Shadowlands

3/4/10 1916 hrs. Wind calm
Today we moved a boat that had dragged. Apparently, a visiting power yacht had snagged the anchor gear and pulled it west, where it lay too close to Old Hand. So while Gale and Lee pulled on a 200 foot line rigged from Gale's houseboat to the sloop, Bruce reset the two heavy Danforth anchors in their original position. Amazing what can be done with a little friendly co-operation.
This concept of "shadow" is interesting. It refers to the to the area of bottom land over which boats turn around their anchors. It is the area of bottom "encumbered" (another intriguing term) by the circle of the vessel's scope.
This seems to be one of the main sticking points in negotiations with DNR regarding the open water marina plan and has presented no end of debate among the various parties. It seems we can't just expect to encumber that bottom mud for free while shore side dwellers have to pay such hefty property taxes.
But the landlubber's vantage point differs substantially in that theirs is fixed, while ours varies with the vicissitudes of wind and tide. When the tide ebbs, the scope and the square footage is greater. Therefore, boaters should pay a fluctuating rate for bottom land encumbered according to the water's depth, which is related to the height of the tide and the moon's phases. There needs to be a high tide rate, a low tide rate, and all the variations of depth between the two extremes need be calculated accordingly.
Also, since the prevailing wind is Southerly, boats spend a far greater time occupying the Northern segment of the circle. Why should we pay equally for the Southern? I ask you, is that fair?
But, more importantly, the overlapping circles of all those boats shadows present a perfect model for peaceful, harmonious accord. When the benign countenance of the South wind puffs his bearded cheeks and blows fair breezes into our lovely harbor, all boats on single point moorings turn in accord without one impinging upon the shadow of his neighbor. The space vacated by the Northern most vessel is occupied by it's Southern neighbor with no conflict. What better image of peaceful, coexistence?
It all comes back to this present place and time where our collective karma revolves.
So Thanks Bruce, Gale and Lee for playing your part in this mooring plan.