CARNIVAL

Sitting in moody Blues' cockpit, we heard loud, pounding steel drums and horn music. I couldn't stand it and said, "Gene, let's go check it out. We can just stay in the dinghy, but let's go look."

"What's the helicopter all about?"

It started deploying EMTs!

And more EMTs.

Our 6th sense told us they needed transportation help. "It must be someone on a boat having a heart attack or something, " Gene ventured. 

Via sign language to the "cops" on the dock, and a bunch of nods and points, Gene approached the dock. I scrambled out, and immediately they threw the med bags in our dinghy, and the  young EMT guy hopped in and Gene took off.

Suddenly an oblivious man and woman decided to jump off the dock and swim back to their boat in what turned out to be the dinghy to the rescue's path. 

The EMT guy saw them first and pointed them out to Gene. 

Gene swerved to avoid them as us on the dock screamed! He slowed, then hit "Little Blues'" 15 HP outboard motor, and zoomed past them following the EMT's direction to the chartered boat at anchor where the person in distress was located. 

I, being left stranded on the dock, went to check out Carnival . . . Gene returned to the dock only to take another person, not EMT, but charter member, back out to the boat. 

Our dinghy ("Little Blues") is really coming to the rescue this cruising season. You just never know. (Way back in 2007 I didn't think we needed a 15 HP outboard, but I am sure we have it now.) We don't putt, we haul, you know what, to and from shore. It saves a lot of time, as if that's so important when out cruisin' . . .