Posted by JRM on September 21, 2000 at 09:22:03:
In Reply to: Re: Defining Buddy/Solo posted by Randy on September 21, 2000 at 06:23:43:
I was down in San Diego in July for my wife's Masters Degree graduation ceremony, and we held the party at a local yacht club. One of my parents friends who was there told this story to us because he heard we were into diving...
He's a retired attorney, who lives aboard his Catalina 38'. He often sails around with his cat as crew. Well he was spending a week or so cruising around Catalina Island, and anchored over on the back side to watch the sunset. He heard someone hail him from the water, and looked down to see a SCUBA diver all alone. He dragged him on board and gave him some warm water and blankets and dry clothes. The guy had been swimming and floating since early that morning when the "buddy" he was supposed to dive with roared off in the boat. Apparently they had really partied the night before, and his buddy tried to drink off his hangover, mostly just plastering himself. The guy decided to dive alone, and his buddy was going to stay on the boat and continue drinking. Well the guy hit the water, and the buddy roared off. Our friend decided to sail him back around to Avila. When they got close, he radioed the harbormaster, and the harbor boat came out and picked him up along with the local constable. Just as he was transferring accross to the other boat, his "buddy" went roaring past completely drunk. They busted him. But his buddy wouldn't press charges of abandonment. So they "buddy" ended up going down for Operating under the influence, and a smattering of harbor violations (speed, etc). If my "buddy" left me in the drink I wouldn't want him to go to jail either, because then I couldn't get at him!
Oh well, it was a pretty good story. I think it may have even made the paper, I think I remember him mentioning it.
JRM