03-28-2016, 02:50 PM
[#0000FF]You are a fine fellow, sir...and an inspiration to us all. I'd like to think that most of us on this board would have also rendered assistance but doing so without a second thought...or "What's in it for me?"...is something that is an ingrained personal trait not often found amongst our general population.
Got a funny personal story...along the same lines. I was once coming back in to the ramps at the south marina...in my float tube. There was a large "Daddy's boat" full of youngsters...loud and "lubricated"...just launching. As they pushed off from the dock they were pointing at me and making all kinds of comments...none flattering.
Payback is a you-know-what. After a couple of attempts to fire up the big motor there was only a clicking sound when the driver turned the ignition key. Dead battery. And the increasing southerly breeze was pushing the boatload of youth out towards the channel.
It was late afternoon on a weekday and there were no other boats in the water nearby or on the ramp. So...without a bit of hesitation...I turned my tube around and power kicked to the front of that boat. I reached up and took their bow line and started kick towing them back to the dock. That rowdy bunch became very quiet.
I tell ya it was a strain pulling that big heavy boat against a strengthening breeze the 50 yards or so back to the dock. But I didn't let them see me sweat. I wasn't really surprised when nobody on the boat even said "Thank you" as I left them and kicked back over to where I got out of my tube.
Over the years there have been several times I have helped boaters launch, trailer their boats and even to retrieve boats that blew away from dock or shore and out into the main lake. The good news is there have been a couple of times when boats helped me out when I was caught in sudden severe winds and had trouble kicking back to shore.
I do believe in Karma. But even more, like yourself, I believe in helping those who need help. If ya got a decent bone in your body ya just gotta.
[/#0000FF]
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Got a funny personal story...along the same lines. I was once coming back in to the ramps at the south marina...in my float tube. There was a large "Daddy's boat" full of youngsters...loud and "lubricated"...just launching. As they pushed off from the dock they were pointing at me and making all kinds of comments...none flattering.
Payback is a you-know-what. After a couple of attempts to fire up the big motor there was only a clicking sound when the driver turned the ignition key. Dead battery. And the increasing southerly breeze was pushing the boatload of youth out towards the channel.
It was late afternoon on a weekday and there were no other boats in the water nearby or on the ramp. So...without a bit of hesitation...I turned my tube around and power kicked to the front of that boat. I reached up and took their bow line and started kick towing them back to the dock. That rowdy bunch became very quiet.
I tell ya it was a strain pulling that big heavy boat against a strengthening breeze the 50 yards or so back to the dock. But I didn't let them see me sweat. I wasn't really surprised when nobody on the boat even said "Thank you" as I left them and kicked back over to where I got out of my tube.
Over the years there have been several times I have helped boaters launch, trailer their boats and even to retrieve boats that blew away from dock or shore and out into the main lake. The good news is there have been a couple of times when boats helped me out when I was caught in sudden severe winds and had trouble kicking back to shore.
I do believe in Karma. But even more, like yourself, I believe in helping those who need help. If ya got a decent bone in your body ya just gotta.
[/#0000FF]
[signature]