August 9, 2012 -- The Cooper Fleet


Just sit right back and you'll hear a tale, 
A tale of a fateful trip 
That started from this tropic port 
Aboard this tiny ship. 

Among the things I haven't told you yet is that Coop bought a sailboat a few months ago, which we named the Tardis I. 

It's a little 420, because that's the kind that Ana Katherine learned to sail on last summer, and it seats at least two and he got a good deal on it through Craig's List. It was to be a learner boat. 

On Father's Day, he took me out for my first voyage in The Tardis I.

Excitedly setting sail!

About 100 yards from shore, a perfect storm of terrible things happened (the boom clamp and the rudder popped off at the same time) and we capsized. My husband, the calmest man on this planet*, especially in an emergency, said to me quietly, "We're going over.  Try to fall safely." as we were dumped unceremoniously into the water.  He was so calm that *I* stayed calm and managed to take off my flip flops and my sunglasses and my cap before they sank.

Unfortunately, the boat had a crack in it (which is a danger you run when you buy a boat off of Craig's List) so the hull filled with water and it couldn't be righted. I swam to shore, holding my sunglasses, shoes and cap. Coop, the good Captain, stayed with his ship in the (freaking) FREEZING water while some good Samaritans stopped and tried to tow him into shore. Unfortunately, the mast was buried in the sand below. 

The Harbor Master came with his big boat and ended up finally righting the poor Tardis I (after Coop dove under and unhooked the sails and the mast and other essentials, like the cooler) and then the good Samaritans (bless them) towed him closer to shore. 
Good Samaritans towing the badly wounded Tardis I closer to shore.

Thank goodness our good friend JP, an expert sailor, was there to help bail the Tardis and then get it on the trailer. 
A sad sight.

We were home a mere three hours later, having not lost so much as a can of coke in the process. The Tardis I, however, was deemed un-seaworthy, and resulted in a Tardis II.  


The Tardis II (along with Edward's tail since clearly, the boat is not very decorative all by itself in my driveway. Ed thinks it needs art.)
(I, um, haven't been out on it yet.)

Anyway, it was not exactly the Father's Day I had planned, but it sure was memorable! A three hour tour...(oh, like you weren't already singing that.)



*The calmest man on this planet EXCEPT during the USA women's soccer semi-final game at the Olympics.

Comments

smalltownme said…
"Try to fall safely." Good advice in any situation.
Susan said…
I had to giggle because *my husband is a pretty calm man too EXCEPT during the Canadian women's soccer semi-final game at the Olympics.

Perspective is everything.
Tenna Draper said…
If it's a fiberglass boat, you can probably fix the "cracks" with fiberglass patches that you can buy at most automotive repair places...unless it's a WIDE crack, in which case Tardis is doomed. A friend and I fixed a sunfish that way.
Barb Matijevich said…
@smalltownme--I can still hear his voice as we were going over. It made me laugh even in the midst of falling into that cold water.

@Susan: Oddly enough, he was calmer during the Gold Medal match. But boy, we were all HIDING during the semi-final!

@Tenna: It's a big crack now --the Harbor Master's techniques made sure of that. We've already replaced it with a spiffy new (well, new to us) version.
Ei said…
I've never sailed, but the "Try to fall safely" makes me think it aptly named. I fully expect he wears bow ties on these ventures?
Bullwinkle said…
squeee! Sailboat!! I haven't been sailing in years. (I was supposed to take Sam canoeing this morning but the thunderstorms have stopped us.)
Kris said…
What kind of boats are Tardis 1 and Tardis 2?

I sailed once upon a time, and I remember the first time I capsized. It seemed to happen much slower than I'd expected beforehand. Lots of fun, but we were in the tropics at the time. Capsizing into cold water - not so fun.

Glad you were all safe and sound at the end - and willing to try again!
Ann in NJ said…
Ah, I haven't sailed since college, which was .... a few years ago. I really enjoyed it then, but never pursued it. That might be a watersport I could enjoy - I'm not a good swimmer, don't really enjoy speedboats, and find sitting on the beach insanely boring. Hmmmmm....

Love your boat names, by the way.