The water was getting rough, and the...

The water was getting rough, and the air grew colder. We didn’t know if our little craft could make it. We were alone, but supremely up to the challenge. Here, there was no place for fear. Here, we would apply all our skills as a seaman, and emerge victorious.

But our vessel was taking a terrific pounding from tsunami-size waves. The elements mocked our every move.

A shiver passed over our body. How we longed for dry clothes. Suddenly, we felt a terrific whoosh of air.

“Gale-force warning!” we cried.

The Formidable Companion walked in.

“Out, Admiral Nelson. You’ve been in that bath for over an hour and the floor is flooded,” she said.

If we really wanted to be a sailor, she said, the Los Angeles City Recreation and Parks Department is offering a basic sailing class at Del Rey Lagoon in Playa del Rey, from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. on Saturdays. The fee is $35. For information call (213) 485-2924.

She dropped a bar of soap on our plastic boat. We watched it sink into the gray abyss.

“Abandon ship,” she said, and laughed.