And Then There Was the Day I Fell In

March 2, 2019

Everything had been going great in Vero getting the dinghy ready for the big Okeechobee trip — blew right up, fits great on the roof, engine all serviced.  But then I got over confident and tried to attach the engine to the dinghy from a little dock next to the boat that was somewhat shaky and didn’t have a really good place to tie up.

So I had the engine resting in the side of the dinghy and when I stepped in, the dinghy moved away from the dock and I started to go into the drink.  I grabbed the nearest thing to hand — the motor, so we all went in.  Including car keys, wallet, and glasses.

I was in maybe a minute and my hair wasn’t even wet.  Had no trouble climbing back on the Tardis — good to know.  So the car key made it through and the stuff in my wallet survived, but the engine and glasses looked like goners.  But the water is only 5 feet deep next to that dock, and I could feel the engine with a boat hook.  So one of the marina guys got a really BIG hook and fished it out.  I took it over to the engine place and they were hopeful, and in fact after drying it out and running a bunch of oil-rich gas through it, it seems okay.  Still a little balky — I need to run lots of clean gas through it to see whether it can be made a little smoother.

I thought the glasses were a goner, not good since my spare pair are really old.  But one of my neighbors said that one of the divers who cleans boat bottoms around here is known for finding glasses.  So she came out with all her gear and within two minutes had found them — as well as another pair one of the other boaters thought was long gone.

So all’s well that ends well, after a day of worry and running around.  And today when I went for a spin —  holders on my glasses, life jacket, kill switch attached and nothing in my pockets.

Scene of the crime

Amy the diver

Found!