has made a believer out of me. It's the first day of our second split, and we (my YL Trapper and I) can't miss it especially since the new MLB Chuck Huff is ready for battle. Brought the camera to get a picture to post to the "Crack" thread, but it wasn't to be today. The boat is great, rides nice, grasses up well, all is good with the boat.
Not so the old 3 hp, about a mile from the launch a couple of puffs of smoke and some flames out the exhaust signal trouble. Failure was not unexpected since this particular motor abandoned ship while running about five years ago, and was subsequently rescusitated. In any event flames are disconcerting at 5:00am. Choices were fire extinguisher or send it to Davey Jones, chose option "A", no damage outside the motor, more scary than anything else. Over forty years on the water, a first.
OK, we're in a sneakboat everybody knows they row like a dream. Out come the brand new oars, take about ten strokes to get up to speed, hey this is actually fun. SNAP! The expertly cast bronze starboard oarlock shank is history, right at the crack where the foundry put it. Thanks guys, another first. So I paddle like hell just to get to shore in the middle of the marsh, the wind is blowing a good 20-25, now how am I gonna get home? Kedge for a mile? I'm reluctant to toss the hook because the rope will probably break.
Well, Trapper says make the best of it, OK, throw out a couple BD's, but the tide is really high and the anchor lines are too short for this spot and they float away. Luckily they snag on a corner about 100 yards away, so I double up some line on a couple more and they hold. Only saw a couple of birds close and they lit with the floaters across the way. Trapper blames me, you know the look.
Naturally there's very few other guys out, they know better, so I call a guy to come get me. Thank God the cell phone works. Before he arrives all I can think is what will happen to him when he try's to launch. Thankfully, all is good until we start in, then things start looking up- a pair of eagles give us a buzz within about 25 yards. Hey, nice to see them, they, or a pair like them, have been around for some years. Well, old baldy must know the date since he makes a quick circle right overhead and attempts to butt bomb us. He missed, but my buddy says I was reaching for the gun.
I'm buyin' lotto tickets this afternoon, I must be due.
Not so the old 3 hp, about a mile from the launch a couple of puffs of smoke and some flames out the exhaust signal trouble. Failure was not unexpected since this particular motor abandoned ship while running about five years ago, and was subsequently rescusitated. In any event flames are disconcerting at 5:00am. Choices were fire extinguisher or send it to Davey Jones, chose option "A", no damage outside the motor, more scary than anything else. Over forty years on the water, a first.
OK, we're in a sneakboat everybody knows they row like a dream. Out come the brand new oars, take about ten strokes to get up to speed, hey this is actually fun. SNAP! The expertly cast bronze starboard oarlock shank is history, right at the crack where the foundry put it. Thanks guys, another first. So I paddle like hell just to get to shore in the middle of the marsh, the wind is blowing a good 20-25, now how am I gonna get home? Kedge for a mile? I'm reluctant to toss the hook because the rope will probably break.
Well, Trapper says make the best of it, OK, throw out a couple BD's, but the tide is really high and the anchor lines are too short for this spot and they float away. Luckily they snag on a corner about 100 yards away, so I double up some line on a couple more and they hold. Only saw a couple of birds close and they lit with the floaters across the way. Trapper blames me, you know the look.
Naturally there's very few other guys out, they know better, so I call a guy to come get me. Thank God the cell phone works. Before he arrives all I can think is what will happen to him when he try's to launch. Thankfully, all is good until we start in, then things start looking up- a pair of eagles give us a buzz within about 25 yards. Hey, nice to see them, they, or a pair like them, have been around for some years. Well, old baldy must know the date since he makes a quick circle right overhead and attempts to butt bomb us. He missed, but my buddy says I was reaching for the gun.
I'm buyin' lotto tickets this afternoon, I must be due.
