UFO over Lake Hartwell

7:05 am
N 34 29.65
W 082 48.471

Ok that was weird.

I anchored out last night near an unnamed island. Then a few minutes before dawn this morning I glanced out Calypso's port port (left window) just in time to see a bright, pulsing white light streak across the sky.

It's impossible to estimate an object's size and speed without knowing its distance, but what I saw was too low and way too fast to be an airplane: it moved through a 90-degree field of view in about 6 seconds ... in other words it would've appeared at one horizon and disappeared at the other in about 12 seconds.

Whoa.

I jumped to the helm for a better look before the light totally disappeared from sight ... and immediately encountered the unexpected: the light was attached to a radio tower on shore and towers don't fly,

The light appeared to be moving at an incredible speed because Calypso was pivoting counter-clockwise on her anchor line.

So there ya go. Boats move; radio towers not so much. End of mystery.

Sorry to report there were no flying saucers diving to their secret base at the bottom of Lake Hartwell, no little green men in silver suits stealing cattle, no lurid tale of abduction by extraterrestrials, not even a telepathic robot instructing me to "Take me to your leader."

But I'm still pretty sure I did see Oprah's face in an oatmeal cookie once.


From Monday's "What's that got to do with anything?" Department

Last night when I arrived the lake was smooth as glass. Shoot, conditions were so calm that once I was on course I literally didn't have to touch the wheel the whole way out.

Well, the weather forecast said conditions would change overnight and they did: right now there's a combination of wind and current trying to push Calypso backwards toward the shallows.

Precisely where I don't want her to go because rocks, stumps, jagged roots and who knows what other nasties lurking down there would eagerly disrespect her integrity and thoughtlessly punch unwelcome holes in her bottom.

Thank goodness her anchor is solid. Thank goodness her anchor's still holding.

Why are boats named after women anyway?
Calypso would rather be GOING than sitting still and she's letting me know she's restless & morose by twisting n' groaning against her anchor. That's her way of pouting & saying she'd rather be making waves in public with her throttles open and the wind in her face and she thinks her anchor is weighing her down.

She can't grasp that her anchor's there for a reason: to keep her safe and afloat in the worst possible conditions.

At least from my perspective that means Calypso's anchor is also her most dependable friend.