FROM: TEXDYER@AOL.COM
SENT: TUESDAY, JUNE 03, 2003 9:38 PM
TO: BILLHENDERSON; GFALSETTI@ADELPHIA.NET; PDYER@DINNINGHUNTER.COM
SUBJECT: ATLANTIC SHARK ATTACK...31MAY SORRY FOR THE DELAY GUYS.................IT HAS BEEN A LONG THREE WEEKS SINCE I
PICKED UP THE BOAT IN OLCOTT ON THE 7TH
GUY ! THANK YOU FOR ALL THE HELP IN RIGGING THE BOAT FOR ME AND EVEN PROVIDING
THE EXTRA 2 GALLON GAS TANK BECAUSE YOU COULD NOT REMEMBER IF THE ORIGINAL TANK
WOULD ALLOW YOU TO GET TO TORONTO OR NOT...........IT DID ! .................
THANK YOU FOR THE COMPASS COURSE OF 310................. ALSO......2 MILES OUT
OF OLCOTT THE WEATHER CLOSED IN TO A VISIBILITY OF AT LEAST 200 METERS IN EVERY
DIRECTION WITH ABSOLUTELY NO WIND..............THE SAILS WERE NOT HANKED AND I
COULD NOT SAIL EVEN IF I NEEDED TO............JUST AN UNTRIED...( TO ME )
OUTBOARD WHICH I THROTTLED DOWN TO NOT ONLY SAVE THE BEAST BUT TO SAVE THE GAS
IF NEED BE.................SINCE I HAD NO RAIN GEAR FOR THIS SHORT TRIP THE
INTERMITTENT RAIN WAS BOUND TO START....AND SO IT DID ! .................
41 MILES AND 8 AND A 1/2 HOURS LATER I ALMOST RAN INTO THE TORONTO ISLANDS BEFORE
I EVEN SAW THE C N TOWER ! .................I DODGED AROUND THE MCNALLY DREGING
OPERATION ON THE SOUTHWEST CORNER OF THE ISLAND AND FOUND MY WAY TO THE WESTERN
GAP AND NATIONAL YACHT CLUB WHERE LUIS PEREZ OF PATAGONIA BOAT WORKS WAS
IMPATIENILY WAITING FOR ME .HE HAD ALREADY CREATED A PLAN FOR A SEARCH AND RESCUE
MISSION IN HIS MIND IF I DID NOT SHOW UP IN THE NEXT 30 MINUTES ! ALL GREAT ADVENTURES BEGIN WITH ADVERSITY ! LUIS DROVE ME TO A MOTEL VERY NEAR HIS SHOP IN ETOBICOKE AFTER I SPENT A SHORT
TIME KISSING THE DOCK AND PRAYING FOR WARMER CLIMESOCASSIONALY ONE IS REQUIRED
TO SIT BACK AND REFLECT ON THEIR ACTIONS -
WHAT THE HELL WAS I THINKING ???????????????????? (SO MUCH FOR SELF -DOUBT!)
ONWARD AND UPWARD.............WE PULLED THE SHARK AT THE ROYAL CANADIAN YACHT CLUB
CITY SIDE FACILITY NEAR THE END OF THE TORONTO HARBOUR AT THE EASTERN END AND
LOADED 391 ON TO LUIS' TRAILER FOR THE TRIP TO HIS SHOP...........................
THEN WE RETURNED FOR THE RUDDER WE HAD LEFT BEHIND.................THEN WE HIT RUSH
HOUR ON THE GARDINER.............. NOW............VICTORIA IS A PROVENCIAL CAPITAL............I LIVED THERE THE LAST
13 YEARS...........AND TORONTO WAS MY HOME FOR 20 YEARS BEFORE THAT.........BUT ????
GUYS! WHO TAUGHT THESE PEOPLE TO DRIVE???????????????? I HAVE DRIVEN IN MONTREAL.............ACROSS CANADA.............TO THE GASPE ACROSS
THE U.S...............EVEN ...............OAK BAY..........ON THE LITTLE ISLAND
NEVER HAVE I SEEN SUCH INSANITY............AN NFL TIGHT END ON HIS BEST DAY COULD
NOT TRAVERSE THE ....."WAIT FOR GAP "SAFELY................BUT I DIGRESS........
LUIS INSPECTED 391 AND FOUND SHE NEEDED 2 NEW FLOORS AND A CAUTIONARY REPLACEMENT
OF ALL THE KEEL BOLTS..........WE DECIDED TO ALSO CHANGE THE 1/2 INCH COCKPIT DRAINS
INTO 1 AND 1/2 INCH COCKPIT DRAINS. THUS, I WAS DIVESTED OF MY LOVED ONE AND
CONDEMMED TO A LIFE OF "TRAILER MADNESS" AT THE LOCAL HOTEL FOR THE NEXT 2 WEEKS
................EVERY DAY I WOULD WALK THE MILE AND A HALF LEAPING THE "WAIT FOR
GAP " LIKE A SPRY SPRING CHICKEN JUST TO TAKE A GLIMPSE OF 391.............LIKE A
COLT TRYING TO BREAK FREE YOU COULD ALMOST SEE HER WITHERS QUIVERING CONSTANTLY I
RETURNED TO THE MOTEL DISHEARTENED WITH THE PROGRESS MADE THAT DAY BUT KNOWING THE
WORK WAS PLANNED AND PERFORMED WELL......................THE DAY FINALLY COMES....
.........WE TOW 391 TO THE TORONTO MARINE TERMINAL #35 WHERE SHE WILL BE BLOCKED
AND LAUNCHED.................IT IS AT THIS POINT THAT THE COMMUNICATION NETWORK
FALLS APART........NO PHONE.............FOR AN AVAILABLE SOURCE OF COMMUNICATION,
I BOUGHT A FIDO THE REAL SET FOR THE BOAT IS TO BE A SATILITTE PHONE .......THE
UNIT AS OF JUNE 3 RD DOES NOT WORK..........PROPERLY,AND JIM HAMMOND OF HAMMOND
MARINE WILL NOT LET ME HAVE IT UNTIL IT WORKS PROPERLY I FEAR I MUST DIGRESS AGAIN
..........JIM HAMMOND AND I HAVE KNOWNEACH OTHER FOR ????? 30 YEARS.......AND THERE
IS NO OTHER PERSON I WOULD TRUST WITH MY LIFE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ATLANTIC WHEN
IT COMES TO ELECTRONICS. THE YOUNGEST CAPITAIN IN THE CANADIAN FORCES ...A HAM
OPERATOR AT VE3 GXZ........QUALITY CONTROL OFFICER FOR ATLAS ALLOYS..AND RELENTLESS
IN HIS PURSUIT FOR PERFECTION HE HAS COST ME AN ARM AND A LEG ! BUT THERE IS NO WAY I WILL DIE OUT ON THE ATLANCTIC BECAUSE OF JIM HAMMOND. I AM
SITTING ON JIM AND THELMA'S ACESSING THEIR LAND LINE TO PRODUCE THIS LETTER AND AM
INTERFERING WITH THEIR LOVE LIFE...............................GOTTA GO! JOHN DYER
|
us
