We were sailing on the Sacramento River going about ten knots. Our wake was spreading
out behind us in a large "V" shape. As we looked astern we saw two shallow draft speed
boats, the kind folks use in high speed racing competition. One of these slowed down,
turned at a right angle to our wake, crossed over, then turned parallel to our course and
resumed its course and speed. The other vessel, however, decided to cross our wake on
a parallel course to ours at high speed. The result was that the engine from his boat flew
into the air and came down in the lap of the racer. He lost an arm and hopefully learned
a very important lesson in the process. Luckily for him, the skipper of our ship was a
medical doctor who immediately responded, provided emergency aide and saved the
boater's life!

W. K. Sargent, Able Seaman

Betty Gregory of Oakdale, CA writes:

I was a Girl Scout Mariner in the late 1940's and we worked with Sea Scouts of the area
doing computing for their regattas. We were from Mountain View. Captain Knox was the
Captain of the Sea Scout boat, Sea Eagle at Palo Alto. I often wonder what happened
to the boat.

Submitted: May 30, 2011

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