Spending time with Chuck
by: Guest
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Word Count: 1682
Spending time with Chuck \ \ By Charles Wheeler \ \ \ \ I have been waking up thinking about something that happening \ \ to me and my son Chuck. I have decided to write it down while it’s \ \ on my mind.\ \ \ \ Chuck was seventeen, we had him when I was seventeen, a \ \ child dad. This was not a good combination I thought I knew it \ \ all, he knew he did. Needless to say we had not been getting \ \ along very well for quite a while. \ \ \ \ My wife told me, honey you need to find a way to spend more time \ \ with Chuck. Well I have not been spending very much time with him \ \ the last few years. Honey he will be grown and gone before you \ \ know it, I said ok. Chuck is my oldest son. I have seven children, \ \ fourteen grand kids and five great grand children.\ \ \ \ So I have decided to start spending more time with Chuck now the \ \ question is, doing what?\ \ \ \ We tried golf, he tried to hard and all we did was argue. Then we \ \ tried fishing but the rest of the kids wanted to go along. That was \ \ ok, but it was not what I wanted. Was to spend some time with \ \ Chuck.\ \ \ \ Two weeks later a friend of mine ask me to go sailing with him \ \ that Saturday as he needed a crewman.\ \ \ \ He had a real nice sailboat a Catalina 22. The rules were that he \ \ had to have two people on his boat to race. His normal crew had \ \ something to do and couldn’t sail that Saturday so he ask me. \ \ \ \ I told him that I had never sailed on a sailboat, he said that was \ \ ok. He would show me. I ask can I bring my son Chuck along. \ \ He said yes no problem. \ \ \ \ We went, neither Chuck nor I knew anything about sailing and \ \ we a great time.\ \ \ \ On the way home we talked about a lot of things. One thing that \ \ was brought up was, why don’t we get us a sailboat, and then \ \ we could learn to sail together.\ \ \ \ The next week we looked in the paper (bet you thought I was going \ \ to say internet, there wasn’t any internet back then) we looked in \ \ the paper.\ \ \ \ SAILBOAT FOR SALE the ad read. Dad let’s go look at it. First we called \ \ had it in the paper for $850 said that would take $600 cash. We went \ \ to look at it.\ \ \ \ It was a Dolphin. Not to bad, a two person sailboat 5 years old and in \ \ good shape. We got it.\ \ \ \ Chuck was very proud of that boat. We joined the sailboat club to go \ \ racing (fours hours to go three miles) breaking the speed records. Chuck \ \ got some books from the library about the racing rules. The next week \ \ he told me. Keep going dad we have the right-of -way and he yelled \ \ starboard boat. Yea we are doing ok.\ \ \ \ The last race was November 15th it was cold and windy about 35mph. The \ \ race was to start at 1pm. We got out to the lake at 11am. Unloaded the \ \ boat and got the sail up. \ \ \ \ The wind was blowing about 35mph and boat was pulling hard. Chuck was \ \ going to park the car but I told him to come on. We would sail the boat to \ \ the dock and come back and park the car. He said let me get the life preservers, \ \ I said no come on let’s go we will be right back.\ \ \ \ As we got under way, wow this wind must be blowing harder than I thought. \ \ Thrilling but a little scary if you know what I mean. In just minutes we were \ \ quite a ways out. \ \ \ \ I tried to turn around but a nearly turned the boat over. The only way that I \ \ could turn around was to go across the lake to the other side and get out of \ \ the hard wind. Man what a ride the temp was 45 cold but exciting we were \ \ right on the edge.\ \ \ \ We got turned around no easy feat and headed back. We have decided to put \ \ the boat up we didn’t want any more of this. Cold wet and a little scared. A gust \ \ hit us. What am I doing in the water? \ \ \ \ Its ok Chuck will come back and get me. I heard Chuck yell stay there dad I will \ \ go and get the boat. We were both in the water and the boat was moving away \ \ from us. We both tried to swim after it but we could not get close to it. The waves \ \ were one to two feet high; the wind just moved the boat away from us. \ \ \ \ I looked around it was two miles to land that way, and two miles that way. I always \ \ thought when I heard of someone drowning how anyone could get in that kind of \ \ trouble. Now I know.\ \ \ \ Chuck we are in a lot of trouble. We may be ok if we can survive for 30 or 45min.\ \ I think that the crew will be out to put the racing pylons in place. They will surely \ \ see the boat with the sail down it the water, and know that there is a problem.\ \ \ \ I read somewhere that if you are in an emergency like this stay away from each other \ \ Chuck was trying to hold me up. I pushed him away. I told him we are in a lot of trouble \ \ and we will have to save ourselves. \ \ \ \ I can float and Chuck can tread water but it is so cold and the waves are so high.\ \ I must remember to keep the top of my head down under the water and wait until \ \ a wave goes over my head then take a breath. It’s going pretty good oh man its cold.\ \ \ \ Cough- Cough where did that wave come from. Chuck, are you ok. Chuck, sorry dad \ \ thought I heard you but the wind. I didn’t know .Yes I am ok. Dad- yes, are we going \ \ to make it. I have not seen any boats on the lake. Do you think that I should try to \ \ swim to shore? No let’s wait and see if the crew comes out. How long has it been, \ \ 20 minutes dad. \ \ \ \ It goes on and on. It seems like hours float, tread water, see if Chuck is ok, and float \ \ again.\ \ \ \ I am floating, I here a boat motor. I know that we have made it. I heard my son holler \ \ throw me something that floats and save my dad, he is up there. I relaxed I was saved \ \ I saw the boat getting dimmer and dimmer as I started to sink. All at once a hand hit \ \ me in the chest I grabbed it and he pulled me from under the water.\ \ \ \ On shore waiting for the ambulance the guys told me they saw the Dolphin floating into \ \ the dam. They thought that it had broken loose from its mooring. So they launched their \ \ boat and went after it, but when they saw the sails in the water. \ \ \ \ They knew it was an emergency, standard procedure. Head up wind that’s were the boat \ \ had to come from and hope that you are time to save whoever is in trouble. \ \ \ \ So that’s what they did then they went tearing across that lake. When they saw my son he \ \ told them give me something that floats And save my dad. He is that way. They said they \ \ did not see me. Then there he is.\ \ \ \ He just went under quick hold my legs. He reached under the water and touched my chest \ \ and grabbed me, he said he thought that something broke his arm is was grabbed so hard. \ \ He had a black bruise on that arm for a week \ \ \ \ My son made a quick recovery. The doctor told me I nearly didn’t make it. It was a good \ \ thing that I had quit smoking the year before or I probably wouldn’t have. We were in \ \ the water only 45 minutes. It seemed like hours.\ \ \ \ Chuck and I have sailed for years since then. We have had many boats over the years \ \ and had many sailing experiences. But none like this. \ \ \ \ Chuck and I haven’t ever said anything about this. But I thought that I should write this \ \ down before I forget it because it’s been 28 years and my memory is not what it uses to \ \ be. \ \
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