WHOOPS #2

Today’s trip to Brunswick was so quick that I started thinking, “Wow, I can easily go for another two hours.  Let’s say another 30 miles.  That would put me over the Florida line a day early!  Let’s go for a record-breaking day!”

So… I stopped the boat in the middle of St. Simon’s Sound (where Brunswick is), checked my fuel, took a pee, called the marina and cancelled my reservation, and turned left to enter Jekyll Creek.

The bad news is…I hadn’t studied this section the night before, and I immediately hit bottom.  A stone jetty covered by 4’ of high tide.  Although it was completely invisible, I am certain I would not have hit it if I had been better prepared. It is very difficult to drive the boat and try to read the chart and compare it to the chart plotter. You need to work all that out the night before.

Fortunately, I was going dead slow, since I was trying to interpret the confusing collection of markers at the mouth of the creek.  That’s what I mean about the lack of preparation.  I immediately backed up, but I think I may have damaged the propellor, because the boat has a vibration and is no longer producing the expected speed.  

So… I am at Brunswick Landing Marina.  It’s Sunday night.  I am hoping that when the yard opens in the morning, I can have Freedom hauled and inspected.  I hope it’s just the prop, because I have a spare: a $3,500 gift from the prior owner.  If the shaft is bent, or if there is other structural damage, that’s another story. First things first: I have to bust into the yard’s schedule to get hauled ASAP.

I’m surprised I’m not more upset about this.  The trip today from Kilkenny to Brunswick was as dicey as any stretch we’ve been on.  Very narrow channels through the marshes with very shallow water on either side.  We made the trip with one eye glued on the chart, and the other on the depth sounder.  My hand was on the throttle the whole way in case I had to slow down ASAP.  It was pretty intense, but it all went perfectly.

I guess I have to admit that the problem occurred because I made an aggressive and capricious decision to change my plan, even though I had not done the proper preparation.  Haste makes waste.  And pride goeth before a fall.  Etc.  Etc.  Etc.

Bummer.