A Houseboat on The Big Rideau

This fishing trip was one of our most memorable ever. Ron Malloff joined us again. Still a rookie, and we nailed him by 'accidently' dropping a perfectly good television into the water.

Most memorable though, was less than an hour before the trip was supposed to end. The Boys on the houseboat had just dropped off Phil Anderson and Ron Zinn in Perth and headed off to return the houseboat in Smiths Falls. It was then a powerful thunderstorm hit. They headed for inland nearby and waited out the storm with no problems.

After the storm passed, they tried to start the boat to continue the journey, but the boat would not start. They had to fire flares to get help, and in the end had to be towed to Smiths Falls. That's when the tornado hit. Being towed and with no power, the houseboat was at the mercy of the storm. They did make it to their destination but could not dock the boat in the storm and ended up getting whipped around in the high winds. In the end, several of the boys received injuries to their hands and shoulders. Attempts to dock the houseboat with no power in the storm caused more than $75,000.00 in damage to the houseboat and other boats in the marina.

Meanwhile, Phil and Ron were safely on shore heading back to Phil's place when they actually had to pull their car over because of the same storm. It was one fishing trip we will never forget.

In the group photo... from left to right: Warren Kidd, Al Heaney, Al Macintyre, Ron Malloff, Ron Zinn, Phil Anderson, Tom Hansen.