It was a semi nice weekend, but Washington is known for rain and cold weather even in the summer. We decided to take out the boat for a while on the lake which is just off the camp grounds. This lake has a beautiful background of mountains and trees with two creeks/little rivers running into it.
We were having a great time with taking turns in the boat since there were too many of us to all go at once. It was our last run and my husband Tommy, daughter Ashley (about 11 at the time) and myself went out. The others had gone back to the camp grounds by now. We were having a great time and suddenly the boat died, I MEAN DIED, DEAD!! We weren't out of gas it just stopped running, and there we were stranded. Of course we were way down at the other end of the lake where there weren't any other boats around us so we couldn't get anyone's attention for help. Mind you we are in a 17 ft Bayliner, not just a little row boat.
We were somewhat in a panic because we were drifting way down near the end of the lake to nowhere land.
We had a couple of oars so we started to paddle the boat the best we could to try and get to the shoreline. After a really long time, because it isn't very easy rowing a 17 ft Bayliner, we were getting a little closer to shore. We were still at the far end of the lake away from anyone and not even close to the boat launch area. My husband finally decided to jump in the freezing cold lake and try and pull the boat while my daughter and I kept trying to paddle with the oars. We finally made it to the shoreline enough that my husband could touch bottom. There were lots of branches, big tree limbs, and stumps that he could not see in the water so he was tripping, going under water and he was getting scratched and cut up on his legs, arms, face and everywhere.
After, I don't even know how long it was, but a very long time, we made it back to the boat launch area. We had quite the story to tell the other's when we returned to our camp, and went through a lot of first aid supplies patching up my husband. To this day we still aren't certain what the cause was but needless to say we did not take the boat out again the rest of our trip.
Camping and boating can be a really fun thing to do, but just a little tip...check your boat out really good before hand and make sure to have a cell phone with you or you might end up with a "horror" story like this one!!
HaHa! I totally remember that camping trip! Good times. Good times.
ReplyDeleteCommunications may not have worked since cell service is next to nil at the far end of the lake. A flare gun may or may not have worked well so about the only thing I could recommended is to establish communications verbally before you leave by giving time frames of your return. If you aren't back by say two hours before dawn, your relatives report you missing plus you missed your eta back at the boat launch. We never think something could happen but it does so always plan on the worst and if it doesn't happen then the good joojoo is on your side. Make sure you have proper provisions such as fire starter, flashlites, food and water and warm clothes. Why, because shit happens... I know that lake well and there are more things than just a stalled boat that can arise, there are numerous stumps that are submerged just below waterline throughout the lake plus it's a good jaunt down and back. Go the extra step and be prepared and enjoy the fact that you were smart enough to be smarter than the "Average Bear", I mean "Boater"!...
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