The Perversity Of Nature

Vaca Key Bight
24 41.84 N 081 04.20 W

I'm an engineer. As such, I have a scientific education. Therefore, like most scientists, I take a very literal interpretation of the word impossible. To me, the only things that are truly impossible are those which break the laws of physics. A perpetual motion machine, or travel faster than the speed of light for example.

Until today, it was my belief that an anchor rode stuffed down an anchor pipe could be pulled out without fouling provided that no human hands ever entered the chain locker to mess things up. My reasoning had something to do with topology -- an esoteric branch of mathematics. Well, you probably already guessed the truth. Today, we pulled up the anchor to move position, shoved the anchor chain down the hole, and then it fouled so that I couldn't pull it up again. I can guarantee that no human hands were in that locker. We didn't even experience any violent actions, heeling or big waves.

To get to the chain locker on Tarwathie is a big pain. It is under the cushions in the V-berth. Those cushions in turn are under all the stuff we store up there. Thus, it became quite a Chinese fire drill as Libby and I struggled to get in to that locker. While we were doing it, Tarwathie was dragging anchor because there wasn't enough chain out. I finally got in there, and sure enough, there was a great big tangle twice the size of a softball in the chain. I tugged and pulled in the right directions and it untangled.

So now I'm forced to admit that one of the few things in this universe that I've always believed impossible; is possible. Perhaps a more reliable belief for me would be "Never underestimate the perversity of nature."

By the way, the chain wasn't our only problem. We moved to the other side of the island to avoid strong West winds tonight. We are in Vaca Key Bight. There is only one other boat anchored here. However, when we tried to anchor, we couldn't get the anchor to bite. 4 tries with the CQR plow and one try with the Danforth anchor all failed. The other boat told me that he got a bite first try with his Bruce anchor. We had to move 1/2 mile away to deeper water to find a place where the anchor could bite. Now I'm all tired out from raising the anchor 6 times this afternoon.

Update, Tuesday morning. The bad weather overnight turned out to be a false forecast. Except however, two thunderstorms that passed over around 2200. We had a big thunder and lightning show. We put all our electronics in the oven. The winds weren't bad except for one, just one, enormous gust that I estimate must have been around 65 knots. It came without warning. It heeled Tarwathie over 40 degrees. It almost blew our bimini away and almost blew the securely tied sail cover. The gust was gone in a second.