We are headed out to sea on the Prince of Sea sailing yacht when the deck hand Tamer motions for me to come to him. He's holding a woven rope basket that he's been vigorously rigging since we left the
dock. I look around thinking he means someone else, but no, he really wants me.
I hand my camera to Roger and walk gingerly towards him.
The contraption is indeed a basket to sit in. I notice it is
attached to the boom of the sailboat but what that implies doesn't exactly
register. He motions for me to sit. I glance over at Roger and see his look of
trepidation.
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| Katie in the rope swing. |
The
minute I am in the basket Tamer lets go of the rope and I swing out over the
water on the ship’s starboard side. The swiftness of the movement startles me.
As the basket tilts at a dangerous angle, it takes a minute to comprehend that
if I don’t hold on really tight I will plunge headlong into the briny deep. Is
this a modern version of walking the plank?
I careen alongside
the starboard hull of the speeding yacht inches from the water; I feel like one
of the dolphins I have seen racing next to excursion boats. I am just about comfortable with this, when Tamer hoists me higher and I quickly fly over the boat to the port side only to be sharply brought
back again getting a great seagull view of the surroundings.
Wait a minute – this is great!
