Deg's

[Minotaur]

We were on vacation when we landed at one stop in Martinique without reservations and we were set up in a vacation spot for French Nationals. We learned quickly not to smile, speak English, or use any memory-butchered French I might dig up. A look of distain was always returned for any effort. We were stuck with a few hundred scowling French people. Still, we knew we were lucky to find a place because of a major yacht race going on.

One afternoon we caught a ferry and the usual suspects filled the seats. We stood off to the side in a spot where they could glare at us without strain and we spoke in hushed tones. A fellow American with joy in his eyes almost ran over to us while asking “Are you American?” We said we were and he immediately began spilling his guts on the miserable and unfriendly place and the dislike of Americans and I was a little embarrassed that he said what we felt so openly. In a pause, he mentioned he participated in the yacht race. Eventually we asked how he did and he answered “We won!” We all became the Ugly American instantly. Because of pent up misery we let fly the release of the gloom in this place and delivered the in-your-face style joy like the three of us just beat the crap out of a ferry full of angry French people.

A beautiful woman’s accented words intruded in our ferry revenge with “I like Americans”. I looked down and she was seated directly behind us. We remembered that half the ferry likely understood every word the yachtsman stated but this time it really mattered. This was the cruelest trick of all. We only had five stinking minutes of a Yachtsman’s opened release valve before they tossed the ringer at us to deliver the knockout punch. We exchanged a few pleasantries and then drifted away from each other and back to the foot dragging zombies we had all become.

 

[degsme]

Lol!!

 

[degsme]

I have to admit, my experience of the French is a touch different... then again my GF is French, so I get a bit of a pass for my butchered pronunciations and grammar.

One of our friends - a Parisian - has a line about how much he loves Paris... when asked then why he is living in the PNW his response is... "well because while I love Paris - it has one major problem:.... it's filled with Parisians.....

 

[Minotaur]

Ha ha! Your girlfriend was probably that beautiful, sweet French girl in my story. You know - the ringer. LOL That is some funny response your friend gave. I think our experience was just that small location. I suspect they were not happy to see 2 Americans in their wonderland getaway. Probably thought "We can't ever get away from Americans."

Loved the yachtsman best - all 5 enjoyable minutes of him before the upper cut. Hope one day you write about some of your adventures as you have got it going on! Thanks for reminding me about that Martinique story.

 

[degsme]

Well my best sailing story is how I won the "DogHouse Trophy". Head for the Canadian J-24 nationals after having just come in 2nd at Whidbey Island Race week, I pull the boat out and reshape the keel for the lighter air venue I expect Vancouver to be. I do this in my yard, and in the process one of the trailer tires goes flat. So I pull the tire, go get a new one and put it back on - but I don't have quite the right socket for the lug nuts.

But I've got to get to the marina so the "measurer" can "measure" and approve the changed keel shape. (this is Wed and the boats have to be in Canada in the water by 5pm).

On the way to the nearest gas station to tighten the lug nuts, the wheel comes off (this is on a trailer that has a 1.5 ton sailboat suspended on 6 posts with the Center of Gravity about 5' above the axel) the wheel bounces across the road and hits another car, missing the driver by inches. I call AAA and by the time they get to me (I have trailer towing insurnace) the truck/trailer yard that I was headed for about 1/2 mile away is closed. OK So TH 7am (they openat 7 ) I'm at the yard asking them to see if they can fix the leaf spring U Bolts that got ground flat as I wrestled the wheelless trailer to a stop without losing the boat.

They make me run to downtown seattle and pick up some parts, I'm back by 9:45. Trailer is fixed by noon. Off to the Marina where the measurer is about to bail at 2pm. I get there at 1pm, keel measures in fine.

Back on the road in cross town traffic to get to the highway to had for Vancouver BC- since I normally don't tow, the trailer has temporary tags, but my tow vehicle is a suburban with tinted windows so I have it sitting on the dash.

[Unwelcome language removed] Seattle cop pulls me over, and starts giving me the 5th degree. I show him the trip permit but he insists on giving me a ticket and having me tape it to the OUTSIDE of the suburban's rear windows. aNd since its made of flimsy paper the first rain will destroy it, but OK

Its now 2:30 and I'm finally on the road for Vancouver. Around Bellingham the engine bucks a bit and seems to lose power, but by backing off the throttle a bit we do ok.

We roll into the marina at 4:00 and are 2nd in line to launch from their crane.... meanwhile the welcoming party has started (there are 2 boats behind me in line).
At 4:30 we get to the crane and are about to start lifting.

Now at a previous major regattae for J-24s here, one of the attending boats had their lifting strap fail, so they are insisting on us using THEIR lifting strap. I hook it up and object. It is set up for a slightly different deck layout and I worry that it will fail in a particular way and explain that to the operator but they wont' budge and insist its fine OK

We lift off the trailer, rotate 90 degress, I go and make a stabilizing adjustment and as I step back there is a loud BANG and the boat bounces off the crane hook and smashes to the dock in front of me. The mast - which is still lashed to the deck of the boat, misses the head of one of the folks sitting at the party tables so closely that one of the rigging lines passes in front of him while the mast hits the back of his chair.

FACK!!! Now they have to bring in a rental crane to lift my boat back onto its trailer (its now trashed) and that can't be done until the next morning.

So the next morning I get up, help load the boat, help launch the last 2 boats, and head home. Immediately the car is running a bit rough. by Bellingham I cant pull at more than 50mph even though with a 454, and a towing differential I can tow twice that load at 70 with no sweat.... I finally get as far as everett before I have to AGAIN call AAA. But this time since I manage to get the trailer off the road and into a parking lot, they will only tow the suburban. So I get that towed and rent a pickup from UHaul to get the boat down to the local yard for a repair estimate

Turns out the folks I had lent the suburban to the previous week to haul 49ers down to San Francisco, had busted an exhaust lifter on one cylinder, so it was dumping raw gas into the exhaust manifold and that in turn was actually burning inside the catalytic converter - so hot that it actually melted the interior carpeting under the read seat. In the end the CC clogs with the combustion by products.

So all told it cost me
1) a traffic accident caused by the flying wheel
2) a ticket for expired plates (that I was able to argue away in court but the hassle)
3) a dead boat
4) a car that needed an engine overhaul and a new catalytic converter.


The only good thing that came out of it was that I had been supposed to lend my house out to an internet acquaintance while I was gone. Instead I was there when she arrived (I warned her in advance at her earlier stop). And we hit it off and spent 9 years married and raising kids.