Welcome to Kamp

Days 2 through 4 down the Jersey shore were amazing. Besides reliving my youth, they were more importantly, educational.

We had so much fun in the end but took a few, scratch that, many risks out in the water that proves my theory that "Interesting" things happen to my college friend, G and I get together, especially when we boating. Last summer we hobbled home in the dark from the Atlantic on one engine in the ML.

Day 2 in the Joisey shore was one to remember. It was calm enough for us to go out to the Atlantic Ocean in the mini Leigh. And we did. The mini Leigh, all 17 feet of her (actually 16 feet 7 inches) is unsinkable but a pretty big wave smashed us, while we were drifting, and our motor wouldn't start. I figured that the big waves most likely stirred up water in the fuel tank. Normally, this isn't a big deal-you crank the motor and eventually it starts. But this wasn't normal-we were in the middle of the Barnegat Inlet, one of the most dangerous inlets on the East Coast with rocks on both sides, the potential for huge swells and a fair amount of traffic. Fortunately we drifted straight in the middle of the inlet where everyone, including the Coast Guard could see us. We got the motor started in less than 30 minutes. My prayers worked.

Day 3 at 4am was completely foggy-and despite the engine problem we had the day before, we did the same thing-headed to the Barnegat Inlet. Though I had GPS, you had to rely on "old skool" navigation. We got there-and didn't turn the motor off :)

But before we got there we saved a brand new $800,000 38 foot boat. She was grounded in 2-3 feet of water-just about 30 yards off the channel near bouy 33 We took her anchor, which took up the entire front of the mini Leigh carried into the channel, and let the other boat's winch drag her out. We also made some waves by driving around her to rock her off the shoal.

The afternoon of Day 3 was uneventful relatively speaking. In fact, it was a fun time on the water for me since I was 1st mate on G's boat.

There were birds everywhere-bluefish! I would cast out, hook one, and hand it to each kid and let them reel the fish in, and helped them boat it. I wished I had a headcam to capture every child ear to ear with the Barnegat Lighthouse in the background. D, G's youngest child, hooked one by himself-that was cool.

Day 4 was actually spent mostly off the water. We went to Point Pleasant and took the kids out to the amusement park. And we bumped into friends! How random. So G invited them back and we had a nice cookout and surprise B-day party for G's wife.

Day 5 didn't yield us any fish. But we saw dolphins playing in the Atlantic. Nobody could get their cameras out in time. And by the time we turned the boat around, they were gone. Pulling the mini Leigh out of the water was a challenge since I'm a newbie at trailering boats. But the folks at the C&C marine were helpful and actually dropped what they were doing to make sure the mini Leigh was safe on the trailer.

What a weekend. I am sad it is over.