The fifth rule, safety before peace, I utilized in 2018 with two buddies from Chicago, both with lots of sailing and power boat experience. Both former roommates in university in rooms/condos/house back in the mid-sixties and seventies. As you can imagine close friends over the decades.
When they flew in from Chicago to Vancouver Island to go boating with me in Desolation Sound, we were together for 5 nights and 6 days, all on my boat. I don't have an autopilot so each of us took turns at the helm for one hour.
When "D" was at the helm, twice I had to tell him to head away from rocks, he was getting unnecessarily close. He was moody over these instructions. He has been a heavy drinker all his life and one of the marks of an alcoholic is moodiness, he had it in spades since the last time I saw him. The above incident was heading into Desolation.
Heading back to Comox, we again rotated at the helm, me first then it was to be "D's" turn but I replaced him with my other friend. I knew this wouldn't sit well but we were going through an area that was narrow and had numerous rocks. At that point I decided safety was more important than him liking me. He was not happy at the switch. Of course I didn't enjoy doing it and knew there would be repercussions but I also knew I was going to do the right thing. We are still friends but not quite as close as in the past. As a past emergency social worker at Vancouver General Hospital, I knew "D's" brain had been affected by his long term drinking and that his judgement was off.
