Whistle Up The Wind

[00:00:05] I could see her clear as day on the bow, singing a song so sweet it made me sick. I never should have taken my boat out before this storm. [00:00:28] Good evening. Im Ben, and welcome to the show where you and I gather around this campfire to share our scariest experiences. So whether youre a new or returning camper, im happy to have you. Many people refuse to go near the ocean, fearing the unknown of what lurks below. But tonight were headed to Rhode island to hear my friend Kevins story of the night he spent on a sailboat, just him and the elements. So without further ado, do you want to hear a ghost story? [00:01:10] Growing up in Rhode island, you either go one of two ways. The first is you become a fisherman. The second, the path that called me, is to become a sailor. [00:01:22] While fishermen hate us sailors and we hate those fishermen, we both have a deep, deep love for the ocean. I was in my early twenties and had just gotten my master license for the coast guard and decided it was high time I made a solo trip. I was almost done fixing my boat, but I was a confident sailor and it technically had everything it needed to sail. I planned to make a day of it, sailing from Newport to mystic. I figured that with my boat and the favorable winds, it would be about an eight hour trek. That is a long but easy sail. After all, wed have been doing it almost every day for work. In the worst case scenario, I could get out of the channel using my charts, anchor down, and radio for help. But I thought it would be nice to enjoy the day and maybe catch a sunset. [00:02:13] I set out from Newport around 10:00 a.m. with the sun shining and the sea calm. There's such a peaceful feeling in surrendering to the ocean's will, knowing that there's nothing but hundreds of feet of water below you and that you are miles away from help. [00:02:30] It's not for everyone, but it is for me. [00:02:38] As I crossed point Judith at around 03:00 p.m. i noticed dark clouds gathering over Long island, and I thought with only roughly 3 hours left to reach the race, I would be fine getting into more protected waters. The last leg of my trip into mystic. But just in case, I throttled the engine up just a little bit, hoping to take full advantage of both the engine and the sail. As the winds, too, began to dial up, I started whistling a tune that had been long stuck in my head, and I gazed towards the sunset. [00:03:15] Sunset sand. Impending storms are honestly one of the most underappreciated pairings of the world. The way the rays of purple and reduced their way out from behind that dark cloak of clouds as if it were an angel trying to rid the world of darkness a first gust of wind hit stronger than expected I quickly went to work reefing the sail I had handled worse before but quickly realized that it would be best to lower the sail entirely passing through the race and turning towards mystic the wind and the waves of began to grow as the storm rolled in the rain started in a blink I quickly found myself swamped as the boat began getting violently rocked by the winds and the waves just another 2 hours and hey maybe the storm will pass over quickly. I pressed on determined to reach protected waters I started blinking harder as my adrenaline began to fade and my fatigue set in. The storm lit up the night sky like the 4 July and with every crack of lightning my thoughts grew darker and darker God damn it Kevin. What were we thinking? [00:04:35] Didnt think to check the weather report. [00:04:40] Ah okay I can do this I'm almost there. I scrambled to secure everything my heart racing I got back to the helm tied myself off to the deck smacked myself across the face and held my heading going across the waves that's when I started to hear a melody in the wind I was getting closer to the harbor and the storm began to subside but the melody grew louder the moon began to poke through what storm clouds remained almost acting as a stage light hitting my boat thats when I saw her I could see her clear as day singing a song so sweet it made me sick. [00:05:25] I never should have taken my boat out before this storm I thought as I yacked I wiped the straggling vomit out of my beard with my wrists as I looked back at this all this obvious lack of sleep hallucination her skin was pale as the moonlight that shined down upon her she reached out to me as she sang and then she fell silently backward over the boat I rushed to go help her but got caught on the rope that I had tied myself off with I hurried to undo the knot but when I finally looked over the side all I saw was the moonlight reflecting back at me it was 10:00 p.m. when I finally pulled into the marina a full 4 hours later than I had planned well in hindsight I suppose planned is a loose term for this excursion in the quiet moments of my career at sea after this trip I often thought about that musical apparition sailors are a superstitious bunch even though I couldnt explain what I had seen my friends proposed all kinds of ideas and conspiracies they listened with a mix of skepticism, concern, and that sailor superstition. We all have a deep respect for the sea and its mysteries, understanding that some things might be beyond human comprehension, but a few things I know now for sure. Double check the weather reports, bring coffee, never sail alone and dont whistle aethereze the wind. [00:06:56] Thank you Kevin for allowing me to share your story. As mentioned earlier, Kevin is a real life friend of mine. He first told me the story years ago when I was working for him. We were shuttling sailboats from Rhode island down to Florida. It was a little before midnight, before my first solo watch. Kevin was making me a cup of coffee and preparing me for everything I needed now before he went to bed. And I must say, hearing this story before I faced a dark sea 3 miles off of I think New Jersey, maybe Delaware, headed towards Norfolk and the intercoastal waterway. I was a bit unnerved hearing this story because it was just me and the moonlight, but nonetheless, Kevin is a good sport about this story and he firmly believes that it was just a hallucination from being tired, which is something that I think many of us can relate to. Weve all had our mind and eyes play tricks on us when were tired. The other mate on this trip firmly believe Kevin experienced something supernatural. I must say this encounter must have left a real impression on him because he was the most prepared sailor ive ever dealt with. [00:08:02] I dont have much in regards of show announcements this week, but I am very curious to know whether or not you liked the cold open of this show, so please let me know on social media, email me or if you are on Spotify. You can go ahead and leave a comment or vote in the poll. If you would like early access to episodes, a shout out, or bonus content, head over to patreon.com. do you want to hear a ghoststory? Lastly, please keep sharing these shows with anyone you think might like these stories or someone you were just trying to scare. If you have a story of your own you can send it to do you want to hear ghoststorymail.com? dot or connect with me on TikTok or Instagram. Want to hear a ghoststory? [00:08:42] I will leave you with this to ponder for next week's episode. The scariest path is often the right path for success. [00:08:49] Thank you for listening to this week's episode of do you want to hear a ghost story? Until next time.