Here is where I turn this piece from present to past tense, because to recount what unfolded over the next hour on the river required much more measured reflection than writing in the moment. The captain of the Now Voyager piloted over to the no name boat and came alongside. He handed a bag and tools to the other captain. I caught drifts of their conversation. It was about repairing the anchor.
You read Moby Dick twice!! Now that's dedication.