Attacked by Sea Monster

As the little Watkins sail boat, Rightwayup, pulled out of the marina, Brad – the marina owner – gave the crew a cheery wave. “Have a nice weekend,” he said through clenched teeth. It wasn’t that he didn’t like Jason and Ann, they were customers after all, it was just that they were not sailors, and probably never would be. His mind flashed back to the recent fishing competition where all of his important customers (the ones who bought everything he had to sell) were enjoying the competition when Jason and Ann tried to moor their sail boat against a fast-moving current. He shuddered in spite of the hot Georgia sun as visions of boats crashing into each other, fishermen losing their days catch and even one unlucky soul falling into the Ogeechee river (fishing rod in hand) came to mind. The scene of utter chaos would last him the rest of his life.

“See you Sunday afternoon,” said Jason returning Brad’s wave.

“Yes, the weather forecast is excellent, two to three foot waves with a gentle . . . , ”

“breeze from the ocean,” cut in Jason. “We checked a number of times, thanks.”

The Rightwayup made her way down the Ogeechee River under power from her 15 horse powered outboard. Jason didn’t feel comfortable enough with his sailing expertise to make sail until they were at least in the river mouth – Ann didn’t feel comfortable with Jason’s sailing anywhere.

Two hours later they had arrived. It was a beautiful calm Georgian evening. The weather forecast had been right, although it had now changed to include mention of a thunderstorm out in the ocean, the first lightening flashes of which could now be seen on the horizon. “We’ll anchor up just inside that little opening,” said Jason pointing to an inlet just around the headland from Ossabaw sound. “It should keep the waves off us during the night.”

Jason edged the Rightwayup toward a beach and put the anchor down. Ann made way her way below to the galley and put the kettle on, returning a few minutes later with a steaming mug of English tea. As the sail boat settled at anchor, Jason and Ann sat on deck watching nature’s fire work display out in the ocean.

“It’s times like this when I really do enjoy this sailing thing,” said Ann.

“I know, I feel like I am at one with nature.”

“Not sure I like the sound of that,” countered Ann.

As she said the words, her eyes were drawn to a distant spot behind Jason’s head. Jason, noticing the concerned look on Ann’s face followed her stare. On the land side, some distance away, another storm had started to take shape. “They didn’t mention that one on the weather forecast,” said Jason.

“Nor that one,” said Ann, glancing behind her toward the land on the other side.

“Not to worry, if they all pass behind and in front of us, we will be fine,”

“and if they don’t?”

“Then, my dear, we really will be part of nature,” said Jason laughing as he made his way below for more tea.

As the sun set in the west, the storm that had been out at in the ocean had started to make its way inland, along with the tide. As the tide came around the headland, the waves were backing up as they funneled down the opening where Jason and Ann were moored. The little sail boat was now bouncing up and down over the waves that came one after the other in close formation. Barely had the hull rolled over one wave before it was hit by the next and the . . .

Ann was below by now getting ready for a good nights sleep as per their original plan, but the boat was moving around so badly that she could do no more than brace herself from the onslaught. Jason checked the weather forecast one more time: “two to three foot waves with a gentle breeze from the ocean,” said the friendly voice.

“Jason, far be it from me to argue with the weather station, but that’s a load of c. . . .”

Jason went back on deck; he had decided to add another anchor just to be sure. Ann’s words floated up from the cabin, he looked around. She was right. Not only had the storm moved inland from the ocean, but also the other two storms seemed to have joined forces. They were now surrounded by massive waves, the rain was bucketing down all around them and the mast was pointing skyward begging to be struck by lightening. Jason quickly let go of the mast he had been steadying himself on as he realized what could happen.

Back in the cabin, Jason tried to reassure Ann. “Look, I know it’s going to be rough for a while, but I have put two anchors out and we are away from the worst of the waves.”

“You mean this is the best of the waves,” asked Ann incredulously trying to brace herself again as the boat lurched from one side to the other. Jason just smiled, there was nothing he could say, or do, at that point.

By 2-30 in the morning they had finally gone off to sleep in their hammocks. At 2-35 they were woken by the biggest bank they had ever heard. Jason was on his feet in an instance, but he didn’t know where he was, or even which side was up. Ann had spun around in her hammock and was now completely enveloped by it; face down staring through the mesh fabric at the cabin floor. “What the . . . ,” Jason began to say. His words were drowned out by a screamed but muffled noise from Ann’s hammock. With no lights, he felt his way toward her and realized she had turned over. Gathering her wit’s around her, Ann said in the calmest voice she could muster to Jason: “get me out of here. I don’t care how you do it, but get me out of here, now,” she added for good measure.

Jason wanted no more that to tell Ann how worried he was too, but that would make her even worse so he reached deep in himself and said, ” I fully understand where you are coming from, but right now I want to keep us both alive and I don’t know what that noise was.” At that he turned and, opening the hatch cautiously, made his way on deck. He immediately knew what had caused the noise. The main mast’s boom had fallen onto the cabin roof. All the rocking and rolling had finally broken the mounting. He secured it as best he could, then checked the anchors before heading back down into the cabin.

Ann was sitting on a bunk, her head in her hands sobbing. “I am so sorry,” said Jason. “I just wanted us to have a nice quiet night in the boat with no phones, no computers etc., and I really did check the weather as you know.”

“I know,” said Ann wiping her nose, “but are we really in trouble?”

“No, we’ll just have to stick it out till dawn then make our way back to the marina.”

“But can’t we send an SOS or Mayday or something?”

“I would, but the batteries gone dead for some reason so that’s killed the radio too.” Just as Ann was thinking it couldn’t get any worse, there was another load noise, more of a thud this time, only now it came from below the boat. In unison they said: “what the hell was that?”
A few moments later and the noise came again, louder this time. “Jason, what is that?”

“I really don’t know. It must be a fish or something.”

“Or something?” said Ann in a worried tone. “What kind of something could it be?”

“I am thinking it must be a dolphin,’” he was thinking shark but he didn’t want to mention them.

“What about an Alligator?” said Ann trying not to sound too alarmed.

“I don’t know what it is, but I sure wish it would go somewhere else,” said Jason.

After what seemed like hours, Jason had had enough. The thudding had not stopped, and to add to their problems the failing battery had canceled the automatic bilge pumps so now the cabin floor lockers were filling with water. Jason decided the water was coming through a crack in the boat’s joints between the upper and lower decks. It was not a big problem, but something he could do without tonight. A manual bilge pump was brought in to help drain the lockers and after half an hour the water level in the lockers had gone down considerably. All the time Jason had been working the bilge pump, he had been listening to the continuous thudding. He decided to take action.

“What are you doing,” inquired Ann as Jason grabbed an emergency air horn?

“I’ve had it with that dammed monster; I think it is trying to hump our boat.” Ann shook her head in disbelief at Jason’s fast disappearing form as he made his way on deck. She decided to follow him, “this should be good” she said to herself.

“Right you stupid sea monster, take that.” Jason was screaming over the side of the boat as he lowered the air horn into the water. The noise from the air horn was deafening, until it became submerged into the black water where gurgling exploding bubbles would bring broken screeching sounds to the surface.

“Well, that would do it for me,” said Ann, “I would not want to make out with something that sounds like that.” Unperturbed, Jason made his way around the boat leaning over the side and giving a blast of the air horn every 5 feet. Ann sat at the top of the cabin opening watching the man her life depended on screaming obscenities, firing an air horn, and for good measure, wearing only Superman boxer shorts.

It was hard to tell if the sea monster had been driven away, or that their hearing had become so impaired that they could not hear the thudding anymore. Either way their biggest concern was the water level in the lockers. They had started to fill again and the mechanical pump had to be put back into action. The only good news was that the sea was now easing as the tide had slowed considerably. With the boat not moving around so violently, Ann had made it back into her bunk and was asleep. The thudding was still there but it was more intermittent now. Jason had given up trying to imagine what animal was doing this, as long as it didn’t turn them over or hump a hole in the hull, he didn’t care, he was far too tired.

Dawn broke at 5-30 am. Jason and Ann were woken by something strange. The boat was not moving. Jason initially panicked thinking they must have lost the anchor and floated off. When he looked out of the hatch, it took his tired eyes a few seconds to take in the scene. It was a picture perfect morning. Blue skies and barley a wave in sight. “Ann, you got to see this.”

“Are we alive?” inquired Ann.

“Yes, very much so, come see.”

Ann stumbled sleepily from her bunk and peered out of the hatch. It was as if last night had never happened. “And the noise?”

“It’s gone too, must have scared it off with the air horn.”

“I’m not sure you as much scared it off as . . . ”

After a welcome cup of morning tea, Jason made ready to head back to the marina. It was an easy cruise but first they had to reenter the estuary beyond the headland. As they motored toward the estuary, Jason realized their biggest challenge was about to unfold.

“Ann, just as a precaution, put your life vest on,” said Jason as nonchalantly as he could. Ann was too tired to question anything and placed the vest over her head. Jason put his on too. It wasn’t long before Ann realized why Jason had wanted them to have life vests on; the waves in the estuary were enormous, and they had to turn sharp left across them. “You sure you know what you are doing?” inquired Ann.

“Sure, I just need to catch the wave right.” Jason was looking how far they would have to swim if the boat went over.

With the large waves hitting the side of the boat, Jason decided it was time to turn, they would be rolled over if they didn’t, but they could also be swamped from the rear if he got it wrong. “Hold on sweetie,” said Jason as he flung the outboard to the right hoping he had caught the wave just right. For a second he thought he had gotten it wrong. The boat didn’t turn as fast as he had anticipated and was rolling to port dangerously. Just when he thought it was time to swim, the Rightwayup lived up her name and went surfing down the wave.

Hardly a word was spoken on the way to the marina. They were too tired and just glad to be out of the storms. Brad was standing watching as they maneuvered into their birth. He often did, just to be sure they didn’t sink anything. “Glad to see you, we were worried when we saw the storms coming in, tried to call you on the radio but got no reply,” said Brad.

“Oh we were fine, a little choppy at times,” said Jason trying to sound professional.

As Ann made her way up a gang plank past Brad she leaned over and asked: “have you ever heard of sea monsters trying to hump your boat?” Brad laughed out loud.

“Sounds like you had a fun night?”

“Oh yes,” said Ann, eyes piercing the back of Jason’s head.

“A funny thing that Ann, I did have something like that once, turned out to be a half full tin of paint in a locker. Had a bit of a leak in a locker and the tin kept floating till the bilge pumps kicked in, or perhaps it was a sea monster humping my boat too?”