The second reason I wouldn’t leave my boat in the water for the summer months is this story of the Swedish sailboat in Luperon. Very near to the mangrove shores of Luperon just off of the Muelle, the government dinghy dock, is a listing 34’ sailboat. The Swedish owners had left it two weeks ago to travel to the south of the Dominican Republic, unfortunately for them, their boat dragged anchor until it came upon a shoal. This happened during high tide, so as low tide occurred the boat became lodged on the sandbar while slowly being pushed onto its side by the underlying shoal. Soon the port hatches on the side became submerged and started to leak.
The entire interior was filled with water and the vultures were out. Soon the Dominicans who ferry fuel and water to the anchored sailboats were asking questions about the Swedish owner of this boat. They were fishing to find out if they could salvage the boat, which basically due to maritime law is if a boat has been left by its owners and it is in a state of disrepair the local people of that land are free to take whatever is left on the boat. Dave, a Tasmanian boater, quickly got in contact with the owners and let them know what had happened and then went straight to work. He borrowed bilge pumps and slowly drained the water out while running lines from the top of the main mast to anchors off of the starboard side thus causing the water to drain and the boat to right itself without going farther on its side. Somehow he did manage to right it and re-anchor it farther out.
Another crazy thing happened when I was out traveling. An Italian singlehander was bringing in his nice big monohull into Luperon, but he pushed himself too hard and had traveled some great distances to get here. Coming in from the east he cut the rumline to his waypoint too close and was pushed onto the rock breakers on the eastern side of the entrance. Granted the entrance to Luperon is tricky, but it was mostly due to shoals and crab nets. The breakers are pretty obvious, but the swell and the waves are dangerous. Some say he was sleeping, some say he was given an unreliable waypoint, but the moral of the story is the sea does not take kindly to mistakes and he should not have been there. He was pushed hard onto the rocks and his bolt on keel came off incredibly quickly. Water quickly pushed up into the boat and blew out through the port holes like they were blow holes. Due to this he quickly, QUICKLY sunk. Someone took their dinghy over there and saved the Italian singlehander, but the guy was very disoriented and didn’t grab many of his belongings. When they came back a few hours later the commandant and two local Dominicans were pulling apart his boat. Salvage rights, as mentioned earlier, were invoked. The commandant backed the two Dominicans saying that the boat now belonged to the Dominican people and no longer belonged to the Italian. He lost everything.
After a week of being solo on S/V Departure, Mom and Dad are set to return today and it also happens to be Sunday Sabbath. Vikings vs. Saints. I am at Shaggy’s and feel like the only Vikings fan. I am pumped all the way through the game until the fourth quarter when I start to pace and only focus on the game. Before we were goal for goal, drive for drive, but soon we start to lead in turnover, interceptions, and fumbles. Brett Favre is throwing lemons left and right. There is no pressure on Drew Brees and A.P. has again forgotten how to cradle the football. We throw away an opportunity to win and go into overtime. Well we all know what happens from here. I am a bit of a mess, obviously, because I had worked so hard this whole season to see all of the games and be the best fan I could be. Well, next year.
For your appreciation, the open letter I sent to some Vikings Sports editiors before the Vikes v. Saints game.
***** ***** ***** ***** ***** *****
I was surrounded by leering Packer fans, a side effect of living on a border battle town, when I had to set down my beer. While lesser Viking fans were settling their bets, I had my eyes glued to the TV. We could do this, we could beat the 49ers, and then it happened we beat the 49ers. In all my 22 years of being a Vikings fan I knew this season would be different. We had a good coach and a good quarterback – something that we had not been able to put together for a number of years. I was determined to see this season through. One problem: I was to be sailing the Caribbean for the next six months.
You can say many things about Vikings fans, but if you have ever heard the roar inside the dome or seen the image of the weeping blondes you know the one thing Vikings fans do not lack is dedication. There is no bandwagon in Minnesota. So I did it. I amped up my dedication – in Islamorada, FL; Nassau, Bahamas; Norman’s Cay, Exumas; Black Point, Exumas; Georgetown, Bahamas; Provo, Turks and Caicos; and Cabarete, Dominican Republic. With lots of adversity I only missed one game, the overtime game verses the Bears, where our engine overheated and we were adrift in the ocean for four days.
As we quickly approach our final adversary before the Super Bowl I implore you fellow Vikings fans, not to be scared, but instead to amp it up. Sure we have lost two Super Bowls in New Orleans, but now is our chance to prove ourselves as a force to be reckoned with. Do it for Bud Grant, do it for Prince, do it for the Purple People Eaters, do it because even after the Giants rolling over us in the 2001 playoffs or the tears shed after our 1998 NFC Championship loss or the love boat scandal or any of the other trials and tribulations we have been through – we are still Vikings fans. There is no bandwagon here.
Skol!
***** ***** ***** ***** ***** *****
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