Hushed

 

This is a difficult thing to explain but I will try it. Maine has a secret society that is only spoken about in hushed tones. Reputed members take on a privileged reverence by the uninitiated. 

 

They carry no sign of affiliation on their vessels, but can be identified – without certainty – by where they abode. I say this because there are many imposters willing to risk retribution.

 

Like many secret societies, the object of their veneration is odd. In this case, it is a large white ball float with a sturdy plaited rope extending from it. Their placement gives them away. In the anchorages and harbors where the lay, they are usually placed just outside the common anchoring area. 

 

Thus isolated they draw attention to themselves and create tension within one’s psyche. In an odd twist of faith, these sentinels remain mainly empty tempting illicit use. 

 

There are many open moorings in Maine. Some have sir names written in childlike script. Some are marked PVT but most are simply numbered. Some cruisers seem to have one in every ideal anchorage, and other floats are handed down from generation to generation. But these are commonplace and do not wrestle with one’s soul. 

 

A cruise in Maine requires that certain behavioral patterns be chose. Most have to do with tide, wind, and current. These become easier with experience. But the adoration of the great white float is a dilemma not easy or even possible to resolve . . . even in hushed tones.