TCC for 3/4/09

The Caretaker's Concern for 3/4/09

No photos today.

Part three of the Caretaker's Journal entry from 8/20/2005

If you missed part one it can be found in the blog archive, it is dated 2/26/09.

If you missed part two it can be found in the blog archive, it is dated 3/2/09.

...Thankfully reason won out. I knew that if I gave into panic I would have probably drowned myself. Once I made this decision I accepted my situation and began to workout the safest thing to do with what little I had left, but I oh so wanted that light back.

After I gave up righting the boat fully I worked to just keep the mast level with the water that way I could let the wind and waves take me towards the South shore of Three Brother Islands. After a few minutes of letting the wind and waves drive my course I realized that the boat and I were keeping a heading to go West of the Islands. This would have been bad because the boat and I would have eventually be left in the lee of Three Brother Islands and stuck in the channel between the Islands and the mainland, this is a regularly travelled route for motorboats. My only option was to "sail" the boat.

I had to get the jib up out of the water at least part of the way and try to catch some wind to drive the bow towards the South shore of the Islands so I could get it up on to the rocks and out of the way of boat traffic. Standing on the center board still keeping the mast at water level I heaved on the jib sheet. From wrestling with the sheets and wire rigging of the boat trying to right it properly my hands suffered any number of cuts and bruises, thankfully adrenaline is a rather descent salve for pain. Half ignoring and half not feeling the pain I heaved on the jib sheet until I could get some water to slip away leaving some of the sail out of the water. The more of the sail I brought out of the water the more I could get the boat to head towards the Islands. It was rather slow going but definitely effective, however there came a point when I just couldn't keep the sail out and so had to slowly slacken my grip figuring that anything was better than losing the sail entirely to the water again. Keeping my balance on the center board to keep the boat from turtling, and watchful eye out for boats I managed to keep a close enough course to where I needed to go.

Things were going well enough until I saw a motor boat coming up, at first they passed beyond where I was but then turned and came back in my direction, it didn't take long for me to realize that they were heading right for me but had no idea that I was in their path. Letting go of the jib sheet I grabbed the air horn from stashed between my chest and life vest and gave sound with it twice.

The motorboat stopped.

"Where'd that horn sound from?"

"AHOY!"

There were two guys on the motor boat.

"Damn, right in front of us."
"Good thing you had that horn.
"You okay?"

"I'm well enough but having a bit of trouble with my sailboat. Mind giving me a tow towards Three Brother Islands?"

"No problem."

They throw me a line from their boat, I go to tie it off to the sailboat, lose the line and it sinks.
"Sorry about that."
They pull the line in to throw it again. I grab the line again and tie a bowlin, they begin towing but for some reason the knot doesn't hold it just slips through and out. Could have been the line was wet but more likely my lousy knot tying skills. I hail them to stop and grab the line before it pulls out completely. For the third time I tied an overhand knot with a pullout, it holds. While they're towing me I remain on the dagger board and hold the jib sheet to keep balance while keeping the mast level with the water, if not then the mast would have hit Lake bottom well before I was close enough to the shore. Once we get close enough I hail them to stop and untie their towline. I thank them for their help and send them on their way.

Part four of the Caretaker's journal entry from 8/20/2005 will follow tomorrow or the day after. He picked up five 20 pound tanks of propane yesterday but got in a bit late last night and didn't haul them out to the Island so he needs to go get them.

--The Caretaker.