While Paul and I were sitting on the dock yesterday we were admiring two dauntless Sunfish sailors enjoying themselves in a twenty knot wind. It soon became apparent that their little craft had developed a problem, they were no longer skipping along the surface, like a Flying Fish evading some predator from the deep, but rather a wounded water foul being blown around by the wind. The next thing we noticed one of the crew members pulled out the dagger board and started using it as a paddle from the bow of the boat, not a good sign. After a minute or two of viewing them through my binoculars, without making much head way in the wind and sea, Paul and I lowered away my flats boat.
I think that by the time Paul and I arrived with a tow rope in hand, they were ready to be relieved of their paddling chores, with a smile they quickly made the line to their bow cleat and we were off to the safety of their dock. The chap that was doing the paddling was obviously the Captain and after some small talk it was learned that he under went a triple by pass some years ago, this was not part of the therapy that he was looking to perform.
We towed them to port and said our good byes, Paul and I were happy to have helped and they were happy that we had helped.
Pictures by Eileen Smith.
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| Waiting for a tow |
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| We'll toss you a line |
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| Arriving at the scene |
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| Under way |
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| Where's your dock? |
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| It turned out that their rudder split in half lengthwise, the half with the tiller broke away! |
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