Rise and shine!

The sudden roar of my diesel engine cut into me, yanking me like a puppet on a string. Clearly the engine was, once again, surging as it ran out of fuel.....probably a clog in the feed line... should I try pumping in more with the squeeze bulb or shut the engine off before it sucked more air into the fuel system? The engine room was nearest, so I slid back the door in the dark... and found silence rather than the roar I had braced for. I ran up to the cockpit and found that the screaming engine was a fishing boat a quarter mile off, the most incredibly loud and obnoxious boat engine I've ever heard, pushing the fishing boat against the current, heading out to sea in the darkness before dawn..... and I realized that I had been asleep when this noise hauled me unceremoniously from the arms of lethe, operating on instinct and adrenaline. 

As my heart gradually slowed, I did the rounds, checking anchor lines and neighboring boats: the new arrival was making huge loops as it navigated the forces of wind and tide while the longer anchorage inhabitants moved slowly or sat steady. Perhaps 70 degF, a steady breeze under clear skies, and a bright moon.... not bad at all. And, after some yoga finally calmed my heart and eased my various aches, I brewed up some hot mocha and watched the sun rise.

BTW, I have had some trouble with dirty fuel and am going to solve it this week. And I have dragged anchor before, although not enough to hit another boat... but did have one drag into me a few weeks ago: no significant damage, thank goodness. Ah, the adventures of living in a boat: people in houses hardly ever have a neighboring domicile come knocking in the night!

That's all for now!