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Melissa & Dave - Adventures at Sea

Paddleboard Rescue!

Today is our anniversary.  No, not for getting married.  But one year ago today we started off from Seattle in a small white sailboat bound for adventures.  Amazing to think that was a whole year ago.  But it was!

Last night we agreed with Wanuskewin that we would sleep in this morning and then find someplace for Sunday brunch.  So at 10am Mike called and said they were headed for the port dock in their dingy.  We dressed and launched our dingy.  We lift it up onto the arch every night to keep it from being stolen.  We were half way across the bay, weaving our way through all the anchored pangas when a couple of locals on one of the pangas started yelling at us and pointing.  We look about frantically trying to see what the obstacle in our way might be.  We can see no immediate dangers.  Yet its clear the two locals are distressed.  Dave turns around and pulls up next to their panga thinking that maybe they need a ride to shore.  We've learned that many of the boats have locals that sleep on them for $5 per night to protect them.  So despite being on the boat they might not have the ability to actually start the engines.  The locals are still pointing and yelling.  Finally we see what they are pointing at.  Two paddle-boarders have blown all the way out to the end of the bay.  The furthest of them is nearing the rocks at the entrance to the bay where the surf is pounding.  The winds are strong and its clear they are in trouble.

Dave hits full throttle and we go blazing out to the rocks.  When we arrive we find a young man who is embarrassed.  We ask if he needs help and he says, "well I am just learning".  So we ask if he would like a tow back away from the rocks.  He says yes.  He climbs aboard and Melissa lifts the paddle board up onto the dingy.  We head back to get the second paddle boarder who wasn't quite as near to the rocks, but by then Wanuskewin had figured out what we were doing and had picked up the second guy in tow.  Second guy turned out to be the Dad who was frantically trying to reach his son who was clearly in need of help.  Both dingy's head for the beach.  We dropped them off just short of the surf line so we wouldn't have to make a surf landing. 

They were locals from Managua (capital of Nicaragua) just out for the weekend.  The boy's English was so good we thought for sure he was from the US.  He asked if we were married, and Melissa said yes.  He said that he thought maybe Melissa was Dave's daughter.  Melissa laughs and points to her grey hair telling him that its not blonde but grey up there!

We stop for breakfast at a local restaurant.  Then Dave and Mike go to get some gas for Wanuskewin while Holly and Melissa shop for dresses in the plethora of local beach shops.  Both girls are on the hunt for short cool dresses we can wear on the boat.  We agree to meet back up with the boys at Pelican Eyes for drinks.  Pelican Eyes turns out to be a cool hotel up on the hill with great views.  Then it was back down the beach for appetizers before we load back onto the dingy's and head for the boats.

Tomorrow we head for Costa Rica baby!

 

 

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