Presentation of the 2007 Bent Prop Award
"Past
Commanders Mike Kirk and Tony Dodson and Educational Officer Andy Hyman, please
come forward," announced Cdr Elaine Price, AP, holder of the 2006 Bent Prop
Award.
"This event, or series of events as it were, happened at the end
of the Co-op Charting Cruise on the Cooper River, as the boats were being loaded
onto the trailers," Price began.
"Tony and Mike, I believe you were the first to load
— and not without incident. I believe there
was the distinct sound of metal striking rock as both of you loaded and that the
propellers of both of your vessels were somewhat scarred, to say the least. And
KNOWING this, you still waived Andy in. He, too, encountered those rocks, and,
well, let’s just say that 'scarred' doesn’t come close to describing the
outcome.
"Andy, I believe this is yours (Elaine hands him a piece of his
prop).
I’m
told that a certain gentleman in the Great Lakes region who repairs stainless
steel props received a whole carton of props after this incident. However, I
have to admit, there were mitigating circumstances leading to this series of
events.
"First, high winds upon arrival prohibited the locks from being
opened, so at the last minute, a launch site below the locks had to be chosen,
and the choices were limited. Second, due to the drought and the tide stage, the
water level was extremely low and falling. So, taking into consideration those
facts, and out of the goodness of my heart, I’m letting you guys off the hook
with nothing more than an honorable mention. You may be seated
— except for you, Captain Dodson," Price said,
much to the relief of Andy and Mike.
(At
this point, Tony, who had been called in to resolve a crisis at the office, had
yet to arrive and his brave First Mate, stood before the group to accept what
was to come.)
"I believe you, Tony, were involved in another incident, this
one occurring on the Charleston/Georgetown Cruise. I have two differing
eye-witness accounts of said occurrence," Price said.
"The first account comes from an individual who was serving as
crew on your vessel, the Donna Marie. According to this witness, Tony was at the
helm of the Donna Marie, leading the return cruise to Charleston when his vessel
was attacked by marauding trawlers.
"These trawlers allegedly approached at breakneck speed
— a blistering seven knots
— with Decoy pulling alongside and ramming the
Donna Marie. According to this witness, it was only the exceptional skill and
innate ability of Captain Dodson at the helm that saved the Donna Marie from
sinking into Davy Jones' Locker. I think perhaps this account is a bit tainted,
given that the witness was an INVOLVED party!
"Here’s another account of the same incident from an UN-involved
eye witnesses," Price emphasized. "A rogue vessel, i.e., Donna Marie, being a fast and nimble sport
cruiser, was looking for an easy target to engage in a water gun fight. Her
captain, P/C Tony Dodson, spotted what he deemed to be easy prey
— the slow-moving trawlers
— and so gave chase.
 |
| Past recipients of the Bent Prop Award
congratulate the recent addition to the club. Pictured are (l-r) Lee
Ayers, David Allen, Elaine Price, Tony Dodson, and Carl
Swartzmiller. |
"The captain of the Decoy, finding his vessel under attack and
knowing he couldn’t outrun the aforementioned fast and fleet Donna Marie, took
evasive action. Not to be thwarted, the captain of the Donna Marie
— being egged on by her crew (i.e., the
witness in the previous account) yelling: 'Closer! Closer!'
— made, shall we say, an “end run” around the
stern of Decoy.
"Tony, I believe you did indeed get closer. Close enough, in
fact, to get caught up in the draft of the much larger Decoy and be sucked right
into it, resulting in a huge, gaping hole in the side of the Donna Marie. Carl
(Swartzmiller), you were there. Is this a bit closer to the truth? I thought so,"
Price surmised.
"Tony — U.S. Coast Guard Licensed Captain Tony
— it is my honor and pleasure to present you
with the prestigious and coveted 2007 Bent Prop Award!" (Tony arrived before the
evening ended and took possession of the prized trophy!)
Click the following link to proceed to the read about and view
photos of the presentation of Lake Murray Power Squadron's
Prestigious Awards for 2007.
