Poly will stop you dead.
- Thread starter LeoLambert310
- Start date
We got one caught in our prop when we were delivering my new to me Mark 25 from Mt. Sinai Harbor to the Peconics. The boat had an outboard and it stopped about 500 yards outside the inlet to the Sound. A thunderstorm was approaching. I had just given the owner the money for the boat and I was FREAKING out - this being my first keelboat and the engine didn't work. Fortunately, my crew who was unflappable took it upon himself to take the motor off as the weather deteriorated. I focused on raising the main because we were too close to shore and shallow water. The motor was locked on and the guys found a keychain in the junk drawer with about 20 rusty keys in it. Meanwhile I could not get the main all the way up because we couldn't go head to wind due to the shallow water. So while they f'ked around trying each key, I spinctered as I tired to sail away from shore as much as possible. Eventually they got the right one and they got the motor off, cleared the prop of the piece of poly and replaced the engine. It started up and we were able to clear the shoal, get the main set properly and enjoy a rip roaring thunderstorm. Unbeknownst, to me my wife and the seller were watching the whole drama from shore. The seller called on the CB (That dates this), but we just told him we were too busy to chat but if he could tell which of 20 rusted keys was for the engine, we'd be grateful. We never spoke again. After the storm passed and we settled in we had a beautiful sail up the Sound to Mattituck where we had planned to stay the night. We all went to sleep in our own beds and met in the AM to bring the boat around Orient Point and into the Peconics the next day.