Pic of the actual Boat - different operator
While on the Island of St. Croix visiting friends, there was not much thing to do, but there was lot to observed. Being one who loves and enjoy nature, I will enjoy the beautiful scenes that unfold before me; scenes such as the boats floating by, the birds as they get their morning meals, the changing patterns of the tides and the human activities of people going about their business. This was not only relaxing it was very enjoyable.
I can remember the very first morning, I went to that dock in the little town of Christiansted. The boat man or the ferry operator (a native of St. Croix) made his way from Island on the Cay and came to where I was sitting and as his custom is, he asked me if I am going over to the island. As the ferry operator he was expected to take the hotel staff as well as guess of the hotel and patron of the popular bar to and from the little island on which the Hotel was built. This island is about fifty meters from the town of Christiansted.
I politely informed the ferry operator, I will not be using his service today. He proceeded to take the few passengers who had assembled on the dock to the luxury island. Each day from Monday to Friday I will religiously travel to that very spot. At times the boat operator and I will exchange a glimpse, a nod of the head a passing mumble but rarely did we never had a meaningful conversation.
It was Wednesday 26th November 2008, the day before thanksgiving; My friend went to work and I was left alone to enjoy the day doing whatever I felt like. I went to the dock as was usual, while there, I noticed the same ferry operator performing what was his regularly expected duties. However, today he had very unattractive bulky looking vessel; with which to take guess, workers and bar patrons to and from the island.
When the boat operator docked, I bid the boat operator good morning, and then I inquired about the regular vessel. Ferry operator ignored my greeting as well as, the question I asked. As a matter of fact, he refused to turn around and acknowledged my presence. I repeated the question louder, I was of the impression the boat operator did not hear what I said. Once again, he did not answer and neither did he acknowledge me. The man who was busy as he fiddled around with some item, which in his mind, helped him justify ignoring me. A few passengers came; as a result, he got them boarded and he went about his assignment as normal.
On his return to the dock where I was still sitting, As is his custom he manuvered the boat close to the small whaft, he got off at the stern of the boat and he used one rope to hold the boat to the whaft. This was convenient for the purpose for the following reason, the boat is never at the dock for any significant period of time and the island provided shelter for the small dock and the wave was not as such to negatively affect the boat.
I took the liberty and I repeated the question I asked him earlier. Not being as smart as other people are, it was only after I asked the question for the third time that I realized the ferry operator was ignoring me. The Ferry operator was excercising his rights; and there was noting I could have done about it. As a result, I smiled at his strange and impolite behavior. Once again he was trying to justify ignoring me by fiddling with the ropes on the vessel. He stood on the whaft as he continued to fiddle with some rope that was attached to the boat.
After I realized the ferry operator was ignoring me, I turned my attention to something else. I do not know what caused my attention to return to the ferry and the ferry operator, but when I looked in the direction of the ferry; I could not believe what I saw. I noticed the bow of the boat has swung way from the dock; the ferry operator was dangling from the molding that join the deck of the boat to the hull. The Ferry operator was holding on that ledge with both hands, his he was facing the boat and both of his feet, up to his knees were dangling in the water.
I quickly rushed over to where my impolite friend was in distress; I momentarily glanced into his eyes, which revealed absolute fear, could it be that the fairy operator was unable to swim? The fear in his eyes, alerted me of the seriousness of the matter that confronted the ferry operator. The ferry operator needed my help but he was too ashamed to asked for help.
The bow of the boar was not to far from the whaft, as a result, I maneuvered myself as to take hold of the helpless ferry operator by securing my hands under his arm pit. I did this by stradling the whaft and the ferry with my legs and holding the fairy operator under his arm pits with both of my hands. Even before I have securely griped him he let lose his grip of the boat and I was left to carry the weight of a man that was no less than two hundred and forty (250 lbs) pounds. I tried my very best, utilizing all of the force I could have generated in an effort to hoist the ferry operator onto the dock; but unfortunately; not even the adrenaline that such events cause to be excreted into the blood of one in a similar situation did not provided me with the required strength that was necessary to pull this man to safety. With the belief that he was unable to swim, I know I could not allow him to fall into the water.
To do so, would have immediately change the situation, transforming it from a simple slip into a fatality; which may have resulted in the lost of a husband, a father, a brother and a friend to God knows how many people. So I held onto my friend for quite a while. The force, I was putting on my legs, which was on the boat and the other on the whaft, which I did to keep the man from falling into the sea, cause the ferry to slowly move further away from the whaft.
On his return to the dock where I was still sitting, As is his custom he manuvered the boat close to the small whaft, he got off at the stern of the boat and he used one rope to hold the boat to the whaft. This was convenient for the purpose for the following reason, the boat is never at the dock for any significant period of time and the island provided shelter for the small dock and the wave was not as such to negatively affect the boat.
I took the liberty and I repeated the question I asked him earlier. Not being as smart as other people are, it was only after I asked the question for the third time that I realized the ferry operator was ignoring me. The Ferry operator was excercising his rights; and there was noting I could have done about it. As a result, I smiled at his strange and impolite behavior. Once again he was trying to justify ignoring me by fiddling with the ropes on the vessel. He stood on the whaft as he continued to fiddle with some rope that was attached to the boat.
After I realized the ferry operator was ignoring me, I turned my attention to something else. I do not know what caused my attention to return to the ferry and the ferry operator, but when I looked in the direction of the ferry; I could not believe what I saw. I noticed the bow of the boat has swung way from the dock; the ferry operator was dangling from the molding that join the deck of the boat to the hull. The Ferry operator was holding on that ledge with both hands, his he was facing the boat and both of his feet, up to his knees were dangling in the water.
I quickly rushed over to where my impolite friend was in distress; I momentarily glanced into his eyes, which revealed absolute fear, could it be that the fairy operator was unable to swim? The fear in his eyes, alerted me of the seriousness of the matter that confronted the ferry operator. The ferry operator needed my help but he was too ashamed to asked for help.
The bow of the boar was not to far from the whaft, as a result, I maneuvered myself as to take hold of the helpless ferry operator by securing my hands under his arm pit. I did this by stradling the whaft and the ferry with my legs and holding the fairy operator under his arm pits with both of my hands. Even before I have securely griped him he let lose his grip of the boat and I was left to carry the weight of a man that was no less than two hundred and forty (250 lbs) pounds. I tried my very best, utilizing all of the force I could have generated in an effort to hoist the ferry operator onto the dock; but unfortunately; not even the adrenaline that such events cause to be excreted into the blood of one in a similar situation did not provided me with the required strength that was necessary to pull this man to safety. With the belief that he was unable to swim, I know I could not allow him to fall into the water.
To do so, would have immediately change the situation, transforming it from a simple slip into a fatality; which may have resulted in the lost of a husband, a father, a brother and a friend to God knows how many people. So I held onto my friend for quite a while. The force, I was putting on my legs, which was on the boat and the other on the whaft, which I did to keep the man from falling into the sea, cause the ferry to slowly move further away from the whaft.
This created a new dynamic, to the already strange situation. However, there was a Caucasian man: a tourist with his female companion, standing some distance away from where we were. They were observing the beauty of nature like I was. The man saw me struggling with the man, whose feet was still dangling in the sea, but now he was now dangling from my arms. The Caucasian tourist quickly came over to where I was to render some assistance.
Together we tried, to get the boat operator back onto the dock, but even with the added help of this fellow it was a difficult task. Both me and the new help was pulling away but we were not getting any where. There was no change in the situation. Then I heard my help start counting, immediately and without any further discussion, we both pulled on the count of three. With the coordinated force of my helper and I, acting on the count of three, we managed to get the ferry operator onto the docks.
When he was safely on the dock, I went back to my seat and resume what I was doing before I went to the ferry operator’s aid. While there; I noticed the man who had just been rescued still sitting in the place and position we left him. For about ten minutes he sat there in silence, not looking left or right but he sat in what appear to be a contemplative mood. Then without any warning, he looked in my direction and said “thank you Sir thanks very much.”
The ferry operator left the docks with a new set of passengers and later returned carrying more passengers from the island. Once again he looked in my direction and said thank you once again
Together we tried, to get the boat operator back onto the dock, but even with the added help of this fellow it was a difficult task. Both me and the new help was pulling away but we were not getting any where. There was no change in the situation. Then I heard my help start counting, immediately and without any further discussion, we both pulled on the count of three. With the coordinated force of my helper and I, acting on the count of three, we managed to get the ferry operator onto the docks.
When he was safely on the dock, I went back to my seat and resume what I was doing before I went to the ferry operator’s aid. While there; I noticed the man who had just been rescued still sitting in the place and position we left him. For about ten minutes he sat there in silence, not looking left or right but he sat in what appear to be a contemplative mood. Then without any warning, he looked in my direction and said “thank you Sir thanks very much.”
The ferry operator left the docks with a new set of passengers and later returned carrying more passengers from the island. Once again he looked in my direction and said thank you once again
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