[Continued from "Puget Sound Traffic Jam"]
By the time we reached Blake Island, we were tired and the light was dying. Coming in with a reefed main and our smallest working jib, we'd had a long day going “uphill” against a strong wind with intermittent rain showers and constant cold. We were tired and aching to have our boat securely moored.
As we rounded the final point of the island, our destination finally in sight, the wind which had blown its cold blast against us all day died, almost completely. Its weak final gasps were too little for our thin patience. At the strong request of Jiayu, I fired up my least favorite friend, the 25 year-old Volvo diesel which serves us when the wind won't.
We motored along the line of boats moored by the island and finally found our spot. For those who haven't hooked one before, a mooring buoy is a float with a ring where you can attach your boat's bowline. The float is connected by line to a permanent bottom fixture such as a large concrete block, special anchor, or other hopefully immovable object. Thus, without dropping and setting your own anchor, you can float securely just off the shore. What a relief to finally be free to just stop and relax.
We settled in to make some dinner and get some much needed rest. It didn't take long at all to be fast asleep. Finally, we thought, the days travails were done.
What told us otherwise was a strange screeching sound and an odd rolling of the boat that felt intrinsically wrong. The boat was pitching side to side, but there was not a wave out there to move us. I went up on deck to see what was wrong, and it took me a few minutes to orient myself, to truly grasp what was going on. The world was simply wrong, pitched at an impossible angle. And then I had it: My boat, which sweeps gracefully down from bow to stern, shedding water to rear-ward, was pointing the wrong way, nose down and tail up!
Apparently, unknown to me, there is a small fleet of pleasure submarines plying the waters of Puget Sound, because our mooring buoy was now six to seven feet underwater and threatening to take us down with it. Had our boat been smaller, I shudder to think what would have happened.
Keeping my hand clear, I loosed the line and Syzyygy jumped back to the surface, resuming her graceful stance upon the water, looking as if nothing had ever happened. I made off the line again with just enough left to leave a little bit of slack.
Had it been high tide, we could have stayed. I thought momentarily that perhaps we were over the hump. But a quick reminder from the tide table made it clear that the water was going to rise for the next three hours. There was no choice. I rousted Jiayu from bed and we made or way to our next mooring buoy.
[continued]
翻譯
(接上文「交通篇」)
抵達布雷克島之時，天色將暗，我們也疲憊不堪。一整天伴隨著強風與間歇的陣雨，我們縮小主帆與前帆逆風而上。好不容易到達繫泊浮標，我們感到精疲力竭、全身酸痛。
在轉入布島背側後，我們的目的地映入眼簾。整天吹著我們的狂風因布島的遮蔽而瞬間消逝。我們剩餘的耐心無法支撐風如此微弱的喘息。在Jiayu強烈的要求下，我只好開啟引擎（百般不願！）。在風不願服務我們時，25歲的柴油引擎忠誠的開工。
在引擎的推動下，我們緩慢地在船陣中尋找空位。你也許納悶何謂繫泊浮標？顧名思義，它是一個漂浮物，上繫一鐵環讓繩索可以由船首通過與此環連結。漂浮物底下以繩索和海底重物（如：水泥塊、船錨、或其他無法移動物體）綁在一起。繫泊浮標讓船可以不需下錨就能安全停靠岸邊不遠處。我們因終究可以停下來喘口氣而放鬆。
在船艙中，我們煮著晚餐與適度休息，不用多久便睡意來襲。一天終於結束了，我們這麼認為。
一個尖銳的聲音伴隨船身怪異的搖動驚醒我們。我們的船左右搖晃，但是水面並沒有波浪。我起身至甲板察看……眼前所見震驚了我數分鐘才回過神來：周遭環境看起來就是不對勁！然後我終於明白。我這艘應該船首微翹的船居然前面尖端朝下而船尾上翹！
顯而易見的，我渾然不知我們的漂浮物熱衷潛水！原先漂浮水面的它，現在安坐於水面2公尺多深處將我們下拉。我不敢想像若我們的船再小一些會是什麼場景。
從震驚中清醒之後，我放鬆繫在浮標上的繩索，我的船Syzygy躍上水面，保持其一貫流線型姿態，似乎什麼都沒發生過。我重新將繩索繫好，特地留了一段長度以防不時之需。
此時若正是漲潮時刻，我們便安全無虞。我自我欺騙的想像或許漲潮時刻已過，但是在查過潮水時刻表後，我發現還要3小時才滿潮。沒有選擇地，我只好喚醒Jiayu，開船尋找下一個浮標。
（待續）
