Ashes to Ashes

[Miker]

I thought I might regale you lot of one of the best day's sailing I've ever had.

My Uncle Phill passed away in February this year, and my cousin Andrew asked me whether I would take him and my Aunt out to sea to scatter his ashes, along with the ashes of his favourite dog, Pepper.

It was a fitting finale to a wonderful life of sailing, as mine was the last boat Phil sailed on when he was alive. That day back in 2010 was much the same as last Saturday, a stiff South Westerly which prompted Phil, a man who was thrifty with his words, to remark simply "that was a whole lot of fun" before shaking my hand and driving home to Wellington NSW where he'd retired.

So at 11.15am Saturday we dropped the mooring in Careel Bay, sailing off silently in a flukey breeze that saw us tack twice between other boats. Phil hated using the engine, even if it was breathless. I was lucky to have Andrew, an accomplished sailor, and his best mate Kerry who in his years has owned a few larger boats, but raced extensively up and down the East Coast and obviously knew a lot about sail trim. Soon we had Dulcamara trimmed and balanced under full main and #2 after adjusting leech, vang, backstay and outhaul. We had 6 Adults and one 8 year old, and she was doing a sustained 6 knots inside Pittwater before heading due east on a reach from just off Lion Island.

At the 2.5nm mark, we turned about 180 deg and headed back towards West Head. At this point, we were now sailing pretty level, and the wind had backed off a little. The perfect time for the ashes ceremony. I recited "Sea Fever" by John Masefield as Pepper and Phil were let loose over the ocean.

At that point, the wind came up a few more knots and there was a big swirl effect that saw the ashes blow back into the cockpit covering us all, and getting in our eyes, mouths and hair, and billowing all over the boat..... at first we thought it a bit odd, but then realised how fitting it was for someone who revelled in such conditions to get one back on us all. We laughed, and cheered and then sheeted on for the sail home.

By 3pm we were in the Basin having a beer and some chicken and enjoying the calm sunset before a quick motor back to the mooring. An unforgettable day, a day, to me at least that makes the money and time you put in to a boat all well worth while, and if I never ever got to sail again, could remember as "one of those days"..........

For those who haven't read Sea Fever, here it is.....

I must go down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky,
And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by,
And the wheel's kick and the wind's song and the white sail's shaking,
And a grey mist on the sea's face, and a grey dawn breaking.

I must go down to the seas again, for the call of the running tide
Is a wild call and a clear call that may not be denied;
And all I ask is a windy day with the white clouds flying,
And the flung spray and the blown spume, and the sea-gulls crying.

I must go down to the seas again, to the vagrant gypsy life,
To the gull's way and the whale's way where the wind's like a whetted knife;
And all I ask is a merry yarn from a laughing fellow-rover
And quiet sleep and a sweet dream when the long trick's over.

John Masefield (1878-1967).
(English Poet Laureate, 1930-1967.)

[storm petrel]

Nice on Michael. RIP uncle Phill..........

[SeaLady]

I agree.

RIP Uncle Phil.
Sounds like he was a larrikin and stayed true to form.

[bearmcnally]

Hi Mike

My condolence , what a yarn to tell .May be you should have saved it for the Broken Bay experience over a red or a port or three ?

That reminds me of my mate ,who's Mother died and was cremated .She wanted her ashes spread over her husband ,the only problem there was her husband was still alive ! So she spent the next 7 years on the mantle piece .Then when his father passed away and he too was cremated (my mate told me his father wanted his ashes spread at sea like your uncle Phil.) he told his sister what was going to happen his sister jumped in and said ' that is fine for Dad but you forgot Mum and Dad wanted their ashes spread together and Mum liked the country and that's where she wanted her ashes spread ,besides that she hated sailing and got seasick . So the parents moved to a cupboard for some years until a solution was found to the problem . My mate found a solution and decided to take his late parents for a final trip to the country along with his sister for a picnic .Once in the country , the Southern Highlands as both parents lived there prior to their passing. They found a stream and had their picnic and scattered some of their parents ashes on the grass and scattered the rest into the stream on the hope that the rest of their ashes would reach the sea someday .

Bear

[Shaun]

Thanks for sharing Michael.

[Tales]

One of my workmates, retired now, told me about his fathers ash scattering adventure.

His Dad was a Couta boat fisherman and wanted his ashes scattered in the Bay.

He was very dissapointed in his Dad who had promised to fix up his old boat up and teach my mate to sail. Eventually the boat rotted away and his dream was never to come true.

My mate found two Irishmen at Corio who were willing to take him, his Mum and sister for his Dad's final trip.

The boat was a round-the-world yacht they were building - usable but not finished.

They motored out into Corio Bay and stopped where my mate indicated and (like Mikers uncle Phil) the ashed blew back over the boat, getting in everyones face, hair and clothes. Also all over the new boat.

Being Irish and sailors to boot, superstitions could be taken for granted and they were not happy. Rushed my mate and family back to the shore and scowled as my mate helped his 75 year old mum up the ladder on the pier.

They were still scowling when my mate helped his Mum along the pier past their boat so my mate started singing "Gonna was that man right out of my hair"!

He and his sister had just stopped laughing when they reached the start of the pier and he remembered that he still had half of his Dad left in the plastic jar.

Remembering how much trouble his dad had caused him - alive and dead - he chucked the remainder in a nearby big wheelie bin and they went down the pub!

All the best,

Tom