Fracas - from the Italian fracasso, to cause an uproar.
Yes, a fracas is what erupted. I don't even know where to start.
Back Creek in Annapolis is a high traffic zone...the equivelant to parking in the center lane of the highway for a couple of days. What am I saying, Annapolis period is like this. We've been within 2 feet of being hit twice now and the singlehander lady in front of us on the 47' Hylas (more boat and brains, has she) drug anchor and was quite close and unwilling to move...and we had enough. We hauled anchor and motored up-creek a bit, found a nice spot and dropped anchor. The soupy muck on the bottom didn't want to cooperate so we hauled anchor and went about a second time. A sailboat had lost its engine, didn't know much how to sail this brand new mid 30' Hunter, proceeded to hit a boat at dock, tried to sail behind us, between us and the boat anchored behind, hit them, and proceeded to hit a third boat just down the creek. So we gave this a thrid shot.
Third time's a charm, right? By the way...in 2 years of cruising and always & only anchoring we have never had to try more than twice. Third time was not a charm. We got set nicely and the wind piped up to 30 or so and the boat in front of us drug, tripped our anchor rode, and sent us akimbo towards everyone behind us...and at a good rate of speed, might I add. Thankfully their anchor line did not snag or tangle with our chain, just tripped it.
Engine going, anchor up, wind funneling through we see 2 other boats dragging. A few expletives later the anchor is in the roller, the clock says 730 (1530) and lightning is dropping from the sky like the raindrops that will soon follow.
Since we have company coming Thursday we decided to take a mooring early. We feel like we're somehow cheating.
775 days out cruising
40 days on the hard
32 days waiting on the new prop @ dock in Green Cove
2 days at dock in Coinjock, NC for rest & repairs (nowhere to anchor near here)
701 days total anchored.
And then this...but we have concluded that, like most things, this all happened for a reason. We've no idea what it is but we have a few clues... our previous neighbor would have probably hit us as she doesn't want to move her boat...dead batteries so the engine won't start (and she's proud to not have spent a dime on this boat since she bought it...head doesn't work, batteries dead, propane not working, awl-grip paint is below the waterline and will begin to peel soon...spend a few dollars, honey, fix a few things.) Second, the engine-less, brain-less, hit-three-other-boats-boat would have probaly hit us as they (sort of) sailed right through where we were previously. Third, the congested area we moved to was close to playing bumper boats last night and it was only blowing 30.
That's fine. Company will be happier on a mooring. We can attach the dinghy to the mooring ball and go day sailing whenever we wish now, a rare luxury for a cruising boat. The mooring is comparatively cheap so we'll just re-arrange the budget, split it between July's remainder and August. The other good point is that we've needed to re-mark the chain, put on a new swivel, and a new grab-ring to secure on deck...all hard to do while the anchor is 10-15 foot underwater. So we will make hay while life gives us lemons (mixed metaphor intended.) The "new" things to put on are relative...we've had them "in-stock" for a while, just haven't had the opportunity.
Oh yeah, to further the feeling like life has it out for us...this morning when we were going into the Harbormaster's office to register...we left the backpack on the stern platform. Got to the dink dock, closed the lock and with the *click* we looked at each other knowingly. The good news is that we can't even break into our own dinghy without destroying the cable or the floor. The bad news is this was 0730 and we had one choice...wait for someone to come to the dock to give one of us a ride back to get the pack (with keys and phone it it...) Thankfully within 10 minutes someone came and was kind enough to be a taxi service.
I'm not touching anything the rest of the day. I've checked out. | 