Boating; The Ark is sinking
435 words
"My boat is sinking," said a text message from a non-canal social member of the 'Dead End Canal Yacht Club.' He lives just off the beach so a few of us, practically all the year-round members still in residence dashed off the island to see if we could help.
The "Dory Girl" was on the bottom by the time we got there. She's a 27' wooden 1950 lap-straked boat that had been impeccably maintained by 'Michigan Mitch' because it was his Father's last boat.
She was down by the stern with only a tight bow line keeping her head up. Thankfully it was low tide when we arrived with the pumps. Crunchy is ex-Coast Guard and he has two large gas pumps he keeps on a small trailer in a storage unit. Together they could raise the Titanic but one wouldn't start without starter fluid and wouldn't run very long.
The little one could draw a huge amount of water and shoot it across the canal. I'm afraid we got a another boat soaked with canal water before we adjusted the aim. The owner stood under his umbrella in the pouring rain and cussed us out.
"Who the fuck is that," I inquired? "He's from Ohio. We don't speak because I root for Michigan." We must have looked like SeaTow rescuers because we all had red foul weather suits on. We bought them at a closeout sale during the Miami Boat Show a few years ago.
I gave him a dismissive wave and went back to work. Boston Bob climbed down an extension ladder onto the quickly rising stern. He threw up folding beach furniture that didn't float away but our catching wasn't very good so most of it landed in the canal.
It seemed like a long time but actually it was less than forty minutes before the stern was fully floating. "We got water pouring into the cabin from the stern," said Bob. He came back onto the large cockpit and leaned over the stern rail. ""Scupper tube must be broken. What's it made of Mitch?"
"I can't really remember but I think it is partly radiator hose between two fiberglass tits. Maybe the hose is rotten?"
I called a diver friend who isn't afraid of a little rain. We've had nearly 20 inches of rain over the last week and that's why we started planning the Ark.
Diver friend removed the thru-hull strainer and plugged it with a tapered wooden plug.
"Your lift had electrolysis problems? Bet the wire in the hose got eaten up," I said but should have bet Mitch.
Boatguy Ed (boatguiEd@aol.com) is the manufacturer of the worlds BEST anti-fouling bottom paint, www.supershipbottom.com. TWEET me @boatguyed and a corresponding web site is http://www.boatingbyboatguyed.com/........ NEVER, EVER TRY TO BUY HIM A DRINK!
"My boat is sinking," said a text message from a non-canal social member of the 'Dead End Canal Yacht Club.' He lives just off the beach so a few of us, practically all the year-round members still in residence dashed off the island to see if we could help.
The "Dory Girl" was on the bottom by the time we got there. She's a 27' wooden 1950 lap-straked boat that had been impeccably maintained by 'Michigan Mitch' because it was his Father's last boat.
She was down by the stern with only a tight bow line keeping her head up. Thankfully it was low tide when we arrived with the pumps. Crunchy is ex-Coast Guard and he has two large gas pumps he keeps on a small trailer in a storage unit. Together they could raise the Titanic but one wouldn't start without starter fluid and wouldn't run very long.
The little one could draw a huge amount of water and shoot it across the canal. I'm afraid we got a another boat soaked with canal water before we adjusted the aim. The owner stood under his umbrella in the pouring rain and cussed us out.
"Who the fuck is that," I inquired? "He's from Ohio. We don't speak because I root for Michigan." We must have looked like SeaTow rescuers because we all had red foul weather suits on. We bought them at a closeout sale during the Miami Boat Show a few years ago.
I gave him a dismissive wave and went back to work. Boston Bob climbed down an extension ladder onto the quickly rising stern. He threw up folding beach furniture that didn't float away but our catching wasn't very good so most of it landed in the canal.
It seemed like a long time but actually it was less than forty minutes before the stern was fully floating. "We got water pouring into the cabin from the stern," said Bob. He came back onto the large cockpit and leaned over the stern rail. ""Scupper tube must be broken. What's it made of Mitch?"
"I can't really remember but I think it is partly radiator hose between two fiberglass tits. Maybe the hose is rotten?"
I called a diver friend who isn't afraid of a little rain. We've had nearly 20 inches of rain over the last week and that's why we started planning the Ark.
Diver friend removed the thru-hull strainer and plugged it with a tapered wooden plug.
"Your lift had electrolysis problems? Bet the wire in the hose got eaten up," I said but should have bet Mitch.
Boatguy Ed (boatguiEd@aol.com) is the manufacturer of the worlds BEST anti-fouling bottom paint, www.supershipbottom.com. TWEET me @boatguyed and a corresponding web site is http://www.boatingbyboatguyed.com/........ NEVER, EVER TRY TO BUY HIM A DRINK!
This blog/column is meant for educational purposes only. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental. Void where prohibited. Some assembly required. Do not read while operating a motor vehicle or heavy equipment.
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