The California weather bureau declared a few days of bad storming/ rain, the worst here in 5 years. Thankfully, Vince and I were safe and sound in the marina where the storm was no more noteworthy than an average day in Washington. But here it is open ocean and fools anchorage is merciless.
We talked to our friends on the hook and made sure they knew the smart thing was to come in, last of which was our friend Captain Jack.
He said he knew he had to come in, he was grabbing food and going out, but the waves piled and he wasn't able to skiff to his vessel safely.Jack told us how he never misses a night on his boat because the only time in 3 years he didn't go out, his boat wasn't there anymore. The one night he couldn't make it out took his boat, 'Walk About.'
I saw this morning at coffee, a man who had no words. He lost in one night his boat, his only home, his life's dreams, his savings and work and faces significant fines from the EPA for beached vessel. He was stunned into non-action so Vince and I walked down the beach to keep an eye on his boat.
Just in time-- already there were 5 guys and many onlookers. One of the guys jumped into the crashing waves and grabbed his fishing pole and whatever he could get loose. Looters is a big problem, many people think "on the beach, fair game." The law is actually after 7 full days the boat and it's contents are fair game. I told him it hadn't been even 8 hours, and when he started clipping off the solar panels, we told him we are here watching out for the owner, and that if anyone's runnin off with solar panels, it's going to be us. Yar.
Jack rolled in on a borrowed bike in full rain gear, looking at the wreck, his red spinnaker draped in the brown-washed waves like some lady's drowning satin dress. This was his second boat lost. He shook his head and said "I'm done." This is a man who bases every aspect of his life on boats and sailing. "It's too hard here."
Indeed Santa Barbara is incredibly hard to live safely on a boat. We are talking a marina who has no courtesy dock, we are talking rough pirates cutting boats free if they don't slip on kelp and drift-- or in Jack's case, he simply wasn't on the boat to find his rode chaffing against the anchor track system, fraying it and setting the boat free.
When we met Jack, he was radiant that we were sailors, a lucky couple with a sweet boat. The first thing he told us was "you can't be a fool in fools anchorage, otherwise you will die." Luckily jack wasn't hurt physically, but I can only imagine the hurt he will face today.
Vince and I are waiting for low tide to help with reconnaissance, and I only see fit that he will be needing a wake for the end of 'walk about,' and the (let's-hope-not) the end of his sailing career.
We feel so lucky and well protected, thankful we are able to keep paying our slip fees and stay safe.