Guess What Day It Is!

So sayeth the camel wandering through an office on a Wednesday. If you remember that TV commercial for Geico, the answer is “Hump Day.” Well, there are other “special days” – even when cruising under sail or power.

When one is in “cruising mode” – a physical and mental state – staying “calendar-aware” may be on your mind to a lesser degree. Yet, there are certain days (dates) that are more ingrained than others. Here’s a case in point . . .

On a Balboa Yacht Club mooring in Panama, there were no overt signs around me that the day was special. The same boats were on nearby moorings, and shore activity was in no way unique. Therefore, the morning offered no clue it was a special day.

However, that all changed when I tuned the VHF radio to the morning net. Lo and behold, the first thing broadcast was, “Welcome to the Balboa morning net, and by the way, Happy July 4th!” I didn’t have to guess what day it is; I didn’t have to remember on my own! The cruiser’s net made sure everybody was aware of Independence Day.

Needless to say, there followed announcements about shoreside festivities. Should one have failed to listen to the morning net, going ashore would have been a tip-off as the day progressed. Ultimately, the final clue would have been the fireworks that night!

I didn’t change my plans to stay aboard that day and complete a boat project or two. However, I wasn’t about to be accused of being the Christmas Grinch-equivalent for the fourth of July. Thus, with a festive air tempered only slightly by solemnity, I donned my red-white-blue headband/kerchief and flew my stars-and-stripes in honor of the occasion.