Dock Warrior

Origanlly posted June 22nd 2007.

So this adventure started out like any other. Darryl, Curtis and I headed out on the Weasel for our first short course race of the Thursday Night TCYC series. Not having a clock we were last across the line and proceeded to get spanked by all competitors; hell even stationary objects beat us. The wind was crazy SE SW NW NE. At one point I was on the foredeck about ready to send up the chute when I realized we were now heading into the wind. It was nuttier that squirrel droppings. All things consider this was our best finish yet! Okay it was our first race we completed. Following that we anchored with Zoe and Umbique and enjoyed some refreshments and typical Vancouver weather. We were waiting the tide out and eventually around 11pm headed back to Mosquito Creek. That is when I was to witness the most selfless act of seamanship I have seen. We were motoring into our slip in dark conditions at 12am. I miscalculated and turned too soon and began to overshoot the slip slowly drifting towards a piling. With a temporary lapse in judgment Curtis, on the foredeck with a bow line, made a mad 2m jump for the dock. With a sickening thud he crumpled on the dock in a soggy heap nearly in the water. I stared open mouthed. Was Curtis dead? Was he hurt? Was he caring any cash I could steal off of his body before the authorities arrived? Would I look good in a beret? Important questions raced through my mind. Then like an ADD kid with six cans of Jolt in him Curtis sprung to life ran to the opposing dock and latched on to the pulpit on the bow and single handily stopped the boat from colliding with the dock. Needless to say Mad Curtis earned his new title “Dock Warrior”.