WELL... this turned out to be an interesting day...
 
from the normal boat chores of
1.) topping up the dinghy gas tank;
2.) Getting a pump-out of the holding tank...then
3.) taking the dinghy down to Burdines to fill some Jerry Cans with Diesel, and Gasoline respectively. OH...and
4.) Letting Sydney swim for exercise... that was the morning...
Then we stopped at Ondra and Nelson's "s/v Last Boat" for a visit...and to see how their first day without "company" was going.... :)
Ondra made us lunch ----> Delicious!!!!
We made plans to go to the beach (Sombrero) with them in the PM...
Which we did, sort of....but we found them motoring back to the harbor about half way down Sister's Creek, as we were motoring toward the beach... OH OH !!!
Turns out their first day without company was not to be...
Different company was coming from Key West...and they'd called from their car...they'd be "here in 30 minutes..."  
Oh well... Life is what happens while you're making other plans...
But Susan and I went on to the beach and had a nice swim....followed by a fresh water shower... NICE!
The Radio net this morning mentioned a retirement party (surprise type) for Ray (the Marina Harbormaster), at 1830 hours... We decided to go... On the plus side there was to be cake and beer... not in that order.
Nice party...
However...in getting ready for the 1830 cake, and beer thing..we decided we'd eat an early supper...so I was out on the "porch" (aka aft deck) cooking on the grille, when I heard a splash from a nearby moored boat...
I didn't see anyone at first...then I noticed that the boat owner was, indeed, in the water... and could not get into his dinghy from the water.. (neither from the side, nor the stern).
Then I noticed that the stern ladder, on the main ship was not down either... OH OH...!!!
Big time no-no...
Then I watched him try to climb the "raised" stern ladder hand over hand...
(like doing chin-ups...) NOT!!!
Then he tried to catch the dinghy with his ankles and try to hoist himself into the dinghy.....DOUBLE NOT!!!! He was basically suspending himself, out of the water with his arms on the stern ladder, and his ankles, and calves in the dinghy...
He was in deep trouble, and I knew exhaustion was setting in...
... so I turned off the grille; jumped in our dinghy and sped over there...
I had the idea that he could just step up into our dinghy, using the hydrofoil wings on our outboard, like Susan does after snorkeling or diving....
But he was so tired, after all his efforts, and by this time I'm assuming, scared that he was going to drown, right there in the middle of 250 moored boats (most with people on them)...
Anyway...I was making headway with getting him to release his grip on his stern ladder (which there was no-way he could climb, being an out-of-shape, older gentleman, that I know smokes all the time).... when Frank Gillig (from s/v Heron) shows up in his dinghy...
Together we came up with an acceptable way to save this gentleman's life...
Frank untied the stern ladder while I gave the gentleman a hand and kept him afloat by our dinghy... Once the ladder was down...Frank and I coaxed, and physically pushed him, 'til he was in his cockpit...
That was a close one... A little longer and I doubt he could have held onto his boat...
even standing still, in a harbor, He was expended physically.... and never yelled for help...
How strange that would have been... had he drowned right in the middle of this mooring field...
It was just damn lucky that Frank and I happened to be out on deck..., and somewhat alert.
Like I said... Interesting day...