Fair-weathered no more

Xtratuf waterproof deck boots

We sold the sailboat and bought a jetski. 

Say what? 

Now that I'm a woman-of-a-certain age, of course I'd take up jetskiing. Wouldn't you? Never mind that I live in the Pacific Northwest, on Puget Sound where the water temperature is rarely above 60F, and winter is coming in fast, with regular gale-force winds and record-breaking rain. 

So I said goodbye to my fair-weathered Sperry's for these new Xtratuf all-weather deck boots. These waterproof ankle boots are rubber, non-skid and non-marking, perfect for my partner's brand new Sea-Doo Fish Pro.  

Test run, or... our first misadventure

Our first time out in the new PWC (personal watercraft), it stopped abruptly, refusing to restart as we approached Elliott Bay near downtown Seattle, very near the shipping lanes and just in time for the 4pm Sunday cruise ship departures to Alaska. Mid-September, the sun was still warm, but we hadn't planned for more than an hour or two on the water. Thankfully, my Girl Scout training saw us through: I'd stashed a few protein bars in my dry bag just in case. 

In every other way, we were unprepared. No radios. No safety gear outside of cellphones and PFDs. My partner called our insurance company and when a tow was 2 or more hours away, we waved our hands in the air using the internationally recognized distress signal... and were ignored by boats going in every direction. 

An hour in, a sailboat captain out for an afternoon booze cruise reeled around, threw us a line, brought us aboard, and towed us to Elliott Bay Marina. The official towboat got us back to our original boat launch at dusk.

I've now been "in the passenger seat" several times behind my partner, clinging tightly to his PFD and the strap across the seat (one hand for him, one hand for the boat) and after my regular 10-minute panic attack upon each launch, I relax(ish) and have fun. Soon I'll even have a jetski of my own... (I did get us up to 50mph my first time out on this one!). 

Ensuring a good time

Neoprene when it's warm and a dry suit for inclement weather, or anytime there's chop (sailor term for waves) are essential, along with the waterproof boots. Our plan is to use this boat year-round, both for fun and to explore places otherwise inaccessible. One of my favorite parts of sailing was taking the dingy out gunkholing, anyway.  

This is an example of me liking something whether I actually like it or not, at least initially (more of these to come). A fast-moving jetski is my partner's dream, not mine, but I chose him knowing early on he's a thrill-seeker. He's made it his job to bring "play" into our lives, since that's not my specialty, while I keep us grounded thanks to my intrinsic pragmatic idealism. Getting the old heart rate up with a little bit of fear and excitement (same bodily sensation) keeps me young, I'm sure. He's quick to remind me he couldn't keep up when we rented snowmobiles ages ago.  

Borrowing from Eleanor Roosevelt, the jetski gets me out of my comfort zone and lets me do something that scares me a little. And... I get to laugh, breathe in fresh salt air, and feel the saltwater on my face (and in my eyeballs, earholes, and anywhere else not covered). And I get to pretend I'm still a little cool with my goofy jetski sunglasses. 

At this stage in my life, I'm not one of those "hot babes" I see when I search "women on jetskis" but as a friend just said, quoting Kathy Bates in Fried Green Tomatoes, I'm older and I have more insurance.