Through the Channel Swells

I drove my bow directly into the rolling chop past the outer green channel buoy. Three steep swells rose in quick succession, their frothing crests slapping firmly against my forward hull. Instead of easing off, I angled straight into the trough and let my heavy keel slice through the foam. Cold spray washed across my flat deck, swirling around the metal anchor before draining off the black rub rail. Right beneath the second wave crest, the thick, spotted flank of a large northern pike broke the green water, gliding alongside my hull for several long seconds before diving into the cold depths below. My frame stayed balanced and true through the entire surge.