Then I watched and waited.
It was not a long wait.

Victor was in difficulties almost from the beginning.

The oar belonging to the dingy was a foot longer than the one I had given him and he zig-zagged wildly.

Soon he was in the edge of the eelgrass and "catching crabs," first on one side, then on the other.
The dingy's bow slid up on the mud.

He stood up to push it off, and the stern swung around.