Tales from the CDCR: 5) Flag Waving . . . .

[Charles Brennan]

Since this is the 4th of July, I thought I would relate a story involving some flag waving.

October of 2001, not even a month after 9/11, was a very subdued Columbus Day Cruising Regatta compared to previous years.   
(Or succeeding years!)   
The idea was to keep doing what we were normally doing, to prove somehow, that the terrorists had not won.

Keeping doing what I typically was doing on a CDCR weekend, usually involved some Planter's Punch! 
Sometimes, a LOT of Planter's Punch! 
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It really takes the sting out of abject defeat!! 

Hey! I was in my sailboat Urchin, I was wearing my Official Trailer Sailor Bulletin Board cap and all was right with the World.
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Nearly 25 years later, I still wear that same type of Casio watch and those same wrap-around sunglasses; even still have the TSBB hat, although it doesn't look NEARLY so good now, as in that pic.

Heading for a spot to anchor, we had a nice enough sunset over south Biscayne Bay, but it was very quiet, not at all the usual boisterous partying that typifies a CDCR weekend.
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It was a time of uncertainty; no one quite knew for sure (yet) who had hit us, although 4 days later, Operation Enduring Freedom would start up.
I awoke Sunday morning, October 7th,  mildly depressed.
And then I got angry. 
This is NOT who we are!! 

I figured: "Hey! Don't want the terrorists to miss me!" 
On some whim or another, I had the flag from my Dad's funeral (provided by the VA) nearly 25 years earlier, on board.
Since I had some time before we had to leave Elliott Key and sail to the race start, I decided I would hang the flag from the main sail halyard, mostly just to see what it looked like.
It looked Glorious! 

I gingerly lowered myself into the water and carefully back-stroked away from the hull, so as not to risk wetting my digital camera and got this shot.
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What I was totally unprepared for, was the sudden (and loud!) cheering, coming from all over the Bay, from every direction! 
I was suddenly infused with the warm feeling, that America was going to be OK. 
Maybe not today, but soon.

And for the first time since 9/11, I smiled.

Happy Birthday, America.
Charles Brennan

[Riley Smith]

Hallelujah! What a touching tribute to those things in our life that matter. Great story Charles and great pic.

[Krusen]

I had a flag half that size, and a vertical aluminum pipe at the stern of my Mac 22.  Sailing south on the Potomac River my normal first stop overnight was Quantico Marines marina.

When I sailed in the first time, they gave me extra service, while commenting favorably on my flag.

I spent many more nights there in the following decade, and never had to log in again, they remembered my flag.

All but one night, I remained tied up at the gas dock, it had 2 sides and I came in at sunset, and departed after breakfast.  They said they rarely sold gas more than once a day.

A big flag stands out on a small boat, and makes a lasting impression.