Last night it was raining in torrents. I posted on Facebook at 3. "Rain, torrents of rain, thunder that rolls for 10 seconds, so loud it shakes the bed, creates ripples in the water on the glass next to my computer. No way to sleep, no way my bilge pump can keep up with this. My four inch gutters can't keep up. It's going to be a long night." Then I went down to bail the boat. I pulled it as far forward as I could and put the engine down hoping that in the event of calamity it would hit in the muck and keep her afloat.
I bailed it again at 5 o'clock and finally fell asleep around six, still raining, raining hard.
Around 8 I went to make a run to town and found the boat filled with water the stern below the water line. This could not be fixed with any amount of bailing. I hailed a passing Indian but we couldn't move the boat. If I started to raise the engine, the stern would sink. Fortunately at this time the water was only up to the very bottom of the cowling.
I called a friend, Stephen and asked him to bring a come along and some able bodied men. Less than an hour later he rode up with three strong young guys. As the four of them pulled the boat forward I slowly raised the engine. We were finally able to get her far enough forward that the stern was barely above the water line. While one guy bailed with a five gallon bucket Stephen hooked up an 1,100 gallon per hour bilge pump to a battery he brought. Forty five minutes later the boat was floating. Ok, up to the house, fetch the keys. If it doesn't start right away salt water has taken its toll.
She fired right up and I headed to town running her hot to dry her out. My son Mark and his dear friend Danielle will be here tomorrow. It would be a whole different trip without a boat.
I bailed it again at 5 o'clock and finally fell asleep around six, still raining, raining hard.
Around 8 I went to make a run to town and found the boat filled with water the stern below the water line. This could not be fixed with any amount of bailing. I hailed a passing Indian but we couldn't move the boat. If I started to raise the engine, the stern would sink. Fortunately at this time the water was only up to the very bottom of the cowling.
I called a friend, Stephen and asked him to bring a come along and some able bodied men. Less than an hour later he rode up with three strong young guys. As the four of them pulled the boat forward I slowly raised the engine. We were finally able to get her far enough forward that the stern was barely above the water line. While one guy bailed with a five gallon bucket Stephen hooked up an 1,100 gallon per hour bilge pump to a battery he brought. Forty five minutes later the boat was floating. Ok, up to the house, fetch the keys. If it doesn't start right away salt water has taken its toll.
She fired right up and I headed to town running her hot to dry her out. My son Mark and his dear friend Danielle will be here tomorrow. It would be a whole different trip without a boat.
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