The established cruisers are a close knit community. If anyone is in trouble and needs help the cruisers rush to their aid. People who come from the city where they don't greet passers-bye or know their neighbors will jump in their dinghy to go and assist a fellow boater. Boating brings people back to their natural human affinity of kindness and concern of others welfare.

I remember when we were anchored in 'The Waiting Room' at Puerto Escondido, BCS. The call went out on the VHF that a sailboat had broken loose from her mooring and was drifting towards the rocks. Within a few minutes 8 or 10 dinghies were streaking to the rescue. Lines were grabbed and attached to the drifting vessel and a chorus of screaming outboards strained to stop her drift to the rocks. When I inserted my dinghy near the vessels stern to push it away from danger it was only a few feet from contact. With the combined effort of all the drift of the sailboat towards harm was arrested and she slowly began to move up wind.

Ray, one of the resident boaters, suggested we move it onto a good mooring buoy in the inner harbor where it would be safe until the owners returned. I climbed aboard to steer the sailboat while the rest provided propulsion. The boat was moved into the harbor and attached securely to a mooring. In 5 minutes the fleet of rescue craft were back to where they were before the call for help had gone out.

Happy Cruising
Gary Stratton
www.thefasttrackplan.com/svapolima