February 3, 2010
Sunny and warm
Lat/Lon 25 6.0 N, 80 25.4 W
We left Key Biscayne about 10:30 am, hoping to make it to Key Largo. It’s quite a ways, we knew it would be close to dark when we got there. We sailed down the Hawk Channel, which is outside the Keys, but inside the big reef that parallels the Keys about 10 to 15 miles offshore. It was a great day of sailing.
However, the second story about the dinghy’s attempt to escape happened when we reached Key Largo. And I must say, it wasn’t really as cute as I made it sound. It was total frickin’ chaos and pretty upsetting to me.
First, I was freaked that I had lost the dinghy which would cost about $3,000 for us to replace.
Second, I beat the hell out of my arms getting into the damn thing.
And - it was actually a bit frightening being out in that dingy in the pitch dark, with the current pulling me away from Quest. Sid had already dropped the anchors for the night when the dinghy floated by, so he was trying to pull them up when I went in after it. (I did not want that little sucker to disappear again!)
Once in the little S.O.B., I couldn’t get the stupid motor to start. I pulled on the chord until I though my arm was gonna fall off. Plus, I knew I was drifting farther from Quest with each passing moment. I finally started rowing, but my arms were so exhausted from swimming and pulling on the motor chord, they ached. At one point, I lost site of Quest completely, it was sooo dark out there, and that’s when I got kind of scared. But I kept rowing.
Then, my knight in shining armor arrived! Sid came and saved me! Seeing Quest's bow sprit suddenly pop up behind me was the sweetest sight I’d seen in a long time! Seeing Sid's hand reach down to grab mine was pretty sweet too.
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4 comments:
Oh, Please be careful!! I know you have that in mind but I had to say it anyway.
Glad you are at the Keys, watch out for falling coconuts and also, notice how easy it is to be morphed into a Parrothead!!
After hearing YOUR side of the story (rather than the dinghy's) I KNEW it was scary!! I'm sooo glad Sid came and saved you; OUR HERO!!!
As a wise ooooold woman we know likes to say: it builds character!!
That was very scary and the stupid thing had better not get loose again! Or-----you need to get another crew member whose duty is to retrieve the dingy.
Now who is the wise oooooold woman you mentioned, Kate? Id' like to meet her and learn a few things.
Hi Jamie, and what's a Parrothead?
A parrothead is a Jimmy Buffet fan. Someone who wants to just cruise the tropics, drink rum and margaritas, and get tan.
Gee, that all sounds kinda familiar...
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