AND OFF THEY GO!!
By Pat Hillis
By now, a good percentage of SBYC has heard about Olele’s wanderlust while we were at Sucia in August. For those who haven’t (and there’s a lesson in this). . . .
So there we were in Echo Bay, on a lovely summer day, with Reverie (Julie and Roger Newby’s boat) rafted to us. We’d spent the previous evening eating, drinking fine wine (and other things) and playing cards. As the night closed in, we decided to get up early and make the walk the next morning to Ewing Point—a little more than four miles.
And we did. After reaching the point, sitting around, having a bite to eat, we headed back. Just then, Jerry’s phone rang. It was from no less than the Adventuress saying she had our two boats rafted to her, having corralled them as they dragged anchor and headed out to open waters of Rosario Strait. With a boatload of adult passengers, Adventuress was ready to head out herself, but had to wait until we hot-footed the two miles down the trail, leapt into the dinghy and roared out to her.
As it turned out, there was no one more gracious than the skipper Zeal and the two young women who lassoed the wayward boats, pulled the anchor (with instructions by phone from Jerry) and brought them safely alongside.
What made this experience somewhat rewarding (we have no idea why Olele dragged anchor as we’d been moored in the spot for more than 24 hours) was that last summer, we saw an escapee boat with no skipper on board and helped (a bit) with many others, to get her stopped. The boat had a phone number in the window and someone was able to call the owner who hustled down to reclaim his boat.
Following that, Jerry posted our phone number in the window and that’s how Adventuress knew to call us. Without the lesson from a year ago, we’re not sure what would have happened. I guess Adventuress would have waited until we strolled back, interrupting her own voyage.
A big shout-out to Sound Experience and the Adventuress for saving us from unknown horrors! (And yes, we’ve sent a nice contribution to them.)
Now, whenever we leave Olele alone, Jerry holds up his hand, palm toward Olele and says, “STAY!” So far she’s obeyed.