Peaceful evening and Bumps in the Afternoon

1-24-17     Karen and I watched another beautiful orange and blue sunset with the great company of Greg and MaryLynn from Fracas. I cannot explain how fortunate I feel to be here living the life I’m living with a wonderful wife and great friends. Maybe it’s the wine we had with dinner but I really don’t think so since I’ve held this feeling for the last week or so. Yes, some days are better than others. Sometimes the air is some heavy with moisture it makes it hard to grasp a zipper to close canvas. Other times I find I have bruises on my ribs with no explanation and then remember reaching deep into a locker for the boat hook that dropped down to the bottom while removing a bicycle. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve muttered “Son of a bitch” under my breath while trying to perform what should be a simple tasks. 

I think I enjoyed the better part of this bottle.

My hula girls in her Happy Place.
Thanks Chris, she looks and fits great.

Over the past several days Karen has thanked me at least twice, each time I ask “For what” and she says “for us being able to live this life”. The life certainly is not be for everyone, it’s not easy. Living on less of everything from electric, water, TV to internet we live on less of everything. I have to say I should be thanking Karen, most women would not care to live like this. She’s puts up with a lot of problems that other women would not. For tolerating these hardships she gets to enjoy coffee on deck watching the sunrise, gets to meet people from all over the world and has the ability to move wherever we want or wherever the wind blows.

Look Carol, Woman can enjoy Mahjong on the water too.

1-25-17     Today started slowly for me but I finally got my blood moving. Both Karen and I got several items completed off our “To Do List” and we were feeling good. I hopped int he dinghy and let Fracas know that we would leave our dinghy on the mooring ball while we moved Mango over to the fuel dock for water. Karen and I have lived on 15 gallons of water since leaving the boatyard. Over the past 6 days we’ve used this 15 gallons for washing dishes, drinking, everything but bathing, my water Nazi mom is proud of us. Anyway I just got done telling Fracas that things had gone so well that I was calling an early end of the day after taking on water.

All went well as Karen moved Mango, as I removed the mooring lines and we smoothly approached the dock and slid into a port side tie with a bit more of a bump than I wanted. I decided to take on some diesel fuel also as long as Mango was next to the pump, 11.7 gallons filled us to the rim. While I was filling the water tank Karen was talking with Hannah on the phone passing time. I suddenly heard some commotion and turned to see Karen drop her phone and a large white sailboat coming at our stern. I yelled my typical “whoa, whoa, whoa” and moved to the stern of Mango to assist Karen. It what seemed like less than a second I watched the woman on the offending boat appear to get tangled in the rigging of our boats and fall to the deck of her boat. All involved quickly got the offending boat stopped and quickly rafted (tied) to Mango to attend to the young woman on deck. The offending boats name is “Wind Seeker” with Josh and Keri aboard from Toronto. I looked down and Keri and she was rocking in pain apologizing for the surprise unintended meeting of our two boats. Karen told her not to worry about the boats and asked what we could do for her. I hopped over Mango’s life lines as their lifelines were laying on the deck of Wind Seeker. 

Stanchion and lifelines down on Wind Seeker. She got the
worst of it by far.

Medic's arriving on the scene

Wind Seeker tied to Mango for the duration.

Keri’s left arm appeared a bit deformed at the elbow area and I told the dock attendants to call 911 as we assessed and applied ice. Keri stated she couldn’t feel the fingers of her left hand and we made her as comfortable as we could on deck as things settled. After what seemed like a 1/2 hour with no Fire/Rescue I asked if the attendants about 911 and neither had called. Karen made the comment to Keri that hopefully the Fireman would be young and handsome and not some old-timers. To that comment Keri exclaimed "Oh no, I haven't taken and shower in 3 days". Funny stuff.We shagged a passing County Sheriff and he called for Fire and within 10 minutes they were at the marina calling to see where the incident was located. Soon Keri was on the gurney and moving down the dock to the nearest hospital for some treatment. 

Keri in the ER afterwards. Thank goodness nothings broken. We wish them
well and quick healing.

Our survey of Mango revealed a black smudge from Wind Seeker and a slightly bent stern rail which is not worth doing anything about. 

Karen called Josh and Keri several hours after the incident and found that Keri has no broken bones but some torn ligaments and muscle. We hope that she heals well and they make their flight back to Toronto tomorrow.  All and all we got to meet 2 more nice Canadians albeit in an unusual way.