A high-speed grounding can mean hours waiting for the tide to turn but this one was mercifully brief. Hinkel pointed the boat where he thought deep water lay, urged his passengers onto the bow to help get the propeller up out of the mud and, by rocking and thrusting, got the press boat unstuck. So went one more tribulation in the Savannah salt marsh, a primitive backwater where in 52 days the cream of the sailing world will come to battle for the top prize in their sport, Olympic gold. They'll be sure to hit a few mudflats, but that's just just one of Savannah's lurking surprises. They looked like Martian beekeepers.
Trouble is, spring and fall here last a long time.
That's when we get mosquitoes. The mosquito is our unofficial state bird. Biting bugs, uncharted mudflats, sweltering heat and humidity and staggering logistical challenges all await the world's 500 or so top competitors. Her view was widely shared. Few U.S. sailors at the trials had much good to say about Savannah's shaky shoreside facilities or the steamy climate, but they loved its steady winds and waves.