A More Peaceful View of The Lake, The Dock, and The Boat - Summer 2007

Word of the Day

Humstinker - One that is extraordinary or remarkably smelly, and who has probably never thought of using deodorant in a considerably long time.

Woodtick Count - 15

Whatever Floats Your Boat

We didn't get much rain yesterday. Oh...but the wind is another tale. It was windier than I've ever seen it for such an extended period of time. All day time. Trees in the woods that surround our house were pruning themselves. I've got shattered leaves stuck to my once clean windows. Dead wood and leaves are littering my driveway and the yard that surrounds our house. No big deal really but...

HTP was on his way into town to get the mail yesterday when he happened to glance outside toward the lake and...our dock....and our boat. Because of the wind the lake was wild. I remember saying to HTP in the morning that it was NOT a good day to be out in a boat. White caps. Huge waves...for a small lake. I imagine that the big lake was worse. Our lake is smaller and somewhat protected by all the trees but there was no protection from the winds of yesterday. The waves just kept rolling across the lake....from the south. Anyway, HTP glanced down at the lake and our dock area and our plans for the day changed.

HTP was the first to see that our boat was almost completely swamped. The waves on the lake were crashing over back of our boat. The dock was standing up under the onslaught but the boat...not so much. The entire rear end of the boat was under water. HTP and I raced down to the boat with buckets in hand to see what we could do about the situation but this was going to have to be a battle that was well thought out. The waves were crashing over the rear of the boat, replacing whatever water that HTP and I could remove with our buckets. We had visions of having to call our insurance man and....how does one get a sunken boat off the bottom of a lake? I mean...it was still tethered to the dock but the boat was sinking fast.

HTP and I abandoned the sinking boat...to think about it. Me? I removed my wet jeans and socks and thought about the problem. HTP went off to town to get the mail. I put on a pair of shorts and tried to remember what my Dad and I had done when my sister's boat had found itself in a similar situation. If I could only lift the back of the boat so that I could get a stinking chance at making some headway with bailing. Enter #1 Son. Yes, he's recovering from surgery. No, he can't help with the bailing. However, he was dressed and ready to leap into action. Desert military boots all laced up and ready to go. And so, with #1 Son at my side, I headed back to our sinking vessel...bucket in hand.

I had #1 Son stand in the very bow of the boat to counteract the weight of the engine. Hope. The waves were still crashing over the rear of the boat but...not as much? I added my weight in the bow of the boat and my hopes were raised. I started bailing and I could see progress. More water was being bailed out of the boat than the waves could replace. By the time HTP got back from town, I'd made enough progress that he added his weight and bailing skills to the "party". At this point, we figured that maybe the bilge pump on the boat should be working. Unfortunately, the batteries were flooded. They were almost flat-lining. No bilge pump. HTP tried to figure out a way to get the bilge pump running using all his electrical engineering background but...no luck. Time to call in the professionals but first...
more bailing. HTP disconnected both of the batteries which he would later take back up to the house to put on our battery chargers. At this point I'd been bailing for at least two hours. I was exhausted but we really needed to bail out the storage adn battery compartments so we could give the boat half a chance until the professionals could come and help. Fortunately, HTP was at my side because I'd pretty much bailed myself into sick exhaustion. Muscle shaking, stomach rolling, exhaustion. I had to sit down and recover for a while before I could even make the hike up the hill back to the house.

Before even removing my wet clothes I called in The Professionals. Seasonal Power Toys. I explained our dilemma to Mary Helen (no bilge pump, no functioning battery) and was told that I wasn't the first to send out a frantic scream for help. Her guys were already out on a job but she'd have them call me as soon as they got back. Hugs to Mary Helen. Her guys didn't call...they came over within a half and hour. During that half hour I decided that I was just too sick and tired to put on the dry jeans and socks and shoes that I'd set out before calling in The Professionals. Despite the cool weather, I found a pair of loose capris and slipped on a pair of sandals. A dry shirt...loose...and I was OK. A lot more OK than I would have been if I'd tried to struggle getting tight clothes on a water-logged body. That half hour also gave me time to drink two glasses of water. Water, water, everywhere but not a drop to drink. I'm not sure why I was so thirsty but I guess bailing water is thirsty work.

The Professionals arrived, bringing a freshly charged battery and what turned out to be a bilge pump...a new one. HTP was amazed that they'd come so prepared. Me too. However, that's why they're called Professionals. I imagine this wasn't the first time they've run into problems like ours. After hooking up their fresh battery to our bilge pump, it was discovered that our bilge pump wasn't working all that well. It was kind of working but not well enough to actually move...or remove...any water. Time for a new bilge pump. The Professionals replaced the bilge pump with the new one that they'd brought with them...hooked up the battery again and the new bilge pump started pumping. Water. Water out of our boat. Woohoo! Success! HTP sat with the boat, waiting for the bilge pump to remove all the water (the water that we hadn't been able to remove by bailing buckets alone)from the boat. This was going to take a while so HTP sent The Professionals on back so they could get to their next emergency. He promised to return their battery as soon as the bilge pump had finished doing its thing.

At this point, supper time, it was decided that no-one was in the mood to make supper. Killing two birds with one stone, we all piled into the car to return the marine battery to Seasonal Power Toys and take in an All-You-Can-Eat Friday Night Fish Fry (another story). When we got to Seasonal Power Toys (absolutely the best place ever to buy and rent and Mary Helen is my new best friend), we listened to all the tales of horror (other emergencies similar to our own). On the big lake, a boat lift had "lifted" over its dock and dumped upside down on the other side of said dock. Major damage to the dock and a pontoon boat. More swamped boats and similar tales of boat lift issues. 45mph winds and boat lifts do not mix. I guess I won't be thinking about getting a boat lift anytime soon. As long as I can keep my bilge pump working, we shouldn't have anymore boat swamping incidents. Knock on wood.

*****

So, I'm going to do laundry today and try and give my stiff and sore muscles time to recover. I've got to go check on the boat batteries (charging in the laundry room) to see if they've recharged enough for HTP to reinstall them so the new bilge pump can bilge. I'm keeping my fingers crossed and knocking frantically on wood that I'll find them fully charged despite their near-drowning experience of yesterday. If not, HTP will have to drive into the city to buy a couple of new batteries for the boat...this morning....before it starts raining again....before the waves (it's still pretty darn windy out there)swamp the boat again and we end up with a repeat of yesterday.

Murphyism of the Day

Calvin Coolidge's Comment

You don't have to explain something you never said.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

In taking revenge, a man is but even with his enemy; but in passing it over, he is superior.

- Sir Francis Bacon (1561 - 1626)