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The
Great
Escape
I had been anchored alone at an uninhabited atoll for upwards of 5
months and had just decided to sail back to civilization for a bit. I
was up on the foredeck with my toe on the button that operates the
anchor windlass, cranking in the chain. This process takes a while, as
the chain doesn’t come in too fast at all. While gazing around, there,
on the horizon, I spotted a white sail. All sorts of emotions passed
through me in a blink of an eye. The realization that the crew of the
yacht would likely be comprised of a gaggle of bikini clad pretty young
things, soon overcame my natural reaction to flee immediately. After
being alone for a spell, I am always rather apprehensive of mingling
with society at first. I find my reasoning powers somewhat diminished –
as well demonstrated in this instance.
Anyway, instead of my harem arriving, it turned out to be a boatload of
Aussie guys. They proved to be almost as much fun as my daydream might
have been. They had a huge fridge, positively overflowing with beer! We
had good days fishing, diving and doing all the stuff one goes out
there to do, and in the evenings we soon developed the habit of playing
cards and working on the ale.
One particularly dark night – (and it can really get dark out there, so
far from any civilization, when there is no moon and an overcast sky),
after the game had deteriorated sufficiently, it was time for me to
make my way back to my boat. I was anchored about a mile from them, a
good dinghy ride. They all came up on deck to send me on my way. Amid
much laughter and gaiety, I fired up the little engine on the dinghy
and charged off into the night. After a few minutes I realized I was
heading quite the wrong way. I decided rather than make obvious my
error, and in so doing admit I was pretty wasted, to turn off the motor
and quietly row back past their now dark boat until I was far enough
away from them on the other side to fire up the engine again. I rowed
ever so quietly back and just as I was passing their boat, all the
outside lights go on and I hear this uproarious laughter from them all
up on deck, pointing at me. Kind of hard to live that one down – being
the experienced navigator, and all that.
We spent a good month anchored in the lagoon together and were to see
more of each other in times ahead as it turned out.
Those midnight dinghy rides home were always pleasant tho another event
occurred that I shan’t forget easily. I was about half way back to my
boat when, in the middle of the lagoon, all hell broke loose. The
dinghy was half swamped with water, I was knocked off my perch and we
almost went over. It took me totally by surprise. Some large fish, I
think a manta, was surprised by my passage and jumped for his life. He
landed in the dinghy and almost upset it completely before he slipped
out. I had a decent scrape on my noggin from the impact. It took ages
for my heart to settle down.
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