Somehow, Someway, humans have one flaw when it you’re doing something for along time and then all of the sudden what you’re doing is boring and it’s time to do something else. It’s the change in what you’re doing.. that point at which you move from something that works to something that has a chance at failure. Our trip offered such an example of what I’m talking about..

We were drifting slowly.. our mainsail was raised to perhaps experiment with motor sailing, but more so to give both Tink and I a sense that we were still “sailing on a sailboat.” Things had settled down significantly… Our botch’d landing had faded from our minds and the river had absorbed that stress of keeping everything in order… Sailing down the channel made boating more like a cruise and it was so relaxing that Tink had time to pull out a book she’d been dieing to read while I was enjoying just swaying back and forth on the tiller. 

I really don’t know where it all changed for us.. Perhaps when you’re out on water, reading a book doesn’t come off as natural behavior.. Perhaps rest and relaxation also doesn’t feel natural and a change of venue would put us back on the adventure… It was some combo of both or neither that drove Tink to put her book down as an old dock came into view… Both of us looked at it as we approached.. a “Camping available” sign perched on top an old pillar aged by river and time. Curiosity struck Tink past the point of opportunity.. 

We were half way past the dock when she said, “let’s pull up and check it out.” It really wasn’t like I could swing that boat around and land on a dime..
we were on a sailboat after all.. Slightly curious myself I did a 180 and headed back down stream just to turn around once more in order to land. I had to get that boat at an angle so that we wouldn’t ram the dock, but still have our bow pointed in a way that we could get back on course easily.

Our Honda motor was attached to our stern in a way that you have to have two people man it if you want to dock anywhere… One person on the power control and one person on the tiller and both controls are very sensitive. My directions, I thought were clear enough, “as we approach the dock I want you to throttle down, but do not turn the motor off.” I braced myself and headed in… We were about 10-15 feet from that old dock when I gave the command to throttle down.. I heard that strong putter of the engine cycle down, down, and then silence… No more motor sounds… It had died on us.

“What happened” I only said it, because it’s natural to do so.. But we both knew what happened. I didn’t see it, but Tink turned the throttle too quick and it was too much.. Simple user error that even later on I even did. I never expected what grand effort would follow this folly.

“No problem Tink just get the tiller” I didn’t really look back to see all that was happening.. “You want the mainsail down?” this was a order I made while the motor still ran.. I figure if you’re going to port you need that sail down.. Now that the motor was dead the mainsail was the least of MY worries, but Tink was following the play list of orders I made.. 1. take down mainsail, 2. man the tiller 3. etc.

I work steadfastly to yank and mettle with that motor to comeback. To me, it was an ER emergency and I was the doctor that had to save it. I didn’t even notice that we were drifting down river and to the shore…. “Should I get those boats to help us? Pull us in?” Tink asked.. she referred to some sailboat or fishing boat behind us that was coming past us.. “whatever I said” my mind was on a never level.. You see my logic was simple… Whether drifting down the river or on a dock your problem is the same; likewise the solution will also likely be the same so what matter does it have if you’re drifting and doing what you need to do to self rescue or if you’re towed into the dock, docked, and then start doing what you’re doing right now which is getting that dang Honda motor to run…

I pulled without worry to my own health.. Blood, Sweat, & tears.. it didn’t matter.. My hand shook with all the times I gripped that small plastic handle. I unplugged the gas.. pumped out the gas… re-plugged it in… choke out… pull.. nothing.. repeat x2, x3, x4 I was getting disheartened. Priorities reduced from getting Tink to man that tiller to just getting some life outta this motor. Tink’s priorities shifted as well.. The mainsail went down in a heap and Tink was going to hail a sailboat coming near us for a tow. In retrospect I should have paid more attention.. Tink kept asking me if she should get help and I kept giving a non-answer or an “I don’t know.” I probably should have remained optimistic for both Tink’s hopes and mine.. it was going to start…but I felt that I was out of control. Under my breath I said a prayer.. “please God help me get this thing started” at first I turned too for pride.. No way do we *need* a tow… later it was for my own reassurance that we could get home some time today with this motor.

The approaching sailboat seemed like a timer… I had seconds to get that motor started before I just give up…

Finally with that boat only feet away from us that Honda motor came back to life.. I pushed in the choke and shifted into forward.. we were moving again.. whew. The sailboat drifted past us with it’s occupants & skipper concerned.. I signaled them with a big “ok” and thumbs up… I turned to Tink and said, “let’s pass on this place for now and keep on down the channel” It was just a flurry of emotion for me, but a learning experience I hope to not forget anytime soon.

Today I realize just that the whole event was just human error and we all should learn that we make mistakes and that our partners should forgive and forget. You did nothing wrong Tink.. whether it was there in the channel or somewhere else.. it was going to happen sometime. Glad we fixed it…

Now i’m off to find a better motor 🙂

Next up.. “the floating villages”

~J out

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