Dock dancing

[Sunset]

This probably one of those story's that you had to witness to get the full extent of the humor.
I had been down at Barkley Lake a few summers ago helping my brother on a friends house. We worked for four days in miserable heat, but a good breeze. I had taken my boat and left it at the friends dock. The plan was to do the work, then my brother and I would go sailing and stay out on the lake for a few nights.
The day we cast off there was about 0 to 5 wind, but who cares we were on the boat and going to enjoy it. The temperature was around 96 and Sky's clear. We spent a night in a cove, had a few cold ones and lit the grill. Hoping for better sailing the next day we headed for our bunks. The next day brought more of the same, high 90's clear Sky's and nearly no wind except a occasional few minutes of gusts of 5 plus. So we had all the sail up on my catketch including the staysail. Every once in a while we would make way of 2 to 3.
It was hot even under the Bimini and we had no beer. Most counties in this area are dry so you cannot just stop in and grab a few. We were both looking at each other silently asking our self's how much fun we were having. When I saw the opening to a marina. I asked my brother if he was up to motoring in and getting a sandwich and a cold coke in the air condition. He to my surprise said OH you just want to go in there and have a beer. I SAID THEY SERVE BEER!!! He said yes no carry outs but you can have a cold one there. I didn't even look at him and started the noisy motor and made a direct run for the marina.
When we got in the marina there was a long aluminum dock 100 yards long, with fingers of covered slips and uncovered. It was painted a cream color, very nice looking.
My brother and I were dressed in shorts and put shirts on as we came into the inlet.
Now you have to use some visualisation now. My brother is very fair skinned and a reddish beard. He had on orange shorts with a red and white stripped shirt, a straw hat that would have made Jed Clampett smile and no shoes. I had not dropped the sails because there was no wind and thought I would do it at the dock. As we were motoring into the slip My brother jumped from the boat and made a perfect landing on the aluminium dock. He didn't take a dock line with him. At that instance a puff of wind move the boat where I couldn't reach him with a line. While I was maneuvering the boat I noticed he was dancing on the dock. I told him to get serious here and we'll have a cold beer and he could dance later. He started screaming at me to get is sandals that the dock was unbelievably hot. I started laughing so hard it was tough to find is sandals. When I did they were so nasty looking I didn't want to touch them without tongs or something. Meanwhile he's dancing faster and faster. So I threw the things to him all the time he's dancing and telling me not to miss the dock because those are his good shoes. Here he is dancing like a mad white man with no rhythm dressed like color blind hillbilly screaming for his best shoes. It was more than I could take, he was in pain and I could barely get his shoes to him. He put them on and started walking for the beer. He left me to tie up the boat. I got it secure and the sails put away. Then I was having visuals of him do his paniced dance on the dock and broke out in a laugh that had to sound like a mad man at the same time about a half a dozen folks walked by on the dock. Here I was all by myself laughing like crazy, they just looked at me and continued walking, talking among themselves about the loony they just saw.
All ended well with a few Coors and a piece of lime pie.

[Captain Smollett]

Nice!  (the story, not your treatment of your brother....   ;D ;D ;D ).  Grog for sharing it.

[Sunset]

This is a short part two of the same day.
After a few hours the $4 per can of beer, beautiful waitress and pie was nothing but memories. We were making about 2 knots in a little wind. But it was still hot.
My phone rang, I don't answer it normally but it was a friend of mine. While I'm talking to him my brother decides he's going for a swim without telling me of his plans. While I'm talking I see him walk to the bow and jump off. I thought whats wrong with him. He pops up just short of the swim ladder. He thinks he can catch the boat but that worked out about as well as the dock thing. So I hung up the phone and spilled the breeze from the sails so he could get aboard again. He climbed aboard and I asked him, what were you thinking? He was out of breath and looking kind of embarrassed, I thought I could catch the boat easily. With the look on his face and the recent dock ordeal, I started to laugh again. Actually into tears. He saw absolutely nothing humorous about any of it. I do dumb things all the time and if someone gets a kick out of it I just figure they'll live longer for it.

[Tim]

Both great stories, thanks, to you and your brother!

[Jim_ME]

This could be a Bruce Springsteen song...

Your bare feets a-fire
You worryin that the locals may stand and gawk
At this bum`s attire
Even if you`re just dancing on the dock

;D

[Oldrig]

Priceless--including Jim's Springsteen-like lyrics.

Still under the tarp up here--maybe this week it'll come off.

--Joe