Here, we keep it light with five maritime moments that get me grinning.

1. "Hop down to the engine room and get me a can of that bulkhead remover." I've seen this line executed well exactly once and it had us all heaving with laughter.

2. The video of an old salt heeling his sailboat over so as to pass under an Intracoastal Waterway bridge. Watch it yourself: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=epz6BBZm__0

3. That type of small vessel driving that's part showing-out and part damn good skill. Picture a single screw handled with a deft touch that heels and spins backing down neatly enough that even the random passerby pauses appreciating that he's just witnessed something sweet.

4. Anyone who's read and enjoyed the maritime tales of the salvage tug FOUNDATION FRANKLIN penned by Farley Mowat and/or any of the stories written by Jan de Hartog, particularly his novel The Captain.

5. That special courtroom moment when it's time to offer a rebuttal and your initial argument was strong enough that you politely decline to do so and the judge pauses and says: "Good thinking Mr. Fulweiler, stop while you're ahead, huh?" (Ode to the explanation for "Esq." once shared with me: "Every once in a while, Stay Quiet."

In writing this post, I realized there's a boatload of maritime moments that'll get me grinning which probably attests to my love of the sea.

Underway and making way.

By John Fulweiler

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