When sailors and fisherman meet

by Craig Leweck, Scuttlebutt Sailing News
I spent several summers as a youth sailing instructor, and on this day, we took the pram class out of the marina to the ocean. A half mile from the harbor entrance was a fishing pier, and as the kids sailed up the coast, fisherman starting casting at them.

Using my under-developed teen brain, and at the control of an overpowered powerboat, payback was needed. After clearing out the kids, I hit the throttle and did a couple circles along the pier. After creating enough havoc with their lines, I idled some distance away when a long cast carried overhead.

Seeing that big hook, it was game on. I grabbed the line, took it to the cleat, and floored it. Watching that reel spin and rod fly from their hands … this was maritime justice. In a report by Carol Cronin, she recounts a more adult encounter with the fishing community.