On this trip we wanted our cousins to see the cliffs and rock formations, but we didn't want to sit on a 4 hour boat ride. So we decided that we would rent a pontoon boat and see some of the rocks that way and then also go around Grand Island and possibly beach the boat and explore some of the island.
The most greatly laid plans sometimes just don't happen, like in this case. The wind was coming out of the north and we were told that if we took a pontoon boat out we could only really stay on the south side of the island and that's it. Why spend so much money to rent a boat and then not get to fully explore what you had intended to explore? On a whim we pulled into this brightly painted yellow and blue building to see if they possibly would still take a boat out with the winds coming out of the north.
BINGO!! They took their boat out in all kinds of seas and the waves forecasted at 2-4ft, didn't stop them from going out AND since our group was so big we would get a discount!! We decided to schedule a ride on the Ripetide Ride.
Little did we know what we were in for. The day was cool, the winds were blowing and the skies were partly cloudy with on and off again showers. Most of us dressed warm and upon arrival were offered a poncho to help with wind and water. Most of us took the ponchos with gratitude. 3 of us did not. 2 were men, who didn't think they needed a blue poncho to add to their studliless and one was a child wanting to be like his crazy father. I will let you figure out who the 3 were...
We were brought down to the coolest boat ever, it is a Navy Seal vessel, and told that the seats upfront were the bounciest and the seats in the back were the wettest. Those of us with younger blood chose the seats at the front and left the seats in the back for the... more mature people of the group.
We were instructed to put the seat belts on and pull them tight. REALLY tight. The instructions continued with how to brace yourself when we went into 360 degree turns... yup you read that right.. 360 degree turns!!! It was like the prep for a roller coaster ride when they come down the sides and check to make sure your seatbelt is fastened.
The Captain introduced himself as Captain Tim and his son was his first mate. Kevin naturally started egging Captain Tim on from the very beginning. Captain Tim called him Funny Guy before we even left the dock and he continued to call him that the entire trip. Lucky me, I was sitting next to Funny Guy, so the "tricks" played on Funny Guy ended up getting Mrs Funny Guy whipped, soaked, and laughing!
We slowly pulled away from the dock, the adventurous spirit was coming out in all of us!! Captain Tim gave some last minute instructions and then the music was turned on and turned up! We took off racing to our first destination.
No comments:
Post a Comment