Cool Change Sailing

I was looking forward to hearing from Don, the truck driver, sometime later today because he previously told me that due to distance, road repairs–requiring him to do multiple detours–weather and trucking regulations which forbid him to drive too many hours in a day, I had hoped the boat would arrive prior to 3 PM, which would permit the staff at Brand’s Marina to unload the trailer and move the boat to their yard.

I arrived at work just prior to 9 and began my normal work day. Having barely begun my work, at 9:10 AM, my cell phone rang and I recognized the caller ID as Don’s phone.

“Hi Dave. I just wanted you to know that I’m 100 miles from Port Clinton and I’m making great time. I will arrive at the marina sometime between 11 and 11: 30 this morning.”

WHAT A GREAT WAY TO BEGIN MY DAY!!! I made a few phone calls quickly then closed my office for the day. Don must have snuck in some overtime along the way for such an early arrival. I had already assumed that he’d get here after 3 and we’d have to unload the boat on Monday, requiring me to eat the extra expense of $750 for those three days. This was truly wonderful news. I decided to surprise Don with a special surprise of my own.

I went to the bank and cashed a check for $300, asking that the teller make it all $100 bills. He deserves a tip.

I hurried home to change my clothes and to secure a ladder onto the roof rack of the SUV. After quickly changing, I glanced around to find the package of rope I had previously bought for this very occasion. Huh? I couldn’t find it, so I drove the short distance to my apartment’s garage and looked inside there.

Still no rope. Oh, come on. It seems like I’ve noticed that rope every day for the past three weeks…but where in the world had I been seeing it? I returned to the apartment and looked everywhere–drawers, closets, boxes, cabinets…still no rope. It was driving me nuts. Finally, I looked (for the 3rd time) in the large closet where I keep Strider’s doggie treats and found the rope hidden under boxes that had been moved.

Crisis averted, I returned to the garage, placed the ladder on top of the car and tied it down on both left and right sides, then around a tie-down “D” ring found beneath the front bumper and finally to a similar tie-down ring under the rear bumper. Satisfied that the ropes were well secured, I began the 45 minute drive to Port Clinton. The delay in finding the rope now meant I would arrive around 11:20 AM instead of 11:00 as I had planned.

No matter–the moment I arrived at the marina, I could already see yellow flashing lights and a large boat on a trailer completely blocking the road. Don had arrived exactly when he told me. I was unable to enter the marina, so I pulled over to the side of the road and put the flashers on. Strider and I got out to watch the show and I took multiple photos and videos of the event. Don carefully instructed the marina staff exactly what to do, how to do it and when to do each step. He never forgot the final “Watch your fingers!” as a section of metal framing would be dropped onto the bed of the trailer with a loud bang.

The Ohio Highway Patrol allowed no more than 15 minutes of blocking this road. If it took more time than that, they would call a industrial size wrecker and tow the entire thing away: truck, trailer and boat. But this was never a concern. It was obvious that Don knew precisely what steps to do and in what order. The team from the marina responded to each new instruction and within minutes, the boat was ready to be lifted from its former secure home on the trailer.

This became quite a show, not just for me, but for many others who lived nearby or whose cars were now trapped in the traffic jam of a closed road. Many people approached me asking “Is this your boat?” “It sure is!” My grin was so wide, it was impossible to conceal my joy at this moment…a day I’d been waiting for since 1/25/23 when I officially closed on the sale.

It could not have even been 5 minutes and the boat was already lifted from the trailer. A moment later, Don drove forward and the boat was now safely being moved backwards towards the marina while held securely with huge canvas straps. Start to finish, it could not have taken more than 7-8 minutes and the road was once again clear, allowing traffic to pass. Residents in Port Clinton are accustomed to road delays along this route because barely 1/2 mile further on is a drawbridge that opens and closes every 30 minutes during the boating season. This delay was really no different than the bridge delay.

The huge machine that was now cradling the boat inched its way back until it was well inside the yard and Don then backed up his trailer all the way inside also. We still had the task of removing the mast and boom from the security of the trailer and placing each item inside the gate at Brand’s.

A forklift arrived and using a length of thick rope, it lifted the mast up off the trailer. Two employees held opposite ends of the mast so it would not swing into any other objects which could damage them and it in the process. It was as relaxing a walking a dog. Moments later, the mast lowered onto sturdy supports, the forklift drove into a garage.

“Aren’t you forgetting something?” I asked the driver, knowing that the boom was still on the trailer. “No, the mast is extremely heavy but the boom it light and any one person can carry it.” I glanced to my right and another employee was already halfway to the mast, the boom balanced over a shoulder. Oh, I guess it shows how little I know about each of these items on a sailboat.

The boat, mast and boom now finally removed from the trailer and safely on the marina grounds, Don said it’s time to take care of the final payment. I guess I should not have been surprised to learn that they would not take a personal check, so a credit card it was. I called their home office, provided the card number and satisfied my final balance due of this contract. Then, I walked over to Don and handed him an envelope.

“What’s this?”, he asked. I said “Don, I had fully expected the delivery to be too late in the day and we’d have to postpone delivering it until Monday. With that savings of $750, I decided that YOU deserve a tip.”

He seemed genuinely shocked. I guess he wasn’t accustomed to someone showing their appreciation for his work in this way. It was a perfect way to express how pleased I was with their service and professionalism.

I asked how in the world did he pull this off and he just smiled. I let that question remain unanswered but I did want to know one other question. Knowing that he had been in Seattle within the past week, I asked “How many miles have you driven this week?” He said it would be better to ask how many miles he’s driven the past 30 days.

86,000 miles in one month. The dude is a stud.

I removed the ladder from the roof of the SUV and tied it to the transom (so it would not fall while I boarded the boat) and quickly assessed what jobs would be first, second and so on. This is going to be a huge project but one which I will welcome every step of the way. I doubt that I’ll get much sleep tonight.