I stood, and he poured some of the red out onto my head. Every time I hear Lagoonboy say this I then continue to say it for days after. вЂњArise, knight, and take your place at NeptuneвЂ™s side!вЂќ NEPTUNE'S BEARD I just wanted to know what are some of your favorite one-liners, or just some of your favorite lines in general. вЂњAs the representative of King Neptune, Lord of the Seas, I knight thee,вЂќ he proclaimed, touching each of my shoulders with the aluminum boat hook. Alan held his glass aloft and began the ritual. I sat at the helm, beaming in the golden-hour glow, our sails only half full. He quickly poured us all a pint of the red.

He had the six-foot boat hook under his arm and a magnum of cheap Chilean wine and some plastic cups in his hands. With a minute to spare, Alan climbed up out of the cabin wearing a conical paper birthday hat (for someoneвЂ™s third birthday) and a pair of Elton John sunglasses. вЂњHow much time left?вЂќ he yelled from the cabin. Alan chugged the rest of his lager and ducked below. We finished our second beers as the two older guys told stories about their first time across the equator. вЂњA virgin! ThereвЂ™s a ritual for this!вЂќ Alan exclaimed. вЂњThis is my first time sailing across the equator,вЂќ I mentioned, somewhat self-consciously but supremely excited. I brought up the second, habitually last, round. After twelve days on a smallish boat, there wasnвЂ™t much left to say. We sat silently for the first round, as usual. He trudged downstairs to round up three Costa Rican lagers from the icebox, and brought them up in their Australia-flag beer koozies. вЂњUno roundo!вЂќ he said in his Australian-pidgin-Spanish, kicking off our daily happy hour ritual.

I looked at the compass and our speed, then guessed. вЂњHow long to the equator, navigator?вЂќ asked Alan. We had left Costa Rica in AlanвЂ™s 46вЂІ sloop twelve days before, and it would be another fifteen days until we next sighted land in French Polynesia. That is, we were zero degrees and eight minutes north of the equator.

Neptunes beard