"What a day on the bay!", one of our group of four said to nobody in particular, but to everyone in general.
It is a Newfoundland expression so we all knew what he was saying and had to agree. It was a magnificent day to be in a wooden skiff, sitting on a silky sea with the sun hot on our necks and shoulders where our Flotation Vests did not cover the skin.
On that bright and beautiful day the words of a popular song sung by a Newfoundland band came to mind, words that suited us perfectly:
In the middle of the week,
In the middle of the day,
In the middle of the boat,
In the middle of the bay!
That was us on that middle of the week day. We were casting our cares to the ocean, planning to go ashore and build a fire to boil the kettle when supper time came. That was our only planned activity and who would not enjoy such an afternoon in this busy world?
Occasionally we would stop and, with the cod fishing season open, would try to catch a fish, and become very excited when one was caught. It would be our supper.
Then it happened! We found ourselves over an area of deep water that was teaming with fish. At times like this we would anchor the boat to keep it from drifting off the fishing position. Small boats usually use a ‘grapnel’ anchor, locally usually called a ‘grapple’. It has four flukes which you can depend on grabbing something on the ocean floor keep us steady.
So excited was the person in the bow of the boat that when the order came to ‘throw over the grapple’, he, surrounded by yards of strong, yellow, nylon rope, picked up the grapple that is always in the bow of the boat, and threw it as hard as he could, which was quite a distance.
However, something was wrong! We all watched in total captivation as the grapple sank, and pulled all the rope down with it! The person in charge of throwing the anchor was mesmerized, and the look of horror on his face showed his dismay.
The grapple anchor was not tied to the boat! .
Dead silence fell over the group. Never would anyone expect that this particular ‘anchor’ person would do such a thing as he has such an in-depth knowledge of boats and the sea.
Then someone found their voice and said "Well, well, well!"
The man in the bow was in a bit of shock at what he had done, and explained that he was splicing a rope and assumed the anchor was tied-it was every other time, and he well knew it because it was his boat!
Then the laughter started as we all finally absorbed what had just happened. Our loud laughter spilled from the boat and frolicked across the water. We were dumbfounded at what had just taken place, and even more bewildered at who had done it. The ‘grapnel’ is not expensive, nor did we really need it that day, so it was not a big issue. But seeing that foot after foot of yellow anchor rope disappear into the sea is an image that will remain with us all forever, much to the dismay of the ‘anchorman’!
However, we caught fish, had a fire and cooked supper on shore, saw a magnificent sunset, made another memory, and engaged in laughter with old friends. No grapple can ever replace all of that.
I think the lesson to be learned is the old familiar ‘Never assume’ rule and is indeed an example of what can happen when we do ‘assume’. So, it will always be a very laughable memory.
One day on the wharf a week or so later we were telling the story of the ‘grapple’ when I noticed an older gentleman standing within hearing distance of us. He was quite ‘dapper’, smoked a pipe and looked decidedly out of place on a wharf. His smile was kind and he spoke softly. He, too, now knew the funny experience we had with the grapple.
Then the gentleman approached me and asked "Will YOUR anchor hold in the storms of life?", and of course I recognize that those words are the words of a hymn we sang in Sunday School.
He went on to say that it was an interesting analogy, and I had to agree. It is also a profound question, and is as deep as the ocean into which the grapple vanished. It left me questioning as I remembered the hymn, our Sunday School, and how beautifully the Salvation Army Band would play the piece in it’s ‘open air’ services during the summers years ago.
Before I could answer him, he had disappeared. I have never seen him since that day, but I have given his question much thought, and I am still seeking the answer, and remembering life events I have needed an anchor for and have found it.
Will I find it again when life overwhelms me with another storm?
Life is filled with storms at times, and the man’s question started me on a journey of self-discovery, and deep thought.
Will my anchor really hold me? I hope so. However only when the big storms hit will I know the answer. It has held me in the past, but will it continue to withstand the storms not yet on the horizon?
It is definitely food for thought as we rush through our lives, often never thinking of such things. Maybe we should slow down and think about them. I think of such things now, and all because of the grapple that slipped into the sea, with no ties to bind it.
How about you? Will your anchor hold you in the storms of life?
I hope it will.
Bonnie Jarvis-Lowe
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