The Runaway Sailboat

It’s not every day you wake up to find a sailboat had drifted down past Alice during the night and is laying untethered between the rowing dock and the KatieG.

It turns out there was someone on it, and when I went and spoke to him he had quite the tale about just getting his boat out of impound and that someone must have untied his boat from the dock where he was squatting sometime during the night.  I’m just very grateful that the boat didn’t hit Alice or KatieG as it drifted by.

He said he was having trouble with his outboard motor and that he had his phone charging at a local cafe and just needed twenty minutes or so before he’d be on his way.  The guy then tied up to the rowing club dock which of course the rowers didn’t take too kindly to.

He decided to go swimming so hopped on the dock, stripped off to his underwear and jumped in the lake.  He swam across to Alice and climbed up onto our deck.  I told him he couldn’t be there and to swim back to the dock and put his clothes back on.  He was nice enough and did exactly that.

After a while the  Seattle Police Harbor Patrol showed up and a lengthy discussion ensued.  He must have explained that his outboard motor was having problems and at one point he requested and the police gave him a large hammer, which he proceeded to hit the motor with but to no avail.

After some more lengthy discussions the Harbor Patrol decided to move him on.

This resulted in even more drama when the tow rope became loose and the sailboat headed for Bob and Cathy’s houseboat.  The police managed to get it back under control and moved him out into the lake.

Sometime in this process the guy managed to get the outboard running so the police cut him loose and he headed towards the ship canal.  Of course he couldn’t signal the Fremont bridge to open, so the police did this for him.  While he was waiting he had difficulty controlling the boat so he tied up to the pilings close to the bridge.

After the bridge opened, the guy still seemed to be having some issues as he went under the bridge sideways, before seeming to get everything under control.

The last I saw of him, the guy was motoring down the canal waving to other boaters as he passed.  I sure hope he is safe and finds somewhere to tie up.  He certainly had a most interesting start to his day!