Re: List the classic "OOPS" while boating
Another oops....while we are still on the subject.<br /><br />Took the boys back to our fishing camp for the weekend last month. The camp is about 15 miles back in the swamps accessible only by boat. Got there around 7:00 PM or so on Friday night, unloaded the boat, got things set up in the camp, and started cutting as much of the grass as we could before it got too dark.<br /><br />Around 9:45 PM (well after dark), we decided to go out and set our catfish lines. We put on our life jackets and walked about 50 feet to where the boat was tied in front of the camp. I bent over and untied the boat from around the 1.5 inch pipe driven in the ground, grabbed the rope, and took a few steps in the dark towards the boat. It was then I noticed I was holding nothing but empty rope....there was not a boat on the other end. I shined my light downstream and saw the boat about 50 yards or so slowly floating away. <br /><br />I had put a hook on the boat end of the rope last year so I could remove the rope easily if I so desired. The hook had a safety clasp, which now was bent over to the side, probably by the bow of the boat rubbing on the bank. Of course, with no safety clasp the hook managed to work itself free, setting the boat adrift.<br /><br />I was so surprised you could have knocked me over with a stick. The boys looked at me and asked what were we going to do? I said well...........<br /><br />There was another camp about 100 yards upstream from us on the opposite bank. There were no boats there when we passed it on the way to our camp but I knew that someone must be there that weekend because we saw lights on and that meant their generator was running. I told the boys to start hollering and hopefully someone will be there and hear us.<br /><br />So we hollered and hollered for about 30 minutes and also during that time I shot my pistol in a series of 3 shots several times (supposed to be a distress signal). Finally after about 40 minutes total we saw a light heading our way.<br /><br />A man pulled up and I told him what happened. He started laughing and said that had happened to him a few times during his years on the water. He said he had heard all of the hollering and shooting but had first thought we were just getting drunk and having a good time (good ole Louisiana fun...lol). After it continued for over 30 minutes he said he thought he had better come on down and see what all the noise was about. <br /><br />He gave me a ride and we found my boat on the opposite bank about 150 yards downstream. I climbed in the boat, started it, and returned to the camp. We had a few laughs about it and I thanked the man for the ride. <br /><br />I suppose that if he had not come to help, we probably could have flagged someone down the next morning. There is always one or two boats that pass that way during the day but not many. I wasn't worried that the boat would drift too far as the bayou ends about a half mile downstream. I was a little concerned that some fool would come down the bayou hauling a@@ at night and hit my boat before he would see it or be able to slow down. I did think about swimming after the boat but there are some big gators in the area and I decided I didn't want to take the chance of being mistaken in the total darkness for a big nutria or beaver swimming down the middle of the bayou. Luckily all turned out well. <br /><br />The hook got cut off, the rope tied on the bow handle with a good tight knot, and we ended up having a great weekend. <br /><br />Fishing was good, the boys had a great time, and we all had a good "fishing tale" to tell.
<br /><br />Cleaning up a spilled Coke and almost ran into a jetty at about 1200 RPM. Boating partner whistled just in time and caught my attention. If he doesn't whistle I hit it hard, as it took everything in reverse AND a friend shoving off the bow at the last second.
