Wil and I own a small older motor boat. It's a Bayliner Capri, 19 ft., built in 1999. Wil had wanted a boat for some time, but new boats are really expensive and we were novices, so we bought a "starter" boat. Despite her age, she's a sweet little boat. However, she does show her age. Her carpet and upholstery are, well, less than pristine, but her hull is sound. She lacks some amenities we'd like to have and she's certainly not flashy, but her i/o engine chugs away pretty reliably...most of the time.
One reason we can own an older boat is that Wil is very mechanically inclined and, with his engineering background, he is fearless about tearing into her engine if she needs repair or maintenance. He is very good at keeping her running, even if parts of her engine are held together with chewing gum and twine. Well, realistically, it's more like clamps and wire.
Three years ago, shortly after we bought the boat, her engine refused to start one evening on Santa Rosa Sound. Fortunately, we were smart enough to have purchased a membership in BoatUS. It's just like AAA Auto Club, except for boats and trailers. We called them that night and were towed back to the Navarre boat launch. But the grizzled old sea captain who towed us didn't know where to find the narrow channel into the boat launch and he ran his ship aground very suddenly, causing our boat to slam into the rear of his. We sustained some hull damage to the nose of the boat that Wil had to putty over and then we screwed a rubber bumper onto it to hid the putty and protect the nose. Wil replaced the worn out starter and we were back to boating.
In 2010, we had to call BoatUS again when our boat trailer began to disintegrate on I-85, just north of Montgomery, en route to Lake Martin. That was a memorable Labor Day and we ended up spending a few days on Lake Martin with no boat and then spending many dollars and miles getting a new trailer for our boat.
Since then, all had been well until last Saturday. We really wanted to watch the Blue Angels beach air show, but there's no way we would ever brave the traffic. You see, thousands and thousands of people descend on Pensacola Beach for that day. Car traffic backs up all the way over the Bob Sikes Beach Bridge and the 3-mile Pensacola Bay Bridge pretty early in the morning. By mid-morning, all the parking spaces at the beach are full. But, we decided to take our boat, anchor somewhere close and watch from the water. It was a perfect solution.
I researched the best place to watch the show. Of course, that would be in the Gulf. BUT, we are reluctant to take our little old boat out in the Gulf, especially since the seas were predicted to be a bit rough. Friends of mine was going to watch from the sound side in Little Sabine Bay, so we decided to meet them there. I read on-line that you have to get there by 9 AM to be assured of getting a spot.
Protected waters were forecast to be rough and choppy and there was a very good chance of rain, but we decided we could weather all of that. We launched at Navarre boat ramp and headed out to cruise the 18 or so miles to Little Sabine Bay, at the foot of the beach bridge. Early into the trip, we learned that rough and choppy was REALLY ROUGH! Our little boat was being tossed up by the swells and then it was slamming back down. We continued on, but pretty slowly and holding on tightly.
Then, less than 30 minutes into the trip, we ran into a rain squall. There was thunder and lightning and wind and pouring rain. We donned ponchos, slowed down a bit more, ran the bilge pump, and continued on. We were over halfway and it would have been foolish to turn around. Of course, it was foolish to continue on, too. In hindsight, we should have pulled over into shallow water and ridden out the storm at anchor.
But, we made it to Little Sabine Bay, found our friends, and tied our little boat up to their larger one. That small bay is very protected, with only a narrow inlet, so the water was very calm there. We had a great day there, despite on and off rain showers, some rather hard at times. At one point, we even saw a water spout (a tornado over water), but it didn't come our way. All of the civilian planes scheduled to perform in the air show had to cancel, but the Blue Angels lucked out with a window of opportunity at their appointed time. They had to fly their low show, but it was still awesome!
An hour or so after the show, we decided to head home, knowing we'd have to go slowly in the rough waters of the sound. We packed up and prepared to go, BUT our little old boat's engine wouldn't start. Wil tried several things and friends came to offer help and advice, but no matter what they tried, the engine wouldn't start. It would turn over and occasionally almost start, but it just wouldn't crank. We got a clue about what the problem might be when Wil took off the air filter to get to the carburetor and water poured out of the air filter. Hmmm, yup, I think water was our problem.
So, we called BoatUS...again...third time in three years. It took a while for the tow boat to get to us, but Little Sabine Bay had cleared out pretty well, so boat traffic wasn't an issue. A fairly young Captain Mac attached the tow rope and we headed out shortly before sunset. The tow boat had to move slowly, because of the rough seas and towing our dead weight. Once again, we ran into rain. Captain Mac called my cell and offered to let us ride with him inside the tiny enclosed space on his boat, but we donned ponchos again and weathered the rain on our boat. We didn't feel right about deserting her.
The trip was over 2 hours and pretty miserable. It was well after dark as we approached the Navarre boat ramp. I was more than a little anxious remembering the last time we were towed there. However, Captain Mac was highly competent and navigated the narrow channel flawlessly. He took us right up to the dock without incident.
As we got out of the boat, we told him about our previous experience. He had a funny look on his face as he apologized for what we had gone through 3 years ago and assured us that the grizzled old sea captain didn't work there anymore. We were curious. He explained that he is the OWNER of the local BoatUS towing service. He remembered that night 3 years ago, because, not only was our boat damaged, but our boat had punched a hole into the aluminum hull of his tow boat! When he saw it and got the story from that captain, he fired him on the spot.
He smiled and said it was good to meet the little boat that had punched the hole. He apologized again, but we assured him that our damage was minimal and we had patched and covered it. He left a few minutes later and we trailered our boat. We remarked about how coincidental it was that the owner was the one to tow us and that he remembered our experience and now he had towed the very same boat.
We worried about our little boat. We didn't know what the actual problem was, but we both felt it had to do with water. We didn't know how it had affected the engine. We discussed various possibilities, from serious to minor. We drove the boat home and backed it into our garage to dry out. Our HOA will only allow us to keep our boat at home for short periods of time, 48 hours is the maximum.
The next day, Wil decided that the problem might be water in the gas tank. Water probably entered through the gas tank vent every time the rear of the boat was plunged down into the rough water. We took the boat to a gas station and filled the tank back up, even though it was still 3/4 full. Back home, we parked this time so the truck was in the garage and the boat was in the driveway in the sun. With the new gas and all the gas getting stirred up in the drive, the engine would crank, but only run for 2-3 minutes before puttering out.
Wil thought he might have to siphon out all the gas to get the water out and then fill back up with fresh gas. I shuddered at the thought of losing 20+ gallons of gas at today's prices! I knew there had to be some chemical on the market to help. So, we bought a siphon hose, but also found and bought 2 bottles of Heet, a product that takes care of water in gas tanks. The Heet worked and the engine ran like a charm.
That afternoon was beautiful and the water in the sound was smooth and glassy. We took the boat out for a sunset cruise. We launched as most people were hauling their boats in and people were leaving the beach in droves. We saw only one or two other boats along the way. We headed east to Spooky Island, just off Hurlburt AFB. We anchored and sat on the sandy beach and ate cold fruit as the sun sank. The ride home was just as perfect. Our sweet little old boat glided across the water like butter in a warm pan. It was easily one of our most beautiful cruises. The cares and worries and frustrations of the previous day melted away with the setting sun.
I strongly suspect we'll buy a new larger boat when we are financially able, certainly not this summer. Then we'll sell this little old boat. In a way, I'll be sad. Though she has certainly had her problems and stranded us on more than one occasion, she has been a great starter boat. She has endured our learning. She has even taken our abuse, though it was always unintentional. This "Knotty One," as we named her, has taught us many lessons. Her legacy will be our love of boating and the wisdom we have gained.
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