Persistence Pays...but next year I'm opting out

When we go on our annual family vacation to the Jersey Shore, we ALWAYS take a day to go crabbing. It's tradition. But this year, it almost didn't happen.

My husband went to the run-down marina we always rent from yesterday, only to find out that the pontoon we needed to rent was broken down. However, they said it'd probably be fixed the next day.

So we came the next day, and as promised, the boat was fixed, sorta.

First of all, we waited for over 40 minutes for the marina guy to get some gas for the boat.

Then once we finally headed out, my husband went the opposite way that we usually go (against my suggestion to just stick with what we know). We landed near some pier (that happened to jet out from some nuclear looking plant!). While there, we were in a bunch of mud and muck, which wouldn't allow the engine to start back up. We had to call the marina, where the head guy came out and got us started back up.

So we headed back toward the marina, to go the direction I originally said we should go...where we knew the crabs were. When going by the marina, we decided to make a pitstop there to pick up a bushel to hold the crabs (kinda important). However, when we stopped, we couldn't start again. The marina guy had to actually get a new battery for the boat. Finally it started, and off we were again.

And out into the bay we went, until my husband decided to stop and throw down some traps...eventhough we pleaded with him to just take us right to the bridge, where we know the crabs hang out. We anchored briefly, and threw down some traps, but it was too deep, and no crabs were taking the bait. So we decided to pull up the anchor, and go to the bridge.

Except we couldn't get the anchor up. Both Melvin and I pulled and pulled and pulled, but the thing was stuck. At the same time, Melvin tried to start the engine, but it wouldn't spark. He turned the key and turned the key, but still no fire. And the anchor was still stuck. Thinking that maybe there was some sort of correllation, Melvin climbed down the back of the boat checking to see that anchor rope was not lodged around the engine/propeller. The poor guy got all wet, only to discover that everything was fine. We pulled and pulled at the anchor again, and finally, it became dislodged from all the mud and muck at the bottom of the bay. But the engine still wouldn't start.

So we had to call the marina again and wait for a rescue. In the meantime, it's hot, the kids are getting antsy and we're quickly running out of juiceboxes!

Finally the marina guys came to try to get us started. They tried, and tried, and tried. But still the motor wouldn't turn. Finally, Melvin tried once more, and for no apparent reason, the boat decided to start.

Now any normal kind of people would take that boat right back to the marina and just go buy some crabs. But not my husband! With his usual determination, he was bound and determined for us to catch our own crabs. So slowly, very slowly since the engine wouldn't allow us to go at some normal speed, we made our way to our bridge. And.......

JACKPOT!