Strider went back in the water mid morning and I spent a couple hours at the service dock washing off the accumulation of boat yard dirt which is rendered especially nasty in Portland by the burned jet fuel particulates wafting down from aircraft flying the Harbor Visual Approach. I filled the ice chest and put a few essential supplies aboard and headed over to the town dock to pump out.
The pump out was not functioning. I called to report it and was told someone should be down shortly to take a look at it. I decided that a nap was most useful thing I could do next. I woke up in that deep haze that follows falling into a real midday sleep when you have been working too hard for days. I locked up the boat and headed up to town.
There were some people in bathing suits at the far end of the dock. Something didn’t look right but they didn’t wave or shout and I figured they were just cold. I met a girl at the top of the ramp who told me three people had been swept away in the current and two pulled out. I got my phone out but she said her husband was calling and then I heard sirens. Suddenly, my head cleared and I realized that someone was out in the water and I was standing there with a boat and a dinghy right below me.
By the time I reached the bottom of the ramp, police cars and ambulances were showing up in the park. I figured that, since the Coast Guard couldn’t be far behind, getting out faster in the dinghy and spotting the person made more sense than taking the time to fire up the engine and get Strider untied.
Seconds later, I was rowing hard into a stiff breeze and chop running against a hard current. I decided to head for the daymark which would be the closest support for a swimmer aside from a few lobster buoys. A movement in the water near the beacon caught my eye when I turned around for a look and I rowed flat out towards it. It turned out to be a couple of birds. The pier and dock were full of firemen by this time. I kept rowing down current. By the time the fireboat, the Coast Guard, and the Harbormaster showed up, I was beat. I looked around for a while longer and headed back.
I was impressed how hard it was to row back even with the wind behind me. I deal with the current frequently here but you don’t realize how strong it actually is until you are trying to stem it with muscle power alone. A lot of people who consider themselves good swimmers could get in trouble swimming off the Knightsville Landing docks at peak flow.
By the time I got back to the dock, the fireboat had spotted and retrieved the victim. They went racing off to meet the ambulance performing CPR on the way. It was heart wrenching to see a woman up on the dock in hysterics being led away by the police. I have still heard no word about the outcome.
I’ve been very pleased with how my hip / back has held up to three days of roofing followed by all the buffing, waxing, and painting of annual haul out. I think though suddenly jumping into the dinghy and rowing in panic mode may have been asking too much of it. I’m probably going to end up sitting right here for a few days until I’m sure it’s rested and solid again. The reminder of how suddenly this medium we take such joy and relaxation from can turn deadly also makes me feel like letting a little time elapse before heading east for fun.
The pump out was not functioning. I called to report it and was told someone should be down shortly to take a look at it. I decided that a nap was most useful thing I could do next. I woke up in that deep haze that follows falling into a real midday sleep when you have been working too hard for days. I locked up the boat and headed up to town.
There were some people in bathing suits at the far end of the dock. Something didn’t look right but they didn’t wave or shout and I figured they were just cold. I met a girl at the top of the ramp who told me three people had been swept away in the current and two pulled out. I got my phone out but she said her husband was calling and then I heard sirens. Suddenly, my head cleared and I realized that someone was out in the water and I was standing there with a boat and a dinghy right below me.
By the time I reached the bottom of the ramp, police cars and ambulances were showing up in the park. I figured that, since the Coast Guard couldn’t be far behind, getting out faster in the dinghy and spotting the person made more sense than taking the time to fire up the engine and get Strider untied.
Seconds later, I was rowing hard into a stiff breeze and chop running against a hard current. I decided to head for the daymark which would be the closest support for a swimmer aside from a few lobster buoys. A movement in the water near the beacon caught my eye when I turned around for a look and I rowed flat out towards it. It turned out to be a couple of birds. The pier and dock were full of firemen by this time. I kept rowing down current. By the time the fireboat, the Coast Guard, and the Harbormaster showed up, I was beat. I looked around for a while longer and headed back.
I was impressed how hard it was to row back even with the wind behind me. I deal with the current frequently here but you don’t realize how strong it actually is until you are trying to stem it with muscle power alone. A lot of people who consider themselves good swimmers could get in trouble swimming off the Knightsville Landing docks at peak flow.
By the time I got back to the dock, the fireboat had spotted and retrieved the victim. They went racing off to meet the ambulance performing CPR on the way. It was heart wrenching to see a woman up on the dock in hysterics being led away by the police. I have still heard no word about the outcome.
I’ve been very pleased with how my hip / back has held up to three days of roofing followed by all the buffing, waxing, and painting of annual haul out. I think though suddenly jumping into the dinghy and rowing in panic mode may have been asking too much of it. I’m probably going to end up sitting right here for a few days until I’m sure it’s rested and solid again. The reminder of how suddenly this medium we take such joy and relaxation from can turn deadly also makes me feel like letting a little time elapse before heading east for fun.
