I am all smiles here after catching a sea trout off of the Mt Pleasant Pier, but just a few days ago we were left shaking our heads and surveying damage when a large trawler being towed by Tow Boat US plowed into our dingy and nearly tore the davits off Big Frisky's stern.
The drama started at 0730 when our neighbor left his slip and lost control of his boat. The current carried him down the fairway where he lodged amid the bows and sterns of a number of boats. Pinned against the boats by the current, he was advised to wait until the slack tide and just motor out. Unfortunately, he called Tow Boat US instead. About 1000 we watched as the small tow boat arrived and attached to the aft port quarter of the substantially larger trawler.
We were below decks when we heard commotion outside. The trawler had snagged on the bowsprit and anchor of the boat two slips away and her bow now aimed directly at our dinghy and davits. Then the boat accelerated to push away, but could not avoid snagging our dinghy and bending the davits until the boat pulled free, an agonizingly long time. If I knew how strong those davits really are I would have worried a lot less during big following seas from passages past.
Read about how we got these davits in the first place.
I am not gonna lie; we took it hard. Big Frisky is not just our boat. She is our home, our transportation, our life, our dream. We know every part of her and it is almost impossible to describe our attachment. We spent few days nursing our wounds, making insurance calls, entertaining adjustors, filing DNR reports, etc. We questioned whether this cruising life was for us after all.
As days go by its clear that we will be in Charleston another week or two. We've decided we are going to enjoy all of the things we normally don't have time for. Yesterday we spent the whole day pier fishing at the Mt Pleasant Pier. This morning we made ice cream with the ice cream maker we brought all the way from Indiana. Next week I'm going blueberry picking. And that's just the beginning!
Never underestimate what a day of fishing can do for your outlook.