I hit Victor Borge...just a kiss

P 0 P E Y E

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Jun 3, 2009
Messages
441
I was towing a 160' long section of 8' wide stringer docks on the hip of our 20 foot long mooring boat.

When the forecast called for a hurricane, we would move the floats or they would be chopped into tooth picks by the bigs rollers a southerly would blow.

We would tow the floats ramps and docks up river to a little protected tidal creek where we had a couple of 1000 pound mushroom anchors set horizontally in the Connecticut mud.

I was moving this 160' foot long dock, threading it past neighboring docks and other boats moored. On the hip, tied up tight, winched in close, I had very good control. One thing I had to do was take some distance to stop.

As I made my final approach to the mooring I was coasting down. Making a bout 1 knot on my final 100 foot slow down before the turn into the wind to pick up the mooring.

Then, the big guy himself, Victor borge, neighbor and member of the yacht club I worked at in those days, the piano player and comic, 93 some old years young at the time (God rest his soul) Decided to pull in front and attempt to tie up to have a chat about some other subject.

He managed to get his 30' electric launch which he was a pretty good helmsman at, directly in the path of 160 feet of dock, now I am trying to take way off using the 150 hp outboard, white water foaming every where

I kissed his rub rail and he got a slight jolt. I explained that now was not such a good time to get in front of my towing and Newton's laws.

I had restricted ability to maneuver, hold my temper and my tung

Two times I don't like to be bothered or want to make friends are when I am fishing or engaged in a tow.

I forgot the question he wanted to ask, But I remember his smile and wave as we both laughed at what had happened. A true salt he was.

He has since passed but was a true icon, He had a piano on his 60' boat.
 

Shizzy

Ensign
Joined
Aug 5, 2007
Messages
984
Re: I hit Victor Borge...just a kiss

so let me get this straight. You had 160' of dock behind you and he pulled up to chat?? :eek:
 

P 0 P E Y E

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Jun 3, 2009
Messages
441
Re: I hit Victor Borge...just a kiss

I had it in front of my boat. I hip towing from the end.
 

Bob_VT

Moderator & Unofficial iBoats Historian
Staff member
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May 19, 2001
Messages
26,019
Re: I hit Victor Borge...just a kiss

Wow that's a flashback! I remember going with my parents to hear him play in NYC.... well over 40 years ago.
 
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