Mates Log 3.18.2009 Dragging Anchor

Well we did it… we dragged anchor. Imagine you parked your car in the driveway, you have left with friends for dinner and when you return home you find that your car has rolled out of the driveway and is now across the street in the neighbor’s yard and stopped just short of hitting their house. This is what it is like when you drag an anchor in a crowded harbour. Obviously this is not a good thing but it is something that we hear happens to everyone and more than once. We hope to be the exception and never have it happen again but what are the chances of that! We do have an anchor alarm but when you aren’t on the boat to hear it going off it’s not all that great…

Last night we went out to dinner with some friends, as we were leaving the restaurant some other friends came walking up looking for us to let us know our anchor had been dragging and that SongBird was headed towards the dinghy dock and other boats (they kept thinking about our new paint job!). I can’t tell you what went on while we weren’t on the boat but I guess SongBird was getting hailed like crazy until someone radioed that we were out to dinner. (Our dinghy was still at the boat since we got a lift with our friends) Well we all hurried back to the boat and sure enough SongBird was not where we had left her but she was no longer moving towards the other boats. Fortunately our friends stuck around to lend a hand. We missed our first attempt at re-anchoring (those pesky motors are SO unreliable… and oh and did I mention that it was stormy out, of course it was that’s why the anchor dragged!) anyway we became precariously close to another boat… our friends used their dinghy as a tug boat and big fender to stop us from hitting the other boat (you gotta love those inflatable’s at times like these!) Get this, the other boat captain was so laid back about the whole thing he offered to let us raft up for the night and deal with it in the morning when it would be light out! We all wondered later what was in his water! We finally got the anchor reset and everyone was relieved. Again yet another reason cruisers drink so much! We settled in and watched the movie Captain Ron; things no longer looked so bad!

I want to mention here that it was quite interesting to see how the other cruisers responded. All were ready to help and all were being respectful of what the captain wanted or didn’t want. You could tell they had all been in that same kind of a circumstance themselves… you know the one we all love and dream about… the husband and the wife are in a situation where they will have to work together in a way they have never encountered before, the stress level is high and danger lurks around the corner and it never turns out pretty?

When you are not being observed the conversation may sound something like this:

Husband: Go start the engines.
Husband: I said start the engines now!
Wife: I’m trying to but these stupid things keep dying!
Husband: Put port in gear now!... Stop!!!... Now Starboard
The engines die again and the wife tries to let her husband know but the wind is howling in her face while her husband is forward of her so he can’t hear a thing.
Husband: I said starboard now #@%*!! What are you doing back there?!!!
Wife: I am trying to keep these stupid engines running! Now… what do you want!?
Husband: I told you I wanted starboard!!!
Wife: Sure you do…but I am not going to do it because we will hit that other boat don’t you see it!!?? Would you please look where we are first before you just start yelling at me?!!
Husband: This is not working!!!... #@%*

(Actually we don’t cuss at each other like this but it can get testy at times)

Here is the same conversation when you are being observed:

Husband: Honey would you please start the engines?
Husband: Honey have you started the engines?
Wife: Oh honey, I keep trying but they keep dying.
Husband: Well sweetheart can you give me some on the port engine? Stop… now starboard… good!
Wife: Honey I’m doing my best but these engine just are not staying on.
Husband: OK sweetheart, but can you try and give me some more starboard?
Wife: Oh honey there’s a boat too close so I’m going to change our position is that OK?
Husband: Sure dear just do what you think is best.
Wife: How’s that?
Husband: Perfect.
Wife: Oh honey, didn’t that go well!

At time like this you are very thankful for an audience… and last night we had an audience. J

Carey was reminded of

The Hot Rodders Prayer:

Now lay me down to sleep
I parked my Hot Rod in the street
If it should roll before I wake
I pray the Lord will pull the brake

Our changes:

The Cruisers Prayer

Now I lay me down to sleep
I anchored my boat in the deep
If it should drag before I wake
I pray the Lord will make it retake
(Well there wasn’t a lot to work with!)

I have posted some pictures of what we were able to see of the space shuttle launch. The first is the trail from the initial launch and the second picture of the cloud looking thing is the second stage. It was great being able to watch this take place! The pictures of course are not very good at all and can never reflect the changes of colors and the intensity we saw. The whole bay was hootin’, hollerin’ and clappin’.

That’s all for now folks!!