At Long Last
Today I did something I’ve wanted to do for a long time. I got behind the wheel of our Tige Wakeboarding boat and took it out on the open water again. I could give you a million excuses for why it’s been so long, but the excuses don’t really matter at this point. We’re back on the water, and I’m delighted. It’s like being a kid at Christmas time…I can’t wait for tomorrow! Not only will I be back on the lake, but I’ll also be wakeboarding — awesome!
Gary and I spent the better part of the afternoon getting the boat ready. After 2 years of sitting in an outdoor storage facility (told you it’s been a long time), the boat had some issues: flat tires on the trailer, dead batteries, outdated tags and the dreaded enemy, mold. Luckily, these were all problems we could fix, so after a couple hours of manual labor, we hooked up the trailer and pulled out of the storage facility.
After a pit stop at the gas station, we headed to the lake. Once we got there, we had only one question.
Would it start?
After two years of non-use and a partially charged battery, there was a good chance it wouldn’t.
My parents are camping this weekend at the lake in their RV, so they came over to watch the historic event. The boat was loaded up, the plugs were in, and we were ready to go. As Gary drove the trailer down the ramp, the excitement began to build. Finally, I was in the water. Everyone crowded around to watch what was going to happen next. I sat down, put the key in the ignition and heard the familiar chirp of the starter. “That’s a good sign,” I thought. As I turned the key, I got a tiny crank and…
Everything died.
“No problem,” I thought again, “my parents are here so they can give us a jump start.” After a bit of maneuvering, we got my Dad’s truck on the ramp next to our boat and hooked up the cables. “Won’t be long now….wait…nothing is happening…there’s absolutely no charge…looks like we won’t be getting back on the water after all (hopes dashed).”
Thank God for fathers, though. My Dad asked Gary if our back-up battery (which was dead) was attached to the partially charged battery. It was. Apparently, a dead cell can suck the life completely out of a good battery (who knew?). Gary unhooked it, and I saw my dashboard gauges come back to life immediately. Okay, now for the real test. Will it start?
I turn the key…it cranks…cranks…cranks…and STARTS…yay!
A few minutes later, we’re floating across the water at my favorite time of day, sundown. It’s the best time to be on the lake. You witness the colors of the sun floating across the waves, and there’s a unique sense of peace that comes with it. It’s hard to explain, but I absolutely love it. At that moment, I realized how much I missed the boat.
Even though it was late, Gary took a couple of wakeboarding runs before we headed back to the boat ramp. I’ll be getting back on the board tomorrow. At that point, I’m sure I’ll remember how much I missed wakeboarding too.
Have a great Labor Day everyone!
