Group: All Else Lounge

Created: 2011/12/31, Members: 42, Messages: 22740

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How FT and our plotter saved our lives

2005/03/30, 12:22 PM
We made a run of about 65 miles this weekend from Manning SC down the Cooper River to Charleston SC. It was unfamiliar water and most of it was unmarked. Occasionaly channel markers do disappear. We made the wrong choice and wound up in an abandoned ricefield. For those who have never seen one, ricefields look like any other body of water only the bottom is about 12inches deep and full of weedlike vines. I now know this from personal experience.

Well, we got hopelessly stuck approaching what turned out to be the real channel. The mud and vines would burn up the twins if we tried to power out. A couple of fishermen witnessed our plight and promptly hoisted anchor and hauled ass. No help offered. There are incase you don't already know assholes everywhere but this was a particularly dirty trick as it was 5;30 PM and we were 3 hours from a safe port. We couldn't run the generator with the intakes in the mud so we were faced with spending the night in the dark and horrors, no TV.

Well .... into the inky depths of the icey river Charlie plunged. I pushed on the 10,000 pound boat for an hour and got her moved about a boat length . I will step up my cardio as I was huffin and puffin terribly. I needed about 15 more feet and was pretty much toasted. Bear in mind here that when you step into the 12 to 18 inches of water, the mud lets you sink to about 3 or four feet deep. Each step was difficult and miserable. I think my beautiful wife feared I would have a heart attack from the exertion as the next thing i knew she was up to her pretty little neck in the water beside me pushing. Yes i'd marry her again and yes she is the one I would choose if I were crossing our prairie a hundred years ago in a covered wagon.

Well, another 45 minutes and we were floating, panting and checking the chart in a mud covered cruiser back enroute for Charleston. I would love to have had any of my FT buddies to help push . Hec and Juli come go riddin this summer if you can get to South Port. I promise not to run aground.We made for Patriots Point marina and hit the harbor as a pea soup fog filled in the coming night. My trusty chart poltter and my superior navigation skills put us within 20 feet of the marina breakwater. We definitly couldn't see shit. I got us in by talking to the dock guy. We still couldn't see each other 20 feet apart.

If I and Elaine hadn't been doing my squats, deads and bench, we would still be sitting in the mud!! Thanks FT.

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Dyslexics of the world...UNTIE!!!!!!

Charlie
yadmit
yadmit
Posts: 4,670
Joined: 2003/10/05
Canada
2005/03/30, 12:36 PM
Wow... that's quite the story... did you find the let's-get-the-hell-outta-here fishermen? Jerks...

Glad you made it out Charlie!

t

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This donut has purple in the middle, purple is a fruit. - Homer (Simpson)

Be here. Live. Love. Hope. Now. Faith. Believe. You. - Keith Urban

2005/03/30, 01:06 PM
Tim, if I had, I'd be in jail now. Inexcusable really.

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Dyslexics of the world...UNTIE!!!!!!

Charlie
yadmit
yadmit
Posts: 4,670
Joined: 2003/10/05
Canada
2005/03/30, 01:38 PM
hahaha... guess they were lucky... I hate those kind of people....

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This donut has purple in the middle, purple is a fruit. - Homer (Simpson)

Be here. Live. Love. Hope. Now. Faith. Believe. You. - Keith Urban

hecdarec
hecdarec
Posts: 2,457
Joined: 2003/12/16
United States
2005/03/30, 02:16 PM
You are a beast. I would have layed down in the corner and sucked my thumb.

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I was 17 years old the first time my father told me he loved me.
mmaibohm
mmaibohm
Posts: 1,621
Joined: 2003/09/30
United States
2005/03/30, 02:33 PM
Way to go chuckles. Glad the minnow survived

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I am that
which must be feared, worshipped and adored. The world is mine
now and forever.No one holds command over me. No man. No god. I am ANIMAL! and that is enough.
Carivan
Carivan
Posts: 8,542
Joined: 2002/01/20
Canada
2005/03/30, 03:08 PM
Wow, what a saga! Glad you and your wifey pooh made it back safe.

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Scales are for dead weight: We are not dead yet!
Still trying to find out how to do the Hollywood Free Press.

Ivan
carivan@freetrainers.com
Montreal Canada
hollers2
hollers2
Posts: 91
Joined: 2005/02/25
United States
2005/03/30, 08:27 PM
Charles,
You oughta turn that into a Free Trainers real-life story info-mercial! I've only got the "I lost 10 pounds and feel great" story. And I don't even have before and after pictures like the ones Carivan has above! See the improvement?!! :big_smile:

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Josh Hollers
hollers2@freetrainers.com
-We get out of life what we put into it. Be thankful we've been given alot more than we deserve.
Anni313
Anni313
Posts: 1,790
Joined: 2004/03/04
United States
2005/03/30, 10:04 PM
Charlie I'm so glad that you guys made it out safely.:love:

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Anni

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In my head, I am out of my mind....
2005/03/30, 11:36 PM
Josh I'm always open to profitable ideas. Maybee you could sell the idea to George and Adrian.:big_smile:

Anni, I guess we really were always safe. The fog situation was dicey but tolerable. I did find my reason for all those squats though.

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Dyslexics of the world...UNTIE!!!!!!

Charlie
princesslodgey
princesslodgey
Posts: 1,748
Joined: 2004/02/21
United Kingdom
2005/03/31, 04:18 AM
Well done Uncle Charlie, I'm glad you and the mrs are okay :big_smile: