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2/5/2008 It’s a warm day for this rather chilly winter. Today we impulsively strike out for the Chattahoochee river at the Azalia Drive ramp to launch Desejo our new/old skiff. For inveterate sailors, posing as motor boaters in a haven of good ‘ol boys, makes us feel like imposters indeed.
The cloudy day got off to a rough start as I foul up the directions to the launch site. Undaunted however, we meet at the launch area and plunge into the launch preparation. Our high spirits are chilled however, as we find out the reason for the two extra plugs at deck level. “No, Larry, this isn’t a self draining deck. It’s a self flooding cockpit.” Addison is a good sport, bailing dutifully until all traces of visible water was expunged. What about water below deck? Out of site, out of mind?
So off we go, digging our heels in and creating a great trough at the stern with only ten miles-per-hour of top speed. On a hunch I trim the motor down and we score near twenty miles-per-hour. We make quite a site, two guys hooting and hollering, as we speed up the river. Darn sailors. What has happened to us? Are we addicted to speed so easily?
We turn around and speed back down the river, passing our launch area and hurtling under the old bridge heading for the impoundment dam. Now it’s Addison’s turn at the helm (wheel you rag fool). Suddenly, we skid to a frightening stop. “How deep is the water?” “Are we aground?” I querry. “Hard aground,” dead-pans Addison. So it’s out into the water for me. Frighteningly, it’s a scant 10 inches deep. With my weight now removed the skiff floats up just enough to edge off the mud and back into deeper water. It’s reasuring to note that this boat will float in such shallow water. It’s frightening to think what damage might be lurking under the keel.
Much chastened we head back up river,turning into the docks owned by Georgia Power. A couple of guys out walking, strole toward the dock. Everyone loves to see boaters humiliated. Maybe we deserve it--imposters that we are. Bad news. The bilge is full of water. Good news, the bilge pump is working. More bad news, the hose that should carry water to the outside is missing. What a charming little whirlpool we have in the bilge. “Let’s beat it for the launch ramp” I quip; always the one with visions of catastrophe in the back of my mind. Twenty five years of boating makes me warry of the power of Murphy’s Law. “Anything that can happen will happen.” I know this from experience.
Well, it’s not over yet. No sinkings for us. But there is the getting the flat bottomed skiff onto the trailer with a cross-wind and current. Addision gets the honors as I retrive the truck and trailer and back it into the brown water. First pass nets us a tee intersection with the bunk boards. I’m getting impatient. Addison guns reverse and the motor chatters on it’s perch. “Don’t do that,” I scream. Back seat boater! What makes it so hard to guide the boat on? To spare the reader all the details of or neophyte efforts, we finally make it precariously on, and with a couple of returns to the water to float the boat to center we finally make it out of the water. On the incline, we pull the lower drain plug. “Gosh, thats at least thirty gallons,” I offer. “No make that fifty.” “Wow, well over a 100 gallons!” That’s 800 extra pounds in the bilge going wherever it wants and making the skiff ever so skiddish. No wonder Addison had such a time guiding it onto the trailer. No wonder it took so long to get up on a plan. Yet we made 20 mph steadily up and down the river. On a happy note, the motor purred like a new one.
Wow, what a day. “We have us a good skiff here,” we agree. $1800 invested so far ain’t half bad. We still have some work though, we note. Lets head for my favorite Waffle house for lunch.
The final bad news of the day. When I get home I find the starboard bunk has collapsed and the boat is listing sideways. I feel lucky that no real damage has occured. Now, to the reconstruction of the bunk boards and installing the guide rollers to help the boat go on strait.
In summery, we had an exciting and eventful day. We are very happy with our purchase so far. We can’t wait to take her out fishing in lakes, rivers and salt flats.
Below are pictures of the damage.
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