my own "Titanic"

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Hello All: Well in the area of "complete stupidity", I thought I would relate the story of another sinking. I have a boat that is moored in a cove near here and have a rowboat to get out to it. When I go out to the boat, I always take my toolbox with me as I am sure that the first time I fail to do this I will have some mechanical catastrophe out in the middle of nowhere and will have no tools to fix the problem. Now, this toolbox weighs a bit and I am no big guy (I have to run around in the shower to get wet). So yesterday, I get ambitious and go do some work on the boat that I had been putting off and ended up working until way after dark. I locked everything up and put the toolbox in the rowboat and rowed into the dock. I pull alongside the dock, pick up the toolbox to put it on the dock AND COMPLETELY MISSED THE DOCK! Result: This dummy holds onto the toolbox, capsizes the rowboat, ends up in the drink still holding said toolbox when "dawn breaks over Marblehead" and I realize: 8 feet of salt water + 40lbs of toolbox + little guy = that sinking feeling! So this ex Navy guy finally figures out to let go of the toolbox, which decends not-so-gently to the bottom complete with $200 digital meter. There I am, looking similar to Mr. Lightoller swimming around overturned "collapsible C" and hoping no one sees this embarrassing little event! Well I got out of the water, flipped over the rowboat and bid my tools goodbye until low tide this evening when my son (not so little guy) waded out and retrieved it and did so without calling "RMS Titanic, Inc." (or even "RMS Toolbox, Inc.")! The recovered meter now displays these really strange symbols which probably spell out "nautical idiot" in some foreign language (salt water does wonders with electronics)! Someday my clothes, sneakers, tools, wallet and really saturated ego will dry out.

Regards, Peter (who is now going to build an unsinkable toolbox)

-- Peter Nivling (pcnivling@capecod.net), June 16, 1998

Answers

Peter,

While this happened, was there another guy in a nearby rowboat who decided to completely ignore your cries for help, claiming that he thought the shouts from you were just celebratory cheers? Besides, did he claim that he was too far away to help anyway? Are there rumors of a mysterious third rowboat in the area?

Just asking. :-)

-- Thomas Shoebotham (cathytom@ix.netcom.com), June 16, 1998.


Hello Tom: Ya know, it was a moonless, calm night and there were no waves slapping against the dock but I think there was another rowboat off in the distance. I made the distress call over and over and no response was heard. I called the rowboat by name and I could get no response. I believe the name of the mysterious vessel was the German rowboat "Goddammit" and I know I sent the call many, many times!

Regards, Peter

-- Peter Nivling (pcnivling@capecod.net), June 16, 1998.


Peter, that's quite a story! Funny, yet I realize the sinking feeling was no fun at all. Did you tell yourself "Peter, I need you to swim now"? I hope the water was not freezing. Make sure you register the site so no expeditions could salvage some extra stuff left as debris. Good story, thanks for sharing with us. I got a good laugh on the shower part, ha-ha! Take care!

-- Dan Draghici (ddraghic@sprint.ca), June 16, 1998.

Oh, poor Peter. This is too priceless for words. Hubris and self-confidence; they'll get you every time!

ml

-- Mary Lynne Nielsen (m.nielsen@ieee.org), June 16, 1998.


Peter- Next time be sure to throw lots of deck chairs in the water before you get out of the boat! ps Did you hear any musicians playing Nearer My God, To Thee?

-- Laura (lrc@usit.net), June 17, 1998.


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