Having heard about the mysterious and fabled Ying-Yang by scores of people who claimed to ‘have taken it up there,’ and wondering what going up it might actually mean for himself, sailor and adventurer, Frankie Johnson, advised his friends down at Finegan’s Bar that he had stocked up some provisions, bought 5 gallons of gas, a Chinese translation book, and would set sail on Sunday in order to be the first sailor to actually travel….Up the Ying-Yang.
Leaving his home port of Tide Water Flats, Virginia in a 14 foot homemade motorized sailboat, Johnson immediately encountered 10 foot ocean swells as the tiny craft headed into the Atlantic’s gulfstream about 15 miles from the harbor’ inlet. Fearing a loss of bearings, radio contact was established with his support team via a CB radio link.
In the few short minutes it took to change the 10 year old batteries in the hand-held CB, Johnson’s craft lost all sail and was blown off course. Anxious calls relayed Johnson’s fears as the craft dubbed ‘Finegan’s Folly’ started to take on water.
Without a raft, or life vest, or an escape means, Johnson frantically advised his support team back at Finnegan’s Bar, that he really was up Shit’s Creek.
Puzzled, as hard as the the team looked, it couldn’t find any record of any body of water called ‘Shit’s Creek’ listed anywhere on the sea charts spread all over the top of the bar. Most figured he made a verbal error. Others blamed it on Frankie’s frequent inebriation.
Figuring Johnson had really just ‘taken it up the Ying-Yang,’ and had mistaken the name, the support crew turned their attention to the wet tee shirt contest and called for ‘Pabst on he house’ celebrating Johnson’s historic discovery.
The Coast Guard called off the search after wreckage and debris were found about 35 miles out at sea. It hasn’t been determined if the wreckage was from Johnson’s ill-fated craft, but a water-logged tee shirt with the message ‘Wine me-Dine-69 me-Finegans 1969’ and several cases of empty beer bottles were found floating nearby.