Habormaster bails out boaters

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To the Editor:

After Roland ran his boat numerous times in our yard, he never had a problem starting the boat. It ran perfectly. So he launched the boat in Oak Bluffs harbor and the boat started right up. He set his controls, got his fishing gear ready and left the dock. He got just outside O.B. harbor and the albies were busting. He put the boat in neutral and made one cast into the fish and the boat stalled. He couldn’t get the boat started again, and he started drifting towards the Steamship Authority wharf. He tied the boat up to the Oak Bluffs Steamship terminal, at which point Roland turned around and saw the ferry coming into dock.

So he moved his boat around the pilings by hand to the other side of the dock and made a cell phone call to me. He told me to go to his truck, which is parked at the O.B. boat ramp, mind you with his truck alarm on, which I don’t have the alarm key for, and tells me to get his battery booster, get some rope, and go to the Steamship Authority and lower the battery charger down to him. Not.

So, Miss Panic City here, I thought to call the O.B. harbormaster Todd Alexander. He asked me what kind of boat Roland had and I told him, and he told me they would go right out to get Roland, which they did.

So, as I’m waiting at the O.B. dock, I see Roland getting towed in to the ramp. So when we got the boat home, we called our boat mechanic, Keith Maciel, who came right over and fixed the problem, so kudos to you also, Keith.

We can’t thank Todd and Paul Zychowicz enough for their assistance. They were there within minutes and were extremely professional. So we just wanted to thank you guys.

Sherry Mele and Roland Perreault

Quincy and Oak Bluffs