Notes from the Bridge

I was running the 120’ jet drive Denison “Lakewood Lady”.?This was the 2nd Owner of 3 that I worked for.?Jet Drive is a great propulsion method, if used properly you can easily maneuver with out the aid of bow and stern thrusters.?It does take some practice to get the hang of it but once you do, you’ll not want to drive anything else.?The owner wanted me to go to Charleston, S.C. where he was from.?I love Charleston and was eager to go.?The trip from Ft. Lauderdale was rough 4-6’ on the beam and swells large enough that in the trough you only see blue water. ?We were to be the host yacht at the premiere Harbor Town Golf Resort in Hilton Head S. Carolina. ?Just a little bit of pressure to get there on time. We struggled along as the crew slowly became accustomed to the motion, i.e., sea sickness.?Eventually we got into deeper water and pushed by the Gulf Steam made better headway.?We arrived in Bogue Sound and made are way to the dock. Perched on the 18th Green we had a million-dollar view.??The owner was very thankful that we made it with hours to spare. The crew was exhausted but ponied up to get the boat washed down and the Chef began preparing appetizers. ?We all took shifts in getting a nap during the day, I was so proud of them.?We spent the next 3 days entertaining and finished the tournament.?From there we left for downtown Charleston, S.C. ?The owner asked to meet with me.?He told me there were new rules. 1) At the next haul-out (Fall) I was expected to grind the hull of all growth and prep for bottom paint. ?2) All left- over provisions from charters were to be saved and given to him. 3) All laundry was to be paid for by the crew, my last straw.?I told him this was unacceptable and quit. (First time and only time in 34 years!) ?I packed my bags and the next morning got a call from the owner saying he would pick me up and drive me to the airport! He did, and along the way asked me to reconsider, which I did not. ?The next weekend was a hot and humid Sunday.?The Mate, now captain, took the yacht and passengers up Shim Creek. As it sounds, its narrow.?As I’m told (by the owner) the new captain freeked-out loss control and rammed a stone fixed bridge at the end of the creek.?Shim Creek is lined with restaurants and Sunday is the busiest.?This is a big boat to be in there and everyone was watching.?The owner and his guests were horrified, to say the least.?The captain then went into emergency full reverse which resulted backing into a piling causing more chaos.?There is a delay when going into reverse with jet drives.?You must wait until the “bucket” reaches neutral before adding more RPM or you will increase the forward speed. This is the mistake the captain made.?The owner called me the following day and explained the situation and asked me to come back! I did, if the "new rules" were gone!?They were!