Lily and the Two Dunkings

I guess it’s time to introduce our other indispensable ‘crew members’. Lily is our 2.6m inflatable dinghy. She has a 4hp Evinrude outboard motor. Lily has served us well exploring much of the Abrolhos Islands when we lived in Geraldton. Sometimes, however, she can be hard to handle when conditions are right for letting us know we are not always in charge.  On Middle Island the surge running up the beach was problematic as it seems to be along much of the south coast. We observed for a while and decided that the best place to go ashore was in the south western corner. All plans are made with the best intentions, but on approach to the shore we decided it would be better if I jumped out and ran up the beach with the haversack to keep camera equipment etc dry. Peter was to grab the bow and hold it into the surge (real waves) until I came back to help him pull Lily up the beach. Well of course it happened. One particularly large surge rolled up the beach and Lily ran straight over Peter giving him a good dunking.

On the way back we watched the surge and thought we detected periods where it quietened a little. Taking our opportunity we launched Lily, me holding the dinghy into the waves while Peter started the motor. I was supposed to leap on board as the motor started. Luckily I decided that it was best to undertake this operation in my underwear and not risk any more wet clothes. The next thing a huge surge sucked the lot of us out as it gathered momentum for its inward rush. Peter yelled ‘Hold the boat!’ That would have been OK if I could touch the ground. The beach shelved steeply and holding a surfing dinghy while my toes clawed at the soft sand almost out of my depth is not possible. After a fair amount of yelling and swearing Lily was launched and with the motor under full throttle we slowly pulled away from the shore with me half in hanging onto one of the pontoons.

Lily usually behaves herself and serves her purpose well. She tows beautifully between anchorages on a short painter, tucked in on Rene’s starboard side with the bow near the cockpit. The Aries wind vane and exhaust fumes preclude her from going behind. Also we find she tends to nose dive when towed out the back.