M17 #375 – SWEET PEA

17 June ’18 –

I was completely asleep and all I know is I woke up and BANG. Something had hit SWEET PEA and I was up with my head out of the cabin in a second. I see a large sailboat heading away and a guy saying, ‘I’M SORRY! I’M SORRY! OH WOW! OH WOW!! I DIDN’T SEE YOU!’

I responded in a predictable manner by saying, “YOU (*^&%^$@@%$$!!!”

Ducking my head below I saw Momma Kitty with wide eyes and bushy tail. I turned on the cabin light and started ripping up cushions to look under the v-berth. No water!! I grab a flashlight and look under the cockpit. No water!! I pop up from the cabin and then spotlight the other boat who has stood off 50′ or so.

“Is your boat OK?!”

“There isn’t any water below,” I respond.

Again he says, ‘I’m sorry. I didn’t see you. I didn’t expect anyone to be anchored.’

I go into the cockpit and begin running my hand along the hull/deck joint. The toe-rail feels normal with no bends or broken bits.

He says, ‘I turned just as I saw you and I think I hit you on the starboard side.’

I move forward along the side deck feeling the toe rail. Nothing. all seems OK. I go back into the cockpit and check the transom, rudder and outboard. All OK.

‘I came in now as with tomorrows low tide I can’t pass through the channel to the marina.’

Under my breath I say, “I’m anchored outside the channel and have an anchor light showing.”

He again repeats the ‘oh wows’, ‘I didn’t expect anyone to be anchored’, and ‘I didn’t see you’ litany.

I say, “I think everything is OK.” I go below again and say, “the bilges are still dry.”

He says, ‘Oh good, oh good;’ and states his name, boat name and slip number at the marina.

I say that I’ll check for damage again when the sun comes up and let him know if there are any problems.

He again apologizes and motors into the marina.

I go below and sit on the 1/4-berth. Momma Kitty gives me a ‘WTF’ look to which I respond, “I think we are OK. %*(&%@#^.”

At sunrise I’m up and check SWEET PEA. All seems fine and the only evidence is some light colored gel coat along a section on the starboard amidships toe rail.

A short time later the owner of the other boat rows out in his dinghy. He asks if everything is OK. I say that yes, all is fine and I’ve found no damage. After apologizing many times he rows away. I give him credit for coming out to SWEET PEA.

The anchoring area at Oak Harbor is shallow. The dredged channel to enter the marina isn’t all that deep, maybe 8′-10′ at a zero tide when it was last dredged. The area I was anchored was outside the channel and only 3-4 feet deep. The guy was way out of the channel.

Jerry Montgomery built one tough boat!