AT 2 a.m. last Saturday, three friends and I were on a cruising sailboat in the Kaiwi Channel on our way to Molokai. The radio and refrigerator were on and the navigation lights had been burning since dark. It was time to start the engine and recharge the batteries. Timing is everything
I turned the key. The lights dimmed and the engine made a runnnh noise. Then, nothing.
No problem. I went below and switched to the fully charged backup batteries, set aside just to start the engine. Turned the key again. Nothing. Not even a click.
Anybody who's had a flat tire and opened the trunk to find the spare is flat, too, knows the feeling. The batteries that we had carefully checked, charged and topped off with distilled water two days before went belly up once we left the dock. Bad timing.
Unfortunately, AAA doesn't dispatch tow trucks to the Penguin Banks, so the flat-tire comparison ends right there. Of course, we still had sails, wind, food, fresh water, plenty of batteries for flashlights and all kinds of safety equipment. We were in no physical danger.
However, our wives planned to meet us at 8 a.m. in Kaunakakai. Without an engine there was no way we'd get there before noon.
Three hours and 20 minutes passed before we remembered the cellular phone. Problem solved. We'd just call and tell the women to either stay home or take a later plane.
We called. Their answering machines answered - they'd all just left for the airport.
Timing is everything.
