If you're going boating, what would make you leave your buddy sitting on the dock?

On my typical usual weekend afternoon, I decide to go sailing. I arrive at the dock at 10AM and there's very little wind, but it promises to pick up. Not doing all that much I decide to go in and get a lesson on "Costal Navigation in Boston Harbor." Also known as:
#1 How to use a Marine Radio, appropriate ettiquette for channel 16.
#2 How to read Nautical charts for Boston harbor.
#3 What to look for in the harbor (nuns and cans)
and other stuff...

It was kind of cool. Do I think I can skipper a boat out in the harbor by myself now. Of course not... But the point of the class was to show you how much more there is to learn.

In any case the class was interesting, but the wind did pick up and was blowing about 20mph by the time I really decided to go out. It looked quite exciting, there were a bunch of wet people standing around the dock, after capsizing the mercuries, and being fished out of the water by the launch.

Knowing that I'm expecting some friends, but they're not going to be there till 3PM, I decided to go out for a few hours. Not wanting anything too slow, but not wanting to go through the ignomamity of capsizing a Merc and having to be rescued, I end up taking a R-19, perhaps the most stable boat in the fleet.

I take a young kid with me, who's reasonably competent. Unfortunatley we bring a mainsail and a stormsail, but no jib. So we put up the sails and buzz the dock, asking them to bring out a jib for us. "Negative Mavrick, the pattern is full." The dock staff is annoyed. They're trying to give helmsman tests and we're freaking out the beginners, in fact I see a couple people run aground. The dock staff brings us our jib, we put it up. My phone rings repeatedly while I'm out on the water. We sail for a bit then head back.

I put my card back in the line, not knowing what to do, as my friends still haven't shown up. I figure I'll sail a sonar. One of the yahoos on the dock is trying to get an advanced rating, and is being annoying to me (I don't really care anymore, I just want to sail, but then again two years ago I was probably that yahoo) Irene has taken out one of the sonars. Irene is the resident dock bum, and the person who originally tested me for the keelboat rating. However I always am in need of some more practice. I patienty wait my turn. There's a time limit to how long people can keep the boats out, people are overdue in bringing them back. My buddy Steve finally arives. I'm waiting for another of my sailing partners to arrive as well. She's stuck in the lab running a gel, I fear she's going to be a no-show. However, she pulls through, and shows up.

I go to the dock staff to find out where my boat is. They look frazzled. Another soaking wet person gets off the launch, rescued after a capsize. I'm trying to be polite and not annoy them too much they're working hard. The dock staff bring a sonar back in for us, it's already rigged from previous people, so we don't have to struggle getting the sails up. We hop in, cast the bowline off the mooring and head out.

The wind is good, although the boat is showing it's age, it's good to be on the water. Irene is still out sailing and heading right towards me. Wait I'm on the starboard tack, she should know better, I'm going to make her yield. She passes behind the stern but immediatley tacks, now she's making fun of my sailing skills. Although we're in the same type of boat, with the same amount of sail area, she's definatley sailing better than me. I yell out, "Go Away." She get's closer. I should have my buddy moon the other boat. I tack, she tacks. I gybe, she gybes. We're intimidating the smaller boats on the river. A tech dinghy capsizes. I head back towards the dockhouse, and put in a protest. The dockstaff says "She's been out there for over an hour, she should come back in."

Standing on the dock I talk it over with my crew. My buddy Steve is still up for sailing. My female friend also wants to sail as well, she aludes to the sleek two seat racers on the high performance end of the dock. So... I've got a choice now; I can go out in one of the smaller slow boats with the three of us. Or I can take out one of the racers and leave one person on the dock.

In any case I left my buddy on the dock, and went sailing in the racer with my friend. She's a competent but not excellent sailor. I let her take the helm for a bit. The boat starts to swamp with water. She gives me the helm back, before we capsize. We start to bail. My feet are wet.

I pull the main back in, she tighens the jib, and the sails catch the wind. The boat heels, we lean out over the gunnel and the boat accelerates. It feels almost as if the boat is flying. For a moment life is good....

I felt bad about leaving Steve on the dock. I explained to my housemate, which he explained that in that instance, it was a totally apropriate decision. In fact it's the code of the Wingman...