at all, rocking gently on flat, glassy water.

"We're not exactly in a hurry," Jack says, checking his watch, "but the marina closes at six. They charge extra if we're late returning the boat."

Selin checks the small motor bolted to the back of the boat. They have never actually needed it before today. There's fuel in the tank, but not much. It is barely enough for half the remaining distance if they run it the whole way.

They could wait for wind, which might return within the hour. They could start the motor now and hope the fuel lasts. Or they could radio the marina and warn them they might be late. Selin suggests a compromise. They should run the motor at its lowest, most fuel-efficient speed, and keep watching the water for wind.

The plan works better than either of them expected. Twenty minutes later, a light breeze picks up from the east, just enough to fill the sail again. Selin cuts the motor immediately. They glide the rest of the way under sail power alone, saving the last of their fuel completely.

They tie up at the marina at 5:52, eight minutes to spare. Both of them laugh at how close it had actually been. "Next year," Jack says, "we're checking the fuel gauge before we leave the dock." Selin agrees, though she suspects they will probably forget again.