I was down in Fairfield CT doing a pre-purchase survey on a lovely wood S&S Bill Healy built yawl at the Pequot YC. Boat was tied up in their marina so I decided to start at the top and I’d just started coming down from the masthead. I’d been up there about half an hour when the owner yelled up asking me if I’d swap out the anchor light bulb. I almost always try to help out if I can and since I was at the truck anyway I yelled down to send me a Phillips head screw driver, putty knife, paper towels and small tube of silicon and the bulb. About ten of fifteen minutes later up comes a bucket with the necessary tools and after another twenty minutes the job is done and the light works. Luckily I didn’t drop any screws.
Back in the cockpit the owner’s son shows up with deli sandwiches for everybody. I told them to go ahead and eat as I wanted to finish the inspection of the lower standing rigging wire, terminal swages and fittings. My sandwich was left next to my tool bag on the cockpit seat. When I finally got back to the cockpit to eat the sandwich it was gone. I asked my client if he took it inside but he knew nothing. I looked around then noticed four or five big white swans fighting over something about twenty feet from the boat. Then I saw the wrapper floating off and realized those long necked SOB thieves grabbed it. Worse than seagulls and really big.
Later on I was coming out of the starboard cockpit sail locker and poked my head up and about 12 inches from my head was a big swan just looking over the cockpit coaming checking me out. Wow that’s a big bird and big head ! I had no idea their necks are so long that on a low boat like this they can actually reach into the cockpit. Next thing I know he like strikes at me and steals my ball cap right off my head and paddles off. I’m pissed as it was an original Nefertiti 12 meter America Cup hat - last of the wooden hulls built at Graves in Marblehead. The ladies up on the yacht club veranda thought the whole spectacle was sooo cute. Yea right !
Rick
Back in the cockpit the owner’s son shows up with deli sandwiches for everybody. I told them to go ahead and eat as I wanted to finish the inspection of the lower standing rigging wire, terminal swages and fittings. My sandwich was left next to my tool bag on the cockpit seat. When I finally got back to the cockpit to eat the sandwich it was gone. I asked my client if he took it inside but he knew nothing. I looked around then noticed four or five big white swans fighting over something about twenty feet from the boat. Then I saw the wrapper floating off and realized those long necked SOB thieves grabbed it. Worse than seagulls and really big.
Later on I was coming out of the starboard cockpit sail locker and poked my head up and about 12 inches from my head was a big swan just looking over the cockpit coaming checking me out. Wow that’s a big bird and big head ! I had no idea their necks are so long that on a low boat like this they can actually reach into the cockpit. Next thing I know he like strikes at me and steals my ball cap right off my head and paddles off. I’m pissed as it was an original Nefertiti 12 meter America Cup hat - last of the wooden hulls built at Graves in Marblehead. The ladies up on the yacht club veranda thought the whole spectacle was sooo cute. Yea right !
Rick