Dingy Desertion

This post doesn't have much graphic documentation, as things got too intense for selfies.

First a quick mention that Thursday night's dinner was postponed due to Neil's friend coming home from the hospital, thankfully, after his medical emergency on Wednesday. Hopefully we'll get together sometime this weekend.

Awoke yesterday to a strong southerly blow. Gusts were clocking as high as 45-50 kms/hr. by my estimation. Not the kind of day that one would want to be rowing ashore. Well to shore would be easy; it's rowing back that would have been a challenge with such a strong southerly blow.

The two big activities of the day were game play on Ashes of Creation and the sorting of my refuse. Shelburne has one of the most detailed garbage separating procedures ever witnessed by me.

Makina was doing her 'broncing at the mooring' routine by afternoon. It was then when a call came in from the Yacht Club. They asked if my dingy had been lost. Racing out to the cockpit, to my horror, it had somehow gotten free. Its line was still attached to the hitch so it must of somehow untied itself with all of its bouncing about in the wind. Not meaning to throw the Admiral under the boat, but he had tied that knot. 🤫

They said that someone on shore had hauled it from the water where the wind had thankfully carried it. If the wind had been blowing east it would be on its way to England by now.

They said that my guardian angel, Liv, would be out to help me retrieve it. Liv had been our savior during the fouled propeller incident, mentioned a few posts ago. It might be noted that the Admiral was at the helm at the time. Just sayin'. 😎

Liv's 6hp outboard made the travelling much easier. We made it to shore and found the wayward dingy and started carrying it to the Club. To crush my male ego further Liv had to be asked a couple of times to pause for some moments so as to catch my breath. My stamina is not what it had once been. Part of being an old seadog.

Liv suggested that we take a more extended break when we got as far as the Club. We went up to the bar where Liv had a cider and a root beer for myself. We joined a group of other boaters already well along in their merriment.

Liv told me her tale of the wonderful job the local shipyard had done constructing and placing her mooring at the end of the harbour; showing me pics on her phone of the event. When asked if they might have a cherry picker, to get the halyard which was now stuck at the top of my mast, Liv had a wonderful idea... use a ladder!

Liv's Mooring

It was simple yet brilliant! My focus has now turned from seeking someone with a cherry picker to the borrowing of someone's ladder. A much simpler exercise!

A couple of ciders later we struck out again. This time the dingy was moved and launched without need of a panting break by me. Liv towed me back to Makina. You have to love the boating community!

The dingy was securely attached with double lines this time and it is my pleasure to report that she is still attached on this sunny and much calmer morning.