Harrisville to Harbor Beach
This trip was rather eventful. The log reads:
9/12/92 - Harrisville to Harbor Beach - 56 NM (9:18 - 22:45) Winds 22 NE, met Canadian boaters aboard a Nonsuch 30,
After a long hard day motor sailing to ensure that I arrived by nightfall, I knew that I might be getting low on fuel. Twenty minutes from the harbor, my engine stops. Fortunately, it was a gas engine and would restart once I added fuel from my gas cans kept aft in the cockpit. But in choppy water, with no sails, the boat drifting and rocking, slowly drifting nearer to shore, I was trying to pour gasoline into the tank. I received a call from a passing sailor to ensure I was OK.
Upon arriving into the harbor, I discovered it was full of fisherman in small skiffs. I nearly went aground trying to avoid fishing lines, and finally did what I needed to do to safely put into a well. All the while being yelled at by angry fisherman. I was shocked, their lines blocked the entrance to a safe harbor, crossed the only areas of the harbor where I could safely pass with 5 feet or so of draft, and could easily foul my prop. But they were angry!
Upon arrival I met a wonderful couple sailing a Nonsuch 30. A spacious boat, it would typically outsail my Tartan 34, as it was a far easier boat to singlehand, and there were two of them. But directly into hard waves I eeked out an advantage with my shear size and displacement.
They invited me over for a sandwich, commiserated with me on the fisherman, and asked about my trouble as I drifted just outside the opening when I was out of fuel. While eating, we heard calls from a large ketch that served as a youth sailing experience vessel making rather angry calls over the radio regarding the fisherman that were obstructing traffic. It wasn’t just me. I’m glad I did not go aground trying to avoid their lines. I finally just tried to avoid their boats, not an altogether easy task. And after nightfall, not all of them even had lights on.
This is a point that amazes me. Boater at night not running lights. If the boat is small and running at speed, then I can see the logic of “I’ll avoid them”. Of course, this means “them” had better have their lights on! But I find absolutely nothing but laziness and selfishness to explain fishing, anchored, in a channel, with no lights. I fortunately have good night vision, and have always been able to find them at the last minute by moonlight or by sillouhette from a back light. But the events always cause for mroe adrenaline than I’m comfortable with. (note: I write this in 2008 recalling the events of 1992. In 2006, I sailed aboard the America as a passenger from Key West. The America was a schooner of greater than 100 feet in length. Returning to the harbor after dark, the captain suddenly changed coarse to avoid a motorized skiff with no lights. Apparently it happens frequently enough, that the captain was looking specifically for such boats. As if the captain of such a vessel has nothing better to do!)
While having sandwiches, I discovered that the storm we had survived on my way north had broken rivets in the mast of their yacht Christie’s Cat when the rig gybed. We had indeed been lucky to survive the storm with no damage and no injuries.
- the Muse