My friend Matt Townsend loves adventure. Whether it is hiking, camping, skiing, biking, or boating, Matt is all-in. He’s also a big fan of the Master & Commander book series, featuring Captain Horatio Hornblower. One summer I spent a week with Matt boating in the San Juan Straights of Washington state and Elliot Bay in Seattle. When I say boating, I mean we rowed an 11′ aluminum row boat. He had modified it for open water (as in ocean open water) operation, but it was still a small boat in BIG bodies of water. It was truly an adventure. It put the fear of God in me.
