The great rescue

Sunday, July 19

Today I did nothing, and I didn’t start that until 10:00. Doing nothing is quite unusual for me. I guess once a year is about enough. There is very little to report about nothing.

Well maybe I could write about the great boat rescue. Tim and I had walked down to the dock and were admiring the boats on their moorings. There was a visiting sailboat at anchor, a very nice S&S yawl. It was well worth some admiration. I noticed that it didn’t seem to be in the same place as it was a few minutes earlier. It is not unusual for boats to swing at anchor, so I didn’t think much of it. I looked back a few minutes later and holly crap that boat is dragging anchor headed for the school’s boats and the rocks. Rich, the school’s head master, is getting ready to take his is boat out and I yell that there is a boat dragging. We spring into action! Rich’s son, another guy and I get into the school launch and the mission begins. By the time we get there the rig of the big boat is tangled in the rigging of one of the school boats. The other guy and I get on the big boat and Rich’s son gets in the school boat. Luckily, the big boat has keys in the switch. Rich’s son and I get the rigging free and the other guy figures out how to crank the engine. I head to the bow and think oh great an electric windless (a motor to pull the anchor up with) because there is a big ole chain on this boat. I push the button and nothing. Well crap I have to pull it up by hand this is not going to be fun to pull in a 100 foot of chain. So I get to work dragging chain on to the foredeck. About 3 or 4 good pulls Rich’s son yells and said the anchor is free. What, I don’t have but 20 feet of chain on the deck. I look and the anchor is dangling just above water line. The SOB’s have put out 20 feet of chain to anchor in 20 feet of water! No wonder they are dragging. What kind of idiot is this, obviously someone with a lot of money and absolutely no sense about how to sail and anchor. We motor to a mooring and secure the boat. And so, the great rescue ends.

The remainder of the day was spent watching grass grow from a comfortable chair on the porch.