Drowning with Land in Sight

So there I was, floating along with my arm around an overturned and slowly-sinking kayak. My knees hurt from the impact with the wall, and I was kicking my feet in a sort of sidestroke in an attempt to steer... somewhere, and keep from getting sucked (or maybe pushed?) under the floating docks in the river.

A little background is in order. A few years ago, they rebuilt a small bridge between Danversport and the area near the school where my wife works. When they did this, they built a sort of isthmus rather than a standard structural bridge. So when the tide goes out, which it was doing during the time of which I speak, it rushes quite quickly through the two relatively small tunnels that were built to allow for the movement of all that water. And I had just paddled through the outgoing current to achieve a place where I was between both, and checking if either would be feasible. I decided neither was, and the shortest way back to the water was the paved boat launch on the other side of the current that I'd just paddled against. But here's the key: there's a big stone wall right next to the launch. When the current comes out, it pushes the water against this wall.  So I'd tried to build up speed and approach diagonally. But before I knew what had happened, the kayak was pushed into the wall, and I believe the water pushed the side closest to it underwater, thus achieving the flipped over kayak.

So the boat and I reached the floating docks. I reached up and grabbed one of the tie points, so beyond all question, I'm fine (This was all happening quite slowly, so I was quite certain before this, but you know what I mean) But Mr. Kayak, not so much. It had been flipped over (I was afraid if I put it right side up and held onto it, it would totally fill and sink right to the bottom) and was floating quite low in the water. I pulled myself out with the help of a friendly boat (I know, you expected I'd just grab the dock and burst out of the water like Ariel in the Little Mermaid. But I'm just not that strong, especially after paddling for hours).






There I stand. But what's going to happen to the kayak? And would I have to swim back to shore?


I looked around and saw that the yak was floating parallel to the dock rather than being sucked under it, and using the paddle (looking back, I'm not sure how I ever held onto it---maybe it floated?) I nudged it close to the end of the floating platform. But could I get it out of the water?


Moving it little by little and using it as a lever against its own weight, I managed to break the suction of the water, and it started to drain. But even as I got it completely out onto the wood, and stood it on end, nearly half of the structure was filled with water. Like a standard plastic bucket, just without the wire handle---and 8 feet long.




Thankfully, these boats all have a drain hole. It took awhile, but the water level went down and everything got easier to handle (and it drained straight back into the river, what a timesaver!). While I waited, I noticed that in fact, I didn't  have to get back into the water, the dock connected to land via a metal "gangplank" (is that the right word? It can't be, but I don't know what else to call it). After the water was all gone, I hoisted the yak onto my shoulder and walked down the pier and up the plank.


As I crossed the road carrying an 8' long plastic boat (that weighs around 50 lbs completely dry), I heard the pickup truck that had been approaching hail me: "Hey!"




I turned, "yeah?"




"Don't evah come in heeyah! This 's private property."


"Okay..." I said. What else could I say? There's not really a response.






But as I put the boat back into the water and paddled for home (and another bridge under the highway but wider and easier to paddle through), I began to wonder--- did he see me get flipped and just wait to tell me to stay off their dock, as if I was enjoying myself? Or did he simply mean don't use their boat launch? Or had he simply seen me leaving their parking lot and was just saying don't come in there?




It's all a moot point, because there's a public boat launch on the other side of the bridge, and I'll simply use that from now on (and avoid the currents entirely). But it was a fitting ending for what had been a ridiculous drama from the very beginning.


So, who wants to try kayaking?