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•       Calm ... Cheerful ... Delight ... Gladness and Joy...
•         Fraught with high winds, overpowering waves, anchors that didn't set, and                                       noises outside our small vessel that went bump in the night. 
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• When Eldon and I were cruising it was wise for us to have a Captain ... as do voyagers of large ships and small yachts. There has to be equal responsibilities according to each ones strengths and weaknesses - I had to know how to trim the sails, bring the boat around "Coming about" was the shout to crew. drop the anchor from the bow and know how much anchor rode to let out and yell for other shipmate to "Set the anchor." Learn and use celestial navigation, accurately read the charts and follow the depth sounder to pinpoint latitude and longitude, on watch for 4 hour on/4 off, climb the mast in a sling and trust my shipmate can hoist me to the top to change the masthead light and keep the line taut so I don't crash into the mast or fall from a great height into the water. We learned early on our strengths and weaknesses ... but we were equally "in charge" when the other was below getting rest or fixing a meal.

  

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•      One harrowing entry across a jetty, high winds off our port side pushing us toward the rocks forming the jetty. I was at the helm and Eldon was adjusting the sails to get the most wind to propel us through the narrow passageway along with the small diesel engine .. but the conditions were severe and we continued to drift toward the high rock wall. In order to get the most power out of the sails we HAD to head toward the rocks, then at the last minute change the sails to 'COME ABOUT' and head away from the rocks. I couldn't steer toward those rocks .. I was petrified! He yelled, "COME ABOUT!" I screamed back at him, "I CAN'T .. I CAN'T!" He quickly realized my panic and reached for the tiller and steered for the rocks. I immediately took his place at handling the sails, which had winches and didn't take as much strength to make changes. We finished the harrowing journey in that zig zag pattern until we were safely into the bay. 
•      The Captain of my ship was Eldon and I never doubted or assumed I could do what he was strongly capable of doing. He on the other hand never went below deck and, strapped into a safety harness,  made bread in 20 knots of wind and high seas. 
•      I had no problem submitting to the Captain. I was not a lesser person, a weak woman because I did so in our voyages and off the boat. It's a matter of confidence in yourself to walk beside your mate and acknowledge different but equal gifts to safely bring the ship to home port. Were there times of disagreement over who was Captain? Of course. Were we able to sort it out and continue our journey until  "death do us part" Absolutely. Have I grieved over those times, out of stubbornness or pride that delayed what should have been a harmonious voyage .. yes. That scripture goes on to say men should love their wives as themselves. And the combination of submission and love makes for a long lasting, mutually agreeable and strong marriage. 53 years .. I would give anything to have Capt.E aboard my little ship now and tell him, "Aye aye Captain!"
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  In the picture above, I had hoisted Eldon up the mast so he could repair something I was not strong enough to do ... but using the winch I was as strong as I needed to be. He tried to talk me into going up and doing the repair. That was an instance where I told the Captain "You'll see me throw myself overboard before I go up that mast!"