Sometimes I feel as if I have some psychic forces protecting me, kind of like — to use a phrase bandied about in the ’60s — the Lords of Karma. I think of them as aunts and uncles watching over my shoulder and saying, the dumb shit is in trouble again, let’s help him out.
It happened once again yesterday.
I took my 12′ Klamath aluminum boat w/15 HP Evinrude to a nearby bay (I’m not being specific about locale these days, due to the internet).
I went across the bay, landed, and gathered mussels and half a dozen rock oysters. pulled out and went to another beach, landed, and started digging littleneck clams (cockles). I dug for maybe 15 minutes, turned around, and shit! the outgoing tide had picked up my boat and it was 75 yards off shore, heading at a pretty good clip across the bay. What to do?
I stripped down, just leaving on my wool socks (for walking on rocks) and started swimming to the boat. The water was maybe 56 degrees. Funny thing, I was so immersed with the problem, I didn’t feel all that cold. I reached the boat in maybe 5 minutes and realized that if I couldn’t climb aboard, I couldn’t get it back to land. Problem is, my upper body strength is about a third of what it was in my younger years.
I got to the stern and hauled myself half out of the water, paused, told myself you’ve got to do this, and managed to pull myself into the boat, started it up, got back to the beach, got clothes on, teeth chattering, motored back across, got boat back on trailer, and thanked the Lords of Karma for once again saving me from a dumb move.
A guy was watching intently from the shore, and I don’t know if it was a coincidence, but a helicopter swooped down after I’d got back to the beach. Guess they had a look and concluded I was OK.
Back home, I had a shot of Laphroaig, took a hot bath, had dinner, and slept for 12 hours.
And yes, from now on, I’m throwing an anchor with rope to the beach when I land.
I'm glad your ok ,we would all really miss you. Your one lucky dog .Sleep tight
Woof!
and you're 83?! this is exactly why I love this blog!
It is interesting to look back at a brush with death and realize that we sometimes find reserves that can’t normally be called up. Glad you still had your hidden nuggets available.
great story! DO NOT TELL THE MRS!
Glad it all worked out just fine. And Laphroaig is our whisky of choice too.
Looking back with 100% hindsight, should you have walked out, then called the Coastguard about your drifting vessel, then had the Laphroaig (Lagavulin and Talisker are good too)? Perhaps not; this would have been too boring!
I echo Ross's comment. I would miss your wonderful stories and photos and your inspiration to live life to the fullest.
Oh, Lloyd! I'm so glad your guardian angels are looking after you! I can't imagine this world without you in it!
Whew… Glad you are safe Lloyd!
gesh Lloyd. How old are you?
No need to take anchor all the way to shore,simply anchor as normal and use a thin trip line (say 6mm ) most anchors have a place designed to fix a trip line. Take this ashore with you and you will always have a leash on your boat so you can recover it from deep water if tide comes in. Cheers Dave
Kayuma, 83 next month.