A sorry tale, Part 3
Bernard Johnson (slithytove@earthlink.net)
Fri, 16 Apr 1999 16:29:12 -0700
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West Wight Potter Website at URL
http://www.lesbois.com/wwpotter/
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Grrrind, raaaasp, bang. That's my boat! It felt like the rocks were
raping my precious. Everything had an air of unreality. Somehow I found
myself on the bow, sticking my legs through the pulpit, and thrusting
ineffectually at the rocks with my feet. Complete waste of time. A jump
in time...I'm on the rocks (that is, me personally) shoving on the
pulpit. Don't remember getting off the boat, or how. Remember thinking
"if I do push the boat away, how get back on it?". Didn't have to solve
that problem, boat was under impression that rocks were nice, and had
partially climbed up on one. Was happy to grind up and down, but not
back off. Had run out of options, might as well get back on boat, even
though had no idea what else to do. Another jump in time. I'm on the
fore deck, the boat tilts to my side. Wait for it to tilt back. doesn't.
Keeps tilting! What happening? This bad! Go back right now! Doesn't. Me
dumped in water, boat gracefully rolling over on top of me. Hey, five
minutes ago I was dry and happy, not a care in the world. Now in hell.
Hold desperately to boat, legs flailing trying to get a foothold on a
rock...any rock. Find one, slip off. Keep trying. Got life vest on. Look
like a cork with legs. Finally get both feet planted on a submerged
rock. Hope springs eternal...I bent my knees, got under the gunwale, and
optimistically pushed in the fond hope that I could right the boat.
Look you guys. When I was talking about the cork being hard to get out,
it was a joke. It was hard to get out but I did, really truly.
I don't think me and a forklift truck could have righted the boat. Gave
up trying after one push. Climbed higher on the rocks clutching the end
of the painter. Stood there forlornly, adrenaline rush fading, becoming
aware of being wet through and cold wind. Star to look around, no boats
in sight. Wave comes over top of breakwater, gets rid of whatever heat i
had managed to build up. Hey, great, let's really get into this! Maybe
we could have an earthquake or something....
As I had sailed into the area behind the breakwater, I had noticed a man
and a women who had made their way to the very end of marina park (on
the other side of the channel), and were now sitting on the rocks there,
looking romantically out to sea. They noticed me sailing past, but
didn't show any signs of animation. I remembered them, and looked over
that way. The man was on his feet making desultory gestures with no
meaning that I could decipher, while the woman was reclining on the
rocks next to him, with an expression on her face that indicated I had
put on a pretty good show, but was awaiting with interest what tricks I
might perform next. I took it the man was indicating that he thought I
might be in trouble, and what should he do? I wanted to tell him that it
might be a good idea to get help, inform the harbor patrol, you know,
things like that.
This will be continued after dinner when I am feeling in a good mood
(maybe)..........