Leaving Sandwich, we had the most bizarre and potentially dangerous experience. Motoring out into the Cape Cod Canal, into channel, there was a stiff breeze coming from Sandwich.
We felt and heard a substantial object hit, high, in the mizzen rigging. Bird?
Out of the corner of my eye I saw a large Stripped Bass lure dancing in the life lines, just a foot or so downwind of me at the helm. It had 3 gleaming treble hooks; 9 - large, surgically sharp meat hooks in all. I could see the monofilament line hanging from above the life lines.
About then, the Wanker on the other end (on the Sandwich bulkhead!), realized he'd hooked a sailboat, and he puts his entire weight into his 10' meat stick (surf rod). Then I could see the mizzen rigging bending toward Sandwich, and toward me,... at the helm!
Then like somebody shook a handful of $20 dollar bills at a pole dancer, that Bass lure began to spin around the mizzen shroud! It made a loud WHIRRR sound! I hit the deck to stay below it.
It spun several times then it leaped to the mains backstay, just over my head! There, it did the same high speed pole dance above, "WHIRRR", and miraculously, it flew off the back stay!
It snapped away - line intact - like it was launched from a cross bow!
I shudder to think if that mass of barbed hooks had come in contact with one of us. We were lucky.
