Noon

Getting here was stressful. I admit to a slightly hysterical nature but still to go from McGregor Bay around McGregor Point and then through two other rock infested channels (one at Frazer Point and the other a sharp left turn about 8 miles east) as we made our way to the Narrows in Baie Finn did not help the situation. And the situation was anchoring on the side of a sheer rock wall just west the Pool.

The Pool is the legendary dead end in the North Channel where Mr. and more long term, Mrs. Evinrude had a modest cottage perched on a rock with their 100’ yacht slung off the side. The Pool offers numerous anchorages but it has been relegated to transient use only due to a thick layer of hair like weeds that makes it a dubious place to anchor. So, we arrived at a shallow crevice along the south wall and I drop the anchor once, twice and again until I had done it five times. Finally exhausted and with the advice of a fellow cruiser I decide to live with my position against this considerable cliff.

We arrived at the wall at 1:00 PM and on many days I have a problem around noon. It is a tendency to hypoglycemia (low blood sugar). This has been an issue since 1978 when I became a vegetarian. It is important for me to eat lunch. I understand this, but while I have some OCD tendencies lunch is not one of them. At home I usually remember to eat and I am not often anchoring off a rock wall in Chicago. The daily change in routine while traveling throws off my equilibrium.

The most common result of not eating is a mild delirium. The lower the blood sugar, the worse the confusion. This sugar known as glucose and it is the brain’s fuel; deprive it at your peril. It is a common complaint of over treated or under fed diabetics. I have probably treated thousands of diabetics and it is common to have a few in crisis due to low blood glucose. Thankfully most of the time it is easy to correct. In the worse case an ampule of D50 is injected directly into their blood stream. This provided a jolt of glucose to get the brain back on track. For most orange juice and something to eat works well enough. I am fond of espresso and a glazed donut, but that is another story.

When cruising on Carrie Rose we tend to leave early. Summer weather, at least on the water, is better in the morning as the local weather patterns reset themselves overnight. The sea and the wind are calm. Throughout the day both build, so we like to be off the water early, either anchored in a snug spot or tied to a slip.

On many occasions this habit of early departure has us in port around one in the afternoon. Since I start to prepare for the destination with about an hour to go, I get busy and forget to eat. The consequence is low blood glucose that often coincides with the end of the journey. Just when I need to be at my top, I am at my bottom. The job gets done but sometimes an irrational decision made in bad temper stresses both Charlotte and I.

This is not a best way to function. I eat once we settle in but my brain comes back online in grumpy mode. So I get squirrelly, have to work extra hard to compensate for the lack of brain power, upset my mate, and then spend the next few hours contemplating why I keep doing this. All for the lack of a granola bar!

For two days and nights I kept an eye on that wall expecting the worse. Carrie Rose did her best to tease it as she swung pass again and again. It never moved, but finally we did . . . to Killarney.