The Mystery Photographer
I believe this photograph was taken in our backyard before the camping trip. I'm the child in the middle. I look like I thought this was going to be quite an adventure. I had absolutely no idea what was coming. 😂
My dad had been in the Navy, so boats were familiar territory to him. When he bought a small cabin cruiser, taking the family camping seemed like a perfectly reasonable thing to do.
We were a family of five, and this was the 1960s. Camping was different back then. Nothing was lightweight, and every step was a huge undertaking. The camp setup was enormous. Tents, sleeping gear, cooking equipment, coolers, clothing, and everything else a family of five needed had to be packed and hauled along. Then there was the food. We needed enough food for five people for the entire trip.
We loaded the car. We loaded the boat. We loaded the food. Eventually, we arrived at the campground and set everything up. Only then could the boat ride begin.
So we decided to go. Or rather, they decided we went. 😂
We were fitted into the mandatory life jackets and loaded onto the boat before it was launched. I was on the bow, holding onto the rails. Mom was directing Dad as he backed the trailer toward the water.
“No, the other left!”
There was the familiar banter that seemed to happen whenever Mom was directing Dad and a tow vehicle was involved. It didn't exactly inspire confidence. But what did I know? I was a child.
Finally, the boat was in the water. The adults climbed aboard, all five of us were together, and we began our ride.
It wasn't long before Mom said, “Paul, we're getting water on board.” I'm sure she said it a few times before Dad took action. By then, there was ankle-deep water in the boat, and Mom's voice had become more urgent.
Dad stopped the boat, which only made the flooding situation worse. Now he had to figure out what was happening.
I could see the water. I could hear the urgency in Mom's voice. And in my head, there was only one possible conclusion:
We were going to sink.
Dad finally figured out what was wrong.
The plug was not in.
I had no idea what that meant or whether finding the problem meant we were actually going to be okay. I was just a kid.
The plug wasn't replaced at that point. Instead, Dad had to get the boat moving very fast. The bow would lift, and the water was supposed to run out.
I didn't know if that was the solution. I only knew there was water in the boat, Dad was going very fast, the bow was lifting, and I was on the front of that little cabin cruiser wearing an oversized life jacket and white-knuckling those rails.
In my mind, we were going to sink.
Eventually, we made it back to the campsite. Dad replaced the plug. And I have never been so thankful to return to our campsite in my life.
Where my siblings were on the boat is not something I remember. Apparently, my attention was occupied elsewhere.
Specifically, with my survival. 😂
Looking back now, I suppose the adults considered the boat ride an adventure. I considered it a near-death experience.
No wonder I became a prepper. 😂
The Importance of Preparing
That little boat ride taught me something I didn't have words for as a child.
Know your equipment.
Before you depend on something, know how it works and what needs to be checked. Don't assume you remember. Don't assume someone else checked. A simple checklist can catch the little thing that memory misses.
In our case, it was the plug. 😂
But preparedness doesn't stop there.
Know the risks that are relevant to you and your location. Have a basic plan for communication, evacuation, shelter, and what you'll do if your original plan no longer works.
Know your resources. Water, food, first aid, lighting, clothing, important documents, medications, transportation, fuel, and backup power may all matter depending on your circumstances.
And make a departure checklist. Before leaving home or a campsite, walk around your vehicle, camper, or boat. Check the things that are easy to overlook because they are normally just part of the equipment. Doors and hatches secured, connections checked, equipment stowed, tires looked over, and permanent exterior equipment still where it belongs.
I learned that one the hard way. I assumed the solar panels on my T@B were still attached. I didn't discover otherwise until hours after I had left. 😂
That's the problem with assumptions. They don't announce themselves when they're wrong. A checklist gives you a chance to find out before you leave, rather than hours later.
Preparedness isn't about expecting disaster around every corner. It's about giving yourself options when something doesn't go according to plan.
Because sometimes the problem isn't dramatic.
Sometimes it's just a little plug.
And sometimes that little plug is the difference between a pleasant boat ride and a childhood memory you never forget. 😂
Coming Soon
Stranded in the Thousand Islands Seaway
Apparently, one boating adventure wasn't enough. 😂
