In a Season of High Gas Prices “Dock Crawling” Gains New Popularity
This season, with the cost to fill up as high as a mortgage payment, “dock crawling” has almost become the activity of choice. In seasons past most boaters were gone on the weekend, either for a short trip across the lake or Bay, or for a fun filled adventure at another marina. This year folks seem to be sticking closer to home. Impromptu potluck dinners are springing up, drinks are free flowing and good conversation is everywhere. And so is bad music. It seems that everyone owns that CD of Disney tunes being played by a steel band. I confess, I have one too. They sell them at the marina gift shop.
The best part of “dock crawling” is getting to hear last season’s fish stories and great adventures on the high seas. One such adventure was captain Gene’s voyage from the Outer Banks to his home port on the Chesapeake. For a time he was the lone crewman aboard his 52 Viking Sport fisherman, on his way to pick up a good friend who would accompany him on the trip home. As luck would have it (or not) seas began to build to 8-9 feet. No biggie for this Viking on the ocean, except that the bilge pump alarm went off. Not too much later the high water alarm went off, forcing the good captain to leave the helm with the Viking on autopilot. Down in the engine room Gene found, to his delight, that the problem was a loosed coupling on the fresh water tank. The water being pumped out was from the inside not from the sea. The boat would float. On the way back to the helm a big wave struck the vessel, sending Gene into one of the hot engines, where burned his arm. We all grimaced but Gene loudly exclaimed, “Yeah it hurt, but the pain wasn’t greater than my relief at knowing my vessel wasn’t going down in the Atlantic!”
We all nodded in agreement. But for my part I also noticed how the price of gas had brought 15 people to one boat. A couple of drinks and several stories later we were all as satisfied as if we had been cruising for the day...well almost. Here’s to the “dock crawl.” How’s it working for you?
