Haunting Kayaker
Another spooky sailing story....
Article by Brad Kurlancheek
Like Dan Phy, in Attacked!, I found myself in an Montgomery 15, anchored 200-yards offshore, this past June, in a creek on the Chesapeake. The shore was just trees and deadfall and sand. No houses nearby. Late afternoon. Low tide. And there, over there on shore, I see a man standing with his kayak is alongside him. Didn’t see him coming in when I was dropping anchor, lowering sails, cleaning up, and removing contacts (a tad nearsighted).
He’s too far away to wave to—or is he? Okay, I wave. Nothing. No response. Looks like he’s fishing. You know fisherman. Don’t like sailboats. But it looks like he’s looking right at me! And hasn’t moved an inch since I noticed him, maybe 20-minutes ago. Just staring at me. Weird.
What if he means me, you know, harm? Heck, that little kayak can shimmy over here after dark and cut my anchor rode just for kicks, or worse! Should I go anchor somewhere else? You know what a hassle that is. Is it really necessary? But the guy’s just standing there, staring at me this whole time now. Doesn’t he have anything better to do?
I decide the solution—often the antidote to many a dilemma—is to retire to the cabin and take a nap. I’ll deal with it later, after my 30 or so minute nap. Maybe if I leave the cockpit and make myself scarce in the cabin the fisherman will get in his kayak and go on home. It is, after all, getting towards dark. Go home and eat dinner and quit staring at me!
Nap taken, some 45 minutes have passed and I emerge from the cabin for another look at The Starer, The Lurker, the Baleful Looking Being, on shore. And then, why damn, the kayak, it’s gone! But is the guy still there? Maybe. Hard to tell. Let me get the dang binoculars out. I take a look, regular nearsighted vision x 50. Holy hell. That weren’t no kayak, and that weren’t no fisherman. What was “the kayak” is now partially submerged deadfall due to rising tide, and that lurking, haunting, baleful looking fisherman, turned out to be just, yep, a tree. A tree! •SCA•
It’s October, so time for a few spooky sailing stories! Tell us about your scary moments afloat. Was it a thick fog, an encounter with a passing ship at night, a reckless jet skier, or just a sinking feeling? Send your horror stories—fictional or not— (any length) to josh@smallcraftadvisor.com and we’ll share some of our favorites with readers. —Eds
I love it that you chose a nap as the Thing to Do - as if taking a nap would really prevent harm if someone decided to do the dirty on you! Not go grab your gun, or call people, nope - a nap! I'm laughing so hard!
I do that, too - come up against a hard spot, and suddenly it's nap time!
Still laughing . . .