Boats, Booze and Bad Manners

Let's set the scene......

It's late on a Saturday afternoon and certainly after 4pm, by which time most boats will have taken a position in an anchorage. The evening calm is beginning to settle over Bantry Bay. As you can see, some boats are rafted-up ready for evening socialising.  But wait! here comes a little motor boat racing into the anchorage and certainly not observing the speed limit. Moored vessels begin to thrash on the wake that's been created. The HiFi is blaring and occupants all seem to be having a fine old time and probably have been drinking alcohol for quite a while. Just speculation of course. The Bloke waives, indicating they should slow down. Success. They slow down and decide to stop not far away and instantly throw out the fishing rods. They immediately switch pace. More beers are passed around. They are not anchored and the tide switches and the little rowdy boat is suddenly being sucked out of the bay and drifting towards a bigger craft on a mooring. No problemo, let's just fire up the motor and move on a little. Hang on a minute... big problemo:the motor won't start. That annoying, thumping HiFi must have sucked the battery down and the motor won't crank. Oooooops! Doosh-dooshing noise is doused. Now they are drifting into the bow of the bigger boat. What to do? Paddle, paddle, paddle and fend off.

 Yes, you are seeing correctly - motorcraft being paddled!

Owners of the bigger craft are properly annoyed, firstly by the rude and rowdy arrival of boozy crew and now by the prospect of a collision. They decline to assist and hide from the view of the boozy crew. We can see this. From the waterline, rowdy people can't.  Little boat keeps drifting. The sun is setting, rowdy boat people begin to put on whatever outer clothing they can find. Their bimini is unrolled to offer a further modocum of protection. The tide sucks them further out of the anchorage. Everyone is ignoring them and speculating how long it will take them to solve their deepening predicament. How long before they phone a friend, or radio Volunteer Marine Rescue? 

The last boat in the anchorage took pity on them and passed them a power cable to jump-start their motor. Bingo! The motor kicked over and the little boat departed quietly and at lower speed and minus the wash and bravado that was so evident on their arrival. 

It's wine o'clock. Hope this mob learned a lesson or two in boatmanship and how to better share the waterways. They got off with a bruised ego and are thankfully gone. Cheers to that!