It's a Hard Life

[Marlene Anne Sassaman]

Poor SPRAY, back on the hard after an innocent, albeit expensive, mishap about 1/4 of a mile outside her slip. It seems the safety line thrown out the day before was not retrieved before setting off to join the Melbourne Yacht Club's annual seafood raft up. Just as SPRAY headed into the wind for the hoisting of the main, that suddenly aburpt coming to a halt engine sound went burrplllllllllllup. To which I responded, "oh shaboom, something is caught on the prop.

Worst than that the entanglement pulled the strut off the boat forcing the sleeve that the shaft goes through where it exits to break off.

The god news is that on the hard it is easy to find other b oo-boos. There seems to be water seeping at the front edge of the dagger board well; the ledge that the ladder sits on is broken off, and the starboard side of the dagger board looks like barnacle city. Then, there is the rudder that appears to be out of the socket. Of course, the dock dings that are on the port side seem more noticeable, too.

So, in the end as hard as it is to admit good came out of my carelessly when I left the line dragging behind the boat, I am thankful all the other dings were noted and cam be fixed before I begin my transit to parts unknown. I don't know what key I hit to make this print with the line through the letters but I am too tired to trouble shoot. It's not like thousands of dollars will result from my not taking care of this little problem. ,,,,,,

 

          Cheers,