A couple years ago we took our '54 Chev Panel truck and our '58 Glastron FireFlite Runabout to Prior Lake "Lakefront Day" Cruise and car show. A guy came up to us at the show and told us we had to bring the boat back Saturday for the boat parade on Saturday.
We talked about going to the Prior Lake parade all day. about noon it started to rain so we kept our eye on the TV to see how long it was going to last. The parade didn't start until 8 PM with sign in starting at 7. We had never been on Prior and wern't sure where we had to go, but it's not a big lake so it shouldn't be a problem. About 4 O'clock it started to clear and we didn't see anything new on the local radar. There was some stuff way out, but it looked like it would pass. We decided to go-for-it, and left about 5, with a stop for gas we got out to the boat launch a little before 6. Time to go to the bar where the parade was to start, and get something to eat. Put the boat in and after getting yelled at for making a wake at idle we got to the bar. we went in and ordered some mexican stuff with beans and rice. One of the locals came in with a 67 Crestliner Aluminum that looked good. It started to cloud up a little and Dottie went down to get our sweatshirts out of the boat so they didn't get wet. She talked to the guy with the Crestliner, he decided to head for home till it blew over, and left. As we were standing outside watching the clouds move in the Tornado sirens started blowing. We are both "skywarn Trained" as amateur radio operators we use to go out tornado spotting. I didn't see anything that even looked like much rain and it looked like it would blow over in a half hour. We sat down to eat our fiesta and the rain started. It got pitch dark outside and the rain got heavier. as we were eating the guy with the Crestliner came in. He had taken the boat home, and drove back to see if we needed help. I told him I thought we would be OK, after the rain stops we can bail the boat out and make it back to the launch. He told us this was just the first leg, the second would be worse. we decided to go get the car and try to make the other launch sight, about 1/2 mile from the bar. We were standing downstairs watching the rain when the lights went out. It was about that time when the waitress came down and asked if we had the purple boat tied to the dock. Yes, that's ours. Well she said I think you have a problem. we walked outside and all that was above water was the bow. All kinds of thoughts went through my head, the first was the whole damn boat was going to be setting on the bottom if we didn't do something fast. There was a small area where we could beach the boat next to the Bar if only we could pull it over there, but that would take 100 feet of rope, which we didn't have. All of a sudden one of the bus boys showed up with a garden hose. "will this work?" you bet. we tied the hose to the front of the boat and with three guys pulling on it we released the dock lines. As they were pulling it was going down fast. By the time they grounded it only the tip of the bow was above water. we got people on both sides of the boat. Compleat strangers wading in to pull this thing to shore. We made it, but I have an engine full of Prior Lake and the rain started again. we got it bailed out, and up on shore. David (the guy with the Crestliner) gave us a ride back to the car. He's going to meet us out there tomorrow to get it to the launch area so we can load it and get it home. I know the clete on the rear deck is missing, and I didn't see the tie down binders. We have had many hobbies in the last 38 years but this is the only one that either Dottie or I can remember that every time we go out something goes bad. Maybe I should take up knitting. I'm just bummed, maybe it will bw better tomorrow. It turns out we got somewhere between 4" to 5.5" of rain in about 45 minutes, and of course it all went to the stern and over the transom. Of course the parade was canceled. I wish I could have got some pictures, but at the time I had my hands full.
