GLORY DAYS ON THE GREAT LOOP

DAY107, SUN. SEPT 25, 2011
AM THUNDERSTORMS, NOON RAIN, EVE. SHOWERS COOL
DEP. KAS. LOCK 07:10 ARR LITTLE DIVERSION CH. 12:45.
D. 68.7 / 2070.1

All morning long it is raining. We see and hear lightning and thunder all around us, but not close enough to cause any problems. We meet 2 tows and do a couple of Miss. Mambos, but considering the circumstances, we do well. It is a long and tiresome trip because steering the boat and staying in the channel requires constant vigilance, so we are happy to get anchored in Little Diversion Channel. It is well named, because it is little, about 40 yds wide, and 200 yds long. It is very well protected from the wind, but the current runs about 2 mph. We get the anchor set on the first try, set up my new mooring snubbers, and try to relax. At first it is only us and Great Escape, however, that doesn’t last long as we are soon joined by 6 more boats. One anchors in front of me, the others behind me. The only problem is there is only one way out, and that is blocked by the other 6 boats. Our friends on Great Escape go through our Bear Drop Harbor experience, only worse. Don puts the dinghy down to scope out a place to bring the dogs ashore and has a fuel problem causing the dinghy motor to die while the current in the harbor is quickly taking him out to the Miss. R. This is the last place you want to be adrift in a dinghy, so he tries to row ashore, and manages to catch a fallen log at the entrance to the river and hangs on waiting to be rescued. Meanwhile, the anchor on Great Escape breaks lose, and she is adrift and heading for the river. Fortunately Theresa is a skilled skipper and somehow manages to get the anchor up and the boat under control, while another boat (The Cooper) rescues Don and his dinghy from the snagged tree. This whole thing is a nightmare and has the effect of increasing our anxiety level, so in spite of our anchor holding, it is stressful. At 5:30 I decide to let out another 25’ of chain to give me a total of 75’ on the bottom, in 8.5’ of water. Hope we all wake up in the same spot tomorrow morning.