Takeout Day, The Great Escape (TGE) - a real adventure!

I had scheduled my son in-law Kelly for Sat Oct 29, rain date Oct 30, to help me, and, given the possibility of considerable snow over Saturday into Sunday we decided to get an early start and get the job done on Saturday. Little did we know. Recently I heard the following little Woody Allen joke, goes like this: If you want to make God laugh, just tell Him your plans...

We arrived at the marina about 10 am,trailer in tow, and snow had begun to stick along the roadways and on themarina and the docked boats. We left the car and trailer at the take-out parking lot and walked back in the blowing snow to TGE. We did notice a few people working at the pull-out ramp, and one boat being cleaned.

After undoing some of the lines we attempted to start the engine. Never beforehad that engine failed to start, but the cold and wet evidently was too much.It not only wouldn't start, it never even gave a hint about starting. It was as though the spark plugs were pulled -  

OK. Now or never.  Since the wind, light at that time, was coming from the east and blowing just a little toward the marina in our favor, it was clearly possible to sail down to the take-out ramp. We rigged a long line and tied one end to a port side stanchion. Kelly then walked "M" dock pulling TGE out toward open water,me aboard and steering to keep close to 'M' dock. There was one boat still in its"M" dock slip, which presented a problem in getting around it. When we got to it  Kel got TGE some momentum, hurried out the finger dock, tossed his line aboard TGE, and I steered  on toward the finger dock on the far side of the boat. Kel met me there, I handed him the tow line and we finished the journey to the outward end of "M".

Kel came aboard and we shoved off into the lake, with just some jib opened up.  The wind was stronger there, and kept increasing, so we made the pull-out dock in no time, turned in, got the boat stopped and secured, and the worst of the job was over. The cold was getting to us, but we decided we’d get the boat onto the trailer before warming up.

By this time there was no one left in the pull-out area.  We got TGE outand up to the wash-down area, where we cleaned the bottom and hull sides with ahose we'd brought along,  with Kel scrubbing with my little deck brush.

I was able to hose off all the snow and ice that had accumulated. Finally, off to the "Country Place", which had lost power but served us a meal  and then decided to close for the day. Thanks to Kel, his help made it all possible. 

Next morning, Sunday Oct 30, we had an appointment to show TGE to a prospective buyer. Our normal route 563 to 313/563 to 563  was closed at the "Country Place" restaurant. We drove clear around the lake, coming back from the north-east end, only to find phone lines down across Harrisburg Hill Rd at its entrance, and two sizable trees leaning low across the road further down. Our sale prospects were already parked down near the fallen trees. We all then hiked down the hill and across the 'dry' storage area to TGE.

The roads in the marina were an un-plowed, icy, slushy wasteland. Boats stillin their slips were covered with snow, but under OH what a beautiful blue sky.While we were there a state park pickup with plow came and did some work.

Another 3 to 4 inches of snow had accumulated on TGE since we'd left yesterday. I had only my deck broom to clear the cockpit, cabin boards and hatch top.

Finally I was able to let my guests aboard. Took a different route homeward and had another three detours due to downed trees!

Jerry Gabel