Things got a little dinghy yesterday...

[markrinker]

My Sea Ray 410 is stored under cover on Seatte's Lake Union. Last week, the Property Manager called me to ask if he could move my boat as they were servicing the sprinkler system. I agreed, asked him to make sure it was tied back properly.

Yesterday, I took four friends out for a quick tour of Lake Union and Lake Washington. When we got to the boat, I walked past the 10' West Marine inflatable that HAD been tied since last September to the dock, tucked into the space under the bow of the boat, which is stored bow-in, starboard tie.

Somebody had clearly retied my boat, but unbeknownst to me, had also untied and re-tied the dingy as well...to my ANCHOR.

So, I back out of the slip, make my turn, head out onto Lake Union (7kt speed limit), cruise past within 50yds of a stationary police boat (making eye contact with all three officers aboard, no less), cruise all the way through Portage Bay passing the men and women's crew team and coach boats (at least 40 people, not a wave) and within minutes of hitting the big lake an setting the boat on plane, a boat marked RESCUE pulls alongside, and the guy says:

"Um...are you aware that you are pushing a dinghy with the bow of your boat?"

Sure as shinola, there is my tender, tied from the bow ring to my anchor, facing perfectly straight forward, with the 410 pushing her along nicely, centered right where the motor (stowed aboard) would be.

No damage, not a scratch. Just a little embarrassment, even though I didn't tie it there!!! All's well that ends well...

 

[Lazy Daze]

Play the lottery. That's pretty amazing that it was pushing it in that fashion. As I was reading through, I was envisioning the dinghy turning sideways, the rope breaking, the 410 climbing over the dinghy and then the dinghy wrecking havoc to your props. I'm sure glad it turned out differently than that, Mark!

 

[trflgrl]

Oh.My.

 

[KC_Sundancer]

Wheeew Eh! :smt101

 

[mwph]

As I was reading through, I was envisioning the dinghy turning sideways, the rope breaking, the 410 climbing over the dinghy and then the dinghy wrecking havoc to your props. I'm sure glad it turned out differently than that, Mark!

Thats what I was fearing!
I'm guessing that the boat was technically pulling the inflatable, which kept it pointing straight ahead. Thank God they tied it off good enough to hold it.

 

[Chris Nowell]

Buy lottery tickets. Glad no physical harm was done.

 

[Gofirstclass]

You should have said something like--"Pushing the dinghy? Hell no, the dinghy is pulling the Sea Ray. I get better mileage and there's less wake this way."

The possible consequences of all of that would have really lit up my blood pressure. I hope you had a chat with the marina people over this.

 

[Tonka Boater]

LOL...that's a great story. Glad there was no damage and glad you weren't too embarrassed to share with us.

 

[BryanOnTheBay]

Somebody had clearly retied my boat, but unbeknownst to me, had also untied and re-tied the dingy as well...to my ANCHOR.

[C]ruise past within 50yds of a stationary police boat (making eye contact with all three officers aboard, no less)

Besides there being no damage, this is the best part.

Bryan

 

[IanBat]

And there's this group of water police at the bar, retelling this story of this guy they watched pushing his tender along!


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