When I wrote about my trip to Lake Powell last, I was so wrapped up in the way people viewed me that I didn't get to tell about one of the funniest/biggest events that occurred while I was there. Our group got up early and ate breakfast, and then headed out to see Rainbow Bridge and then head to Dangling Rope and to a swimming spot before heading back to the houseboat. The Nelson's ski boat only held eleven people, and there were fourteen of us, so we had to take two wave-runners along.
All of us got to Rainbow Bridge and then Dangling Rope without incident. While we were eating yummy ice cream on the dock at Dangling Rope, Casey Nelson mentioned that the engine light had come on the red wave-runner. We didn't think much of it, as this occasionally happens with that boat, and we knew that a fuel injector was going bad on it. When we finished the ice cream, I got on the red boat, and my mom got on the other wave-runner. Our group figured that it would be okay to have one more person than regulation on that ski boat.
As we pulled out of the marina, we all started speeding up, but my boat started having problems. It seemed that the fuel injector had completely went bad, because my boat wouldn't go over ten miles an hour when I floored it, and the engine light was on telling me that it was overheating. Soon it started to smell terrible, and I was worried that if I kept pushing the engine it would explode on me. So, I let the motor troll along, believing that someone would notice me blowing with all my might on my whistle attached to my lanyard, and come back for me. Not so. All too quickly I watched the boat become small in the distance, and I couldn't even see the boat my mom was on. I watched a ferry go by faster than me. At this point I was hoping that someone would just take pity on me and tow me back to the marina so I could await my rescue.*
Luckily, my mother noticed that there was no red boat following the Genesis (that other wave-runner) and turned around. Five minutes later I was on behind my mom on the Genesis and the red boat was being towed behind the ski boat. We got to the spot that was a good swimming area without event, but our Genesis was running low on fuel. Guess who got to ride it to the houseboat? Yours truly. By the time I got to that houseboat I was running on faith and the promise of cookies (and so was that boat, as the fuel gauge was on empty when I got there).
*Note: My family is known to leave me places and forget me multiple times. Once, on Thanksgiving day, after we had finished visiting, my parents and my brother left without me and our miniature schnauzer. I was downstairs in my grandparents' basement, so I got left behind. I have no clue why the poor dog did. They got all the way home and my mom says, "Where's Sadie (the dog)?" Only after that did they ask, "Where's Chelsea?" They got all the way back to my grandparents' house and picked up the dog, left, and forgot me again! They remembered a little sooner that time, but still, they left me twice! This may let everyone know just how long I was prepared to wait for rescue.
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