Stuck in the Middle (of the lake) with You

A kayaker missing, a jet skit unable to tow said kayak, a boat that wouldn't start, a cell phone without service, and a little boat that also wouldn't start....

This past weekend we were at the cottage in Maine. For the first time, my next door neighbor's boyfriend ventured outside of our cove in the kayak. Two hours later, he had still not returned.

My neighbor and I went on a rescue mission on the jet ski. After getting to the middle of the lake, we realized we'd forgotten rope to tow him back but decided we'd find him before figuring out next steps.

After searching a bit over half the lake, we found him in the kayak, soaken wet, shivering, and paddling in the opposite direction of the cottage. Turns out after he circled Treasure Island he lost his sense of direction. The people he asked for help ended up spraying him/capsizing his kayak and all he could remember as points of references were Treasure Island and the public boating entrance....both on the opposite side of the lake from our cottage.

Anyways, we found him! Now to tow him in...without rope. Our genius idea was my neighbor who was on the back of the jet ski and the kayaker would hold onto the paddle while I slowly drove us home.

Idea = failure.

As I started to drive, the kayak went off to the right and to avoid tipping over he had to let go. Instead of towing him home, we pointed to the far end of the lake and said paddle that way, we'll be back.

We sped off back to the cottage to get the boat. My father, my neighbor, and I returned to our lost kayaker to pick him up. We refound the kayaker, we shut the boat off to let him in the boat. When both the kayak and him were safe in the boat and we went to start the boat....nothing. Now the boat wouldn't start.

We successfully managed to save the stranded kayaker but get all four of us, a boat, and a kayak stuck in the middle of the lake.

As father played with the boats engine/battery, I tried my cell phone (good thing about being stuck in the middle of the lake is that it's the only place I get service up there). I managed to call mother and tell her to get the jet ski and come tow us in....but then i lost service. Right as I lost service father yelled that we needed her to get the battery starter and come in the little boat...oops.

I tried my cell again. No service. Tried again, no service. Another cell attempt...score! It worked...thanks to the wind making the boat drift. This time I got through and relayed the message to get the battery and come get us in the little boat.

Meanwhile, father was still playing with the boat engine/battery, the kayaker was regaining feeling in his arms and trying to stop shivering, my neighbor was consoling the kayaker, and I was still planning the bon fire we were to have in a few hours.

Finally, the boat magically started!

We headed back to the cottage, I tried to call mother to update her but after a couple rings I lost service.

As we returned to the cottage, we found mother and my neighbor's dad standing on the little dock with the battery by their feet and their hands up in the air portraying an "Oops! i don't know" expression. They yelled to us "The little boat won't start either!"

In response father yelled "Is the key in the boat?!"

Turns out the first time I called, mother ran outside to find our neighbor's dad to get help with the jet ski since she doesn't know how to drive it. Then while they were both staring at the jet ski, since neither of them really knew how to use it, the phone rang because I was calling again. She ran to the house to answer the phone, then she and my neighbor's dad followed the directions to get the battery and little boat. Then they went to start the little boat and couldn't. As they were attempting to start the boat, the phone rang again so she ran back to the house but when she got to the phone it stopped ringing...quite chinese-fire-drill-combined-with-chicken-with-head-cut-off-esque. She then went back outside and that's when we returned to find her and my neighbor's dad on the dock....hands in the air yelling to us that the little boat won't start either...us questioning if the key was in the little boat....

Turns out they forgot to put the key in the little boat!