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Good Sibling and others of the list this is sent to;
<p>I realize that this is totally off topic...but it is a topic that is
on my mind this morning.
<br>Sabella digs around and drags out her soapbox and climbs on board....
<p>This the time of year in the knowne worlde, when mundanely many of us
take our happy selves to play on the water. PLEASE <b>if you must
get in a boat, and <u>drink do not d</u>rive</b>. That goes for sailboats
and jet skis or waverunners, if you will, as well.
<p>Yesterday two very, very drunk yankee tourists got lost in the myriad
of canals around my mother's home. In their drunken confusion they
ended up in our canal. Their speed so excessive that when they realized,
if they realized, that they were moving to fast. They hit Tabasco.
She sustained a 4 ft gash. The ensuing fracas and frenzy caused these
morons to attempt to extricate themselves, and total my bass boat, and
and badly damage Jon and Lilly's sloop. It was a complete mess.
They ended up in jail and their boat is confiscated...... I had to
make a run down river with the boat to the boatyard, that did not make
me happy. Can you say terrified, at the prospect of sinking.
It just ruined the planned fishing trip for tomorrow [Fri.] for my Mother
and I. It ruined Jon and Lilly's summer sailing plans, and my bass
boat is still at the bottom of the canal. . Everything is insured
and can be fixed, but at what cost? Our insurance will go up
with this claim, and there is a $500 deductible to pay up front for both
of us.
<p>I have to stop, though, and give huge loud HUZZAH's to my two kids,
Talon and Maja [16 and 14.5] they were the reason neither boat sank.
While Lilly and I stood there in stunned shock, the kids jumped to grab
bilge pumps, start engines and start keeping the water out, or should I
say down. They showed me a whole new side of duct tape as well.
Makes excellent patches on hulls. My daughter, Maja, just happened
to have a telephone in hand at the time of impact. wellllll, what
can you expect she is a teen girl, they grow them things out of their ears
at that age. She did not hesitate to call 911 for the Florida Marine
Patrol and run get the cop who lives next door.
<p>The guys from the Marine Patrol were most excellent. Please everyone...heed
this, fortunately nothing more than property was damaged.....but lives
could have been lost. I nearly was thrown in the water when
they hit me. I was leaned over the stern whacking the prop with a
hammer to knock of barnacles off the hydraulic lifts, as It was I got a
burn on my thigh from being tossed into the engine. [had the cover off,
starting it]. Minor burn, but it could have been worse. The marine patrol
escorted me [tried to keep up with me?] down river, refused to let me do
it alone, magnificent guys.
<p>please, please please..... leave the beer at home when you take the
boat out. It is just common sense.
<p>Oh and btw, these guys commented that ''we do it different up home in
Pennsylvania''.... I got the satisfaction of listening to the Marine Patrol
inform them that their boat now belonged to the state of florida.
I drily commented [been saving it for yrs, btw] ''and that is how we do
it down south!" YES! just had to have the last word.
The cops had to work hard not to laugh. They all know me well, know
my soapbox about boats and responsibility. Not to mention my feelings about
that particular phrase we, down here, hear uttered all to often.
Way to often.
<p>Gotta give kudos' too, to the mechanics at Twin Rivers Marina.
They stayed on the radio with me the entire run downriver...maybe a hour.
Had the lift waiting and in place, to immediately get me out of the water.
The fix up time is estimated at the end of June. POUT! that cuts
into my fishing, .... and I already missed the tournament at Boca Grand
two weeks ago.
<p>Please again, <u>do not drink and get in a boat.</u>
<p>okay off the soapbox......
<p>Anne MacDonnald
<br>Clan Burning Thunder
<br>lost somewhere in Trimaris
<p>ps... a thought just occurred to me...that would have happened if NO
one had been on the boats? It was a fluke I was even up there, and
on the boat. Scary thought.
<br>pps... I am not slamming people from the above mentioned state, btw....
seems to run in cycles, think they take turns invading us. Last yr
it seemed that everyone down here came from Michigan, this yr Penn.. LOL.</html>