Log #35: Beaufort, NC - Friday, November 16, 2007
We’re still here in sunny Beaufort, NC. Yesterday the weather was not so pretty. As the 38.1 kt winds blew through we were glad we were tied up to a dock for a change and not participating in the intricate game of “bumper boats” going on in the anchorage. We could only sit on our boat and watch as other boats dragged, ran aground and the poor guys from Boat US tried to sort it all out. There is a sunset picture from just at the end of the storm.
This morning we checked the weather and figured if Harry finished the port engine today as promised, weather would allow us to leave on Sunday and we could make Charleston by Tuesday or the latest Wednesday being able to stop at night and not pull any all-nighters.
With regard to the engines, the starboard engine has been repaired and fired up and is running beautifully though Jim doesn’t like the placement of the muffler and will be asking them to modify that. Harry, “our” mechanic (there’s a picture of him in the engine compartment) was excited about doing the port engine as he considered it the “easy” one. He spent all day yesterday fighting to get the bolts off holding the oil pan to the engine (they had been sprayed with salt water and were rusted on) and had only 2 left to do when he left here last night. He was telling us how glad he was he was working on our engines and not on another catamaran that had come in yesterday where the owner was giving everyone a hard time and telling them how to do their jobs and getting in their way and basically just being a pest. Even though he had to replace some engine bolts, he swore the engine would be done by mid-day today and we could be on our way tomorrow. The seas were still choppy from the storm and even though we were tied to the dock, we were bouncing around. During the evening Jim reinforced the wobbling bracing holding up the port engine with screwdrivers and bungie cords which did keep everything together overnight. This morning Harry arrived at 8 am and charged below to get to work. All week long we have been hearing bumps and bangs and often times Harry talking to the various parts of the engine, sometimes nicely, sometimes... I would call down to see if he was all right and he always promptly answered, “Yes ma’am.” This morning I was in the galley in the starboard hull when I heard a loud thumping crash and called out, “Are you all right, Harry?” No answer! I flew across the boat to find the 10 x 10 bracing timbers had collapsed and the pole was across Harry’s shoulders and he appeared to be supporting the 381 lb engine on the back of his neck. I called Jim who was able to help Harry get out from under the weight of the engine and then more help was summoned from the marina office. They got Harry extradited and I put some “Icy Hot” patches on his neck and gave him some Advil. He insisted he was okay and went back into the engine compartment after Al, another worker here, had reinforced the bracing. About 5 minutes later he came up complaining of dizziness and head and neck pain and is now on the way to the hospital. Jim is up at the mechanic’s office trying to ascertain the prognosis of Harry and our engine.
And us? Well, fortunately it’s not last year and we are trying to put on Thanksgiving dinner for 9 and a surprise party weekend! I suspect that seeing that they are so busy here this is going to be a major setback for us. When we have word on when we can get out of here and be on the high seas again, we’ll let you know.
Regards,
Roxanne,
Jim, Shadow
s/v Dawn Dancer