The Harbor Town Belle Wedding

Cleaning up his boat after the Lake Ontario Tuesday night races ended, Larry’s halyard was hauled up instead of being pulled down and secured at the base of the mast of his sailboat. “I’ll climb your mast!”, she said. Ascending a 30 ft mast was easy after climbing a 94 ft mast as a tall ship sailor. He was very happy to strap her into a harness and offered a glass of wine later as a thanks. She said no thanks needed, it was fun! The racing season ended…

The next season, Tuesday night racing resumed, as did the after-race porch parties. A time was found between her Erie Canal cruise schedule and his evening tool and die business to go for an evening pleasure sail…just the two of them as a thanks for the halyard rescue…

They left the dock motoring out the mouth of the Genesee River and turned right toward Irondequoit Bay. This was a pleasant change of scenery as all her previous lake sailing has been toward the race course to the left of the river. It was a beautiful warm Friday evening in August. The sky was bright, almost cloudless, the breeze was just right and both sails were set. The relaxing conversation was interrupted by the appearance of a dark cloud coming toward them from the “wrong direction.” “Think we should head in,” he said. And we did. Suddenly a black microburst with winds up to 100 mph came down the river, “drop the jib”… and by the way, “would you sit on it?” I put on my rain jacket, Larry only had his hat…the cock pit filled with hailstones…I was battered with them on the pulpit. I thought…I trust him, he trusts his boat…and it’s only about 20 from shore, I can swim if I need to… We docked… ”you sure know how to show a girl a good time!” and he still does.

Author: Kathryn Tingly

Venue: The Harbor Town Belle

Catering: Tappas 177