We worked around the boat early. then headed for shore mid morning. Tom had parts to get and I wanted to walk. About 2pm we loaded up the dinghy and headed for the anchorage. As we approached the area where our boat was supposed to be anchored my heart began beating rapidly and a sick feeling filled my stomach. I took a deep breath and calmly turned to Tom and said, "our boat doesn't appear to be where we left it"! Looking down the anchorage and through the bridge there, on the other side sat a boat that looked just like ours. Is is possible? Did our boat break loose and float that far? If so how many times did it hit the old brick and cement bridge on its way through? Just then something to the right caught my eye, and there she was. Sitting very close to an very old and weathered sailboat in the shallows. I was sure she was sitting on the bottom and I wondered if she had hit anything. Happy that it was not our boat on the other side of the bridge dollar signs still danced in my head. Tow boat US bill, prop damage, etc. etc. etc. There were three long haired ol salts on the sailboat. An easy description of them would be an older version of Johnny Dep in the Pirate movies times 3. The oldest of the three started to tell the story. I looked up and saw your boat coming across the channel straight at us. Nobody was on it. Your rudder caught my anchor line and we were going to hit. My buddy here, jumped in to save both our boats. His buddy chimed in to exclaim "no big deal, I'm a salvage diver". I just stood on his anchor line and popped it off your rudder. Then your boat could drift past us into the shallow water. "They put our large orange fender in between us for safety sake and waited for someone to show up. Dan, the salvage man encouraged us to hurry and move the boat into deep water while it was high tide. Step one, start the engines, Step two. we both pulled up lots of chain to try and move us forward to deep water. We tied up the dinghy and hurried to the bow. With gloves on we both pulled a good chunk of chain in to help pull us forward. Dan started yelling at me to get up to the helm and start the engines, which I did. As Tom slowly pulled up the anchor I used the gears to turn us and head towards deeper water. Tom told Dan we would be back to pay them for their help. Dan the salvage man yelled back. "I'm just a pirate a bottle of rum will do." I was not going back to our original spot so to Sisters Creek we went. It is a wide and deep creek that leads from the mooring field to the ocean. A kind of short cut. We had heard it was full as well but we were going to try it. We had no idea how to go about anchoring in the creek. We only new that you set your anchor then backed up to the mangroves and tie off to them. It just so happened another boat was anchoring so we watched.
After finding a pretty big spot that allowed lots of room between us and another boat we dropped anchor and Tom got into the dinghy with rope and attempted to pull us around as I spun the boat. No go! I would get it spun but couldn't keep it there because of the current so Tom could reach the mangroves. Each time just about the time he would get close enough to grab the mangrove root the current would turn me and drag him away from it. After about the third attempt he yelled up and gestured what are you doing?! Spin it! I yelled back you come and do it, evidently I don't know what I'm doing. His response, evidently you don't. Now we are both unhappy boaters! Why do I admit this? Just to let you know boating together is not all peaches and cream! About the time I was ready to give up two gentlemen came in their dinghys. The one gentlman indicated that the current is extremely strong making it very difficult to turn. He said yesterday he was the show. I am referring to the old saying, sometimes you watch the show, sometimes you are the show. They helped push us around and Tom got us tied off to the mangroves. It took Tom three times to set the second anchor! Hmmmmm what does that tell you? When he came on board he exclaimed, "Wow that current is really strong, no wonder you had problems." My response was a simple Yep. Once secure with two anchors and two lines out on each aft corner tied to the mangroves I loaded a handle of rum a water bottle filled with fireball and a water bottle filled with rum chatta and we headed back to the old salts sailboat. They were already feeling no pain and were very friendly and hospitable. We introduced them to the mixing of fireball with Rum Chatta making a cinnamon toast crunch. They added a chaser of rum! They were happy, we were happy and all was well. We headed back to the boat to just chill the rest of the evening.
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