Sad story..but a very noteworthy one...thanx... :o( bdr -----Original Message----- From: montgomery_boats-bounces+broquem=pnm.com@mailman.xmission.com [mailto:montgomery_boats-bounces+broquem=pnm.com@mailman.xmission.com]On Behalf Of Larry E Yake Sent: Sunday, August 01, 2004 6:04 PM To: montgomery_boats@mailman.xmission.com; nwpotters@yahoogroups.com Subject: M_Boats: A sad reminder I just got back from a week of wonderful sailing on Priest Lake in northern Idaho. Great scenery and good winds. Spent most of the week alone with my wife joining me on the weekends. I'm working up a story on the trip I'll send later. I do, however, want to pass on this sad reminder to all solo sailors. I came upon the evidence of every solo sailors worst nightmare; finding yourself in the water with your boat sailing away. I found a Catalina 25 run aground on an island on Priest Lake. Her keel was grounded, sails flapping, and no lines ashore or anchor out. I recognized her as the only other sailboat in the marina where I currently have Tullamore. After calling out and pounding on her hull, I boarded, fearing I'd find the worst. She was empty. The sheriff's boat was called and they came and took over the situation. The swim ladder was already down before I went aboard, so we thought he might have taken a swim during the previous days light winds and let the boat get away from him, but further investigation revealed he always left the ladder down. His motor was lowered into the motoring position also, and out of gas, so it appears he may have been starting the motor when he went over from the terribly awkward position required to start and engage the motor when they're on those lowering brackets outside the transom. The boat then motored away and grounded itself and ran until out of gas, leaving him in the middle of a large lake, possibly wounded from the prop. We may never know. Priest Lake is over 300 feet deep out there and very cold down in the depths. A small search was conducted, but he had last been heard from 2 days earlier, and I had even seen the boat in that small cove the day before, but from a couple miles away and unaware there was a problem, so they have given up hope of survival. His boat is now tied up next to mine at the marina, with a grieving family cleaning out his things and preparing to sell her. Be careful out there friends. Especially when alone. Don't put your family through what I've just seen. Larry Yake M17, Tullamore _______________________________________________ http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/montgomery_boats