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I live near Boston and recently have been a “winter tenant” at a beach house north of town. This means mid-September through mid-June, then the high-paying summer renters come. The house overlooks a salt marsh which is used by wildlife and humans alike: seabirds, seals, the occasional beaver or otter, boaters, clammers, fisherfolk, jet-skiers.
Yesterday the wind was up and when I glanced out the window, I spied a stray dinghy stranded out on the marsh. Apparently it had drifted away from its mooring somewhere. It was an inflatable with an outboard motor: not cheap, and surely someone would be missing it. So I called the local police, reported the wayward boat and an hour later the police called back. They’d found the owner, and wanted me to talk to him to describe the exact location.
He was some distance away and at first sounded annoyed about the situation. No wonder: where the dinghy was can only be reached by water, and only at high tide. The next one was at 2AM. If the boat wasn’t rescued, it would drift elsewhere. I sent him a photo with the dinghy circled, and wished him luck.
Later I got a grateful text from him. There was another solution that, as a non-boater, I hadn’t thought of. “Put it on anchor. Will get it Thursday high tide. Thanks for your help.” I’ll keep an eye on his dinghy meanwhile, and when it disappears, I’ll know I did some good this week.
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