The following is the first of my sailing sagas which began with the first time I had ever sailed ... It was back in mid-summer 1999, and I had just purchased the, Quetzal, the 25 foot Catalina which is still being kind to me... I wrote about the journey to a friend who is a far more seasoned sailor than I will ever be, and I put it into the Franco-English Quebecois patois which I've enjoyed for many years.

Le Storee....

Ma frens, Mes Amis.

H'ime heer tu tel u dat storee! Ya no? dat wun wot say "De win she blo on Lac Champlain, she blo lac ell she du?"*

Wel now, lette Sam de nouveau Baptiste h'xplayn bout dat firs sojourne h'aup dat lac.

Dat win? she blow ezee as firs. But, b'ambie? She get strawger den I remembre she du sum tam back der wen I wuz leetle chile, on de bay dey call de Malletes. layter? Bon ouis! Ow she blow dat day. Lac der wuz be no mor win on de h'Ontario h'oute de wes across de montaines de Adirondac an on de Riviere St. Lauren nere Montreal. Cuz dat win wot sit over dere beefor she cum h'ere? dis tam she h'all cum here for tu blo on dat Sams Cataleena as she clere de Nord Hero Gut tu de brawd lac oui call Champlain. Beecauz dat Nouveau Sam ad nevere sale de bateau beefor? ee ad hire da h'xpeerienz saler wot sale de Newport tu Bermuda raze ever yere... by nam uv Camille... she wuz a plezen woman, but Sam shud av been worn erlee h'in dat jurnee wen dat Camille? She cudnt start de 'engin tu get dat Catalina h'owt de ting dey call de slippe? Dat wuz a nue meening for de slippe dat Sam h'on dat day de memoree tinks 'abowt an on hiz fase dere wuz awhil wid grin. But dat Sam? ee wuz probly lukeen h'at wot wuz show roun de batheeng suit? H'an tinkin sumtin elz, maybee? Ah Non! ee wuz stik tu biznezz lac de gud saler ee wuz tu bee, bon ouise! Certement!

So dat Sam, ee iz lukin tue de nord wun tam ... an she see de cloud? She wuz gettin darcque an low tu de wahter? an de wave bak dere? She wuz lukin lac she growin...So wot u tink? Dat Sam ... ee say to Camille... did u see dat beeg black cloud? da wun tue de nord? wot makin dat wave zo beeg, she gonbe tawl'er den de Catalina? Wot u tink dat Camille de skiper tel tue Sam? "Get h'awp dere quik h'an drawp dat ting she cawl de jib!" She screem so loud, I bet u wun ting; dey heer dat screem h'al de way h'awp de lac tue Montreal on de Riviere San Laurenz...

Wen Sam luk stoopid won minut, dat Camille shaout "de sale h'awp dere!"

a leetl layter? az Sam ee ang frum de fron of dat bote wid de sale she rap ha'rown him lac a blancket? an ee eez slap de water tri tue kepe dat bote frum sinkin? az de wave she cum up de fron an splash dat Sam .... an az dat sale, she tri tue tro dat Sam h'into de wat er? Dat win? She blo lac more den dat fan wot stik h'in de whindo h'at dat ome Sam wish ee wuz h'at dis tam, bon ouise! wot seme lac mor den h'ower agoe wen hee tink lac dat?

but, dat Sam ee get head uv himself heer won tam wid storee. Wen dat Catalina finlee leff dat slippe an hed aowte h'awn de leetel baye? Ee eeze luk h'aup hi in de sky an wot u tink hee see? jus sittin h'awp der so beeg wuz dat dam brigge de Nord Hero ... wot Sam forgot wuz dere! Sheez wan beeg ting, Sam tue himself tell. she luk so beeg h'an prowd? tu bee shur....but wot u tink! Dat ting standin h'awp dere? wot de man sole u dat yawt tu u she say? Dat brigge Sheez gawt tue opin h'awn de alf houre lac wen de clawk she chime...or sumtin lac dat... an iff u tri tue sale dat bote tru h'under dat brigge dat ting wot stick h'awp in de aere wot dey cawl da mass (Hmmm... lern anudder salin wurd dat tam wot dis tam soun lac sumtin tue du wid de catreedul, I tink dat de salin wuz gon teech Sam de ard whay). Anee ouwe? dat man wot sell de bote, sed dat h'iff dat brigge don h'opin an I trie tue sale h'und-er neet aneewhay? Tu bee shure, dat mass will go bange an snappe an crash down tue my edd wid beeg urt an u wone fele so gud h'bout byin dat bote den. ouise, ee say. Dat brigge she gon stawp u lac 'ammer tue de hed. So wot u tink ole Camille an Sam du? Bon Ouise! Ouise flote dat bote roun an roun wid dat win? sheez blo an blo an dat Camille? she wurk ard jus kepe-in dat bote h'out de wede bi de side uv de lac chanal. An Sam? ee beegin tu tink wid de brane der, wot ee gawt, an Mon Dieux! Camille an Sam ee sed to 'imself ... dat ouise bin heer more den wan houre an dat ting? she aynt moov wan h'inch sidewaize or h'awp in de aire! So de puzzelle she cum to de brane and Sam tri to figger jus ow ee gogne get dat brigge tu op-en orr wot it wuz spose tu due... so dat bote, she cudd sale h'oute tu de gut wot paz u tru tu de brawd lac. So dat Sam ... he kip dat puzz'el in frun uv is brane der an tink won tam den ee tink sum moure, and he gawt wan an-ser to dat puzz-el. HA! she say. I cud uze dat radeeo! Dat ting on da wall wot da man sole dat bote say wuz a bulkhed (damme' anudder new wurd). De radeeo, she ad say "mareen h'oppurate...but dat damme ting? she onlee hiss an buzz...so wot u tink ole Sam d'Nouveau saler she du? Dis shy an bashful fell-o wot u no so gud?

Wal, h'eym scrach dat ed, an h'eym pawn-der wan tam ... une quatorze minut der (mois spellin? shee ain tu gud) nawt tu longe an nawt tu shorte...an wot u tink? She see dat leetle 'ed peekin out de windo der, bye de side de brigge...an she iz waiv an pointin wid and in de aere...I'm tink wan mor tam ... den count de fing-er on dat han she waivin an pointin wid...dat finger? she say tirteen. So, Im tink sum mor nawt tu long an nawt to short an i luk wan mor tam. An dat faize? she hold-in dat telephone' in de win-doe. Lac wot she tink? Dat Sam an Camille gon jump off de bote an swim to plaze, an clime dat stele brigge der? An anzer dat cawl? She muz bee crazee, dat Sam tink.

Wal, aftir wan tam...bynbie Sam, she luk h'up dat briddg an smyle dat smyle an chuk-ul dat way, u nowat ee 'ave an wat u tink ole Sam, she doo? Ell, ee waiv an laff an say lowd so dat crazee wom-an can ere..."Baptiste is heer! u bet-ter h'opin dat ting h'on de tawp uv dat brigge middul. Baptiste, she iz cummin tru wedder or nawt u caire! Den? wat u tink! By gar...dat brigge? sheez go h'up in de sky...so fas she make u blinque tu see dat wun-der.

An Sam? 'e juss smyle dat grin wat saye "h'ime no dat. All u gawt tu doo is smyle an say ur peez h'an dat briddge she 'opin awp eezee!"

Da ress uv dat storee? Sheeze wate an she is mour dramateek den dis firz part.

So, aime close dis storee for now .... but say juss enuf to let u no dat dis wuz wan beeg day. Dat tres, quatorze houre sale wat wuz spoze to bee? she taik more den de daylite leff dat day. Mon deaux, dat wuz sum dey. she envolve' dat us coste gard? Bon Ouise! an dat estat poleez .... an dat Colches-ter mareen pa-trol man hoo wuz my naybour, Mike Hammond frum de Col-chester poleez ware is de 'ome port por de bateau wid de sale...dat Cataleena

Now? aime home an de rume sheeze stil rock-in ... so aime tink Im gowan tu quit por le day an rite more la-ter.

Bon nuit, Mes Amis

Sam d'Baptiste...who danse wid Champ dis dey...an liv tu say h'bout dat Vive le Salin h'on Lac Champlain ware de win she blo lac el she doo.

Dat day wuz beegan reel nize wid de win? She blo nize h'an gentl an stedee...an now? Sam, she stawp por le nuit an start o-ver anudder day wid sum more. Dat nex chap-ter she begin wid...

Long h'bowt du quatere hour? Dat Sam luk nord and say