It's 04:30 AM and I'm standing here staring into the flame coming from the galley stove. Going through my mind are thoughts like what are we doing out here, did the anchor really set, how will I untie the stern line quickly, and other such nautical stuff. About half an hour ago I was awakened by that usually pleasant sound of waves splashing against the rocky shore. It's a pleasant sound if you're not anchored with your stern 35 feet from that same shore. We are going through our first "Bad Night." Since we have been out for nearly a month one rough night on the anchor isn't all that bad. In fact I almost got a full nights sleep.
I would like to put out another anchor but it's very foggy, the rain is coming down hard, and I'm not sure I want to wrestle with a 25 pound anchor in a dinghy in the dark! As the coffee perks I sit here with that helpless feeling. As I glance out the ports I can see that I'm not alone. The rocky shore is lit up with flashlight beams from all the boats along this shore. This is a crazy sport.
Finally the coffee is done. I pour a nice hot cup and sit down to wait out the ordeal. Soon the sun will be up and I can get a better view of the situation. But wait, what's that sound? It's almost no sound at all . . . the wind has stopped howling! The waves are not crashing on shore like they were a few minutes ago! It's not glass flat, but it is calming down. GREAT! Here I sit at 05:00 AM with a snout full of real coffee. Who wanted to sleep anyway?