..,~/^*@@#                                          #@@*^/~,..
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..,~/^*@@#                                          #@@*^/~,..
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....,~/^*@                                          @*^/~,....
.....,~/^* ok at this point i am ready to believe.  *^/~,.....
......,~/^ it would be so easy to let go and start  ^/~,......
.......,~/ to take in water. the boat would be      /~,.......
........,~ submerged in minutes, a small list at    ~,........
.......,~/ first but once enough sea has poured     /~,.......
......,~/^ in, it would be quick. the boat on its   ^/~,......
.....,~/^* way to the bottom. rope and bins         *^/~,.....
....,~/^*@ floating.                                @*^/~,....
...,~/^*@@                                          @@*^/~,...
..,~/^*@@# anyway - i'm fairly certain that the     #@@*^/~,..
.,~/^*@@## spots move. they're insects or           ##@@*^/~,.
..,~/^*@@# something. when i'm not looking, they    #@@*^/~,..
...,~/^*@@ shift, they crawl, they grow and         @@*^/~,...
....,~/^*@ shrink. they congregate                  @*^/~,....
.....,~/^*                                          *^/~,.....
......,~/^ (i'm thinking, i should get a tattoo     ^/~,......
.......,~/ gun, draw circles around them. to show   /~,.......
........,~ that they do indeed migrate across the   ~,........
.......,~/ skin. (or, the circles would trap them,  /~,.......
......,~/^ like salt))                              ^/~,......
.....,~/^*                                          *^/~,.....
....,~/^*@                                          @*^/~,....
...,~/^*@@                                          @@*^/~,...
..,~/^*@@#                                          #@@*^/~,..
.,~/^*@@##                                          ##@@*^/~,.