Damage Control

My luck continues to hold…a little bit of bad luck, and a LOT of good luck.

Just like when I damaged the rudder key in Oriental, NC:

• I ended up in a marina with haul-out capability.
• The damage repair was fairly straightforward.
• I had the parts we needed.
• The accident happened on a Sunday, and -luckily – the yard was able to get Freedom up on the Travel-Lift by mid-day Monday.
• The repair was completed in a single day.

So, here’s a familiar sight: Freedom up on the lift for damage assessment and repair. This is getting boring.

I’m not sure if you can see in this photo, but every blade of the prop was severely damaged. One blade is 50% missing. I told everyone I hit a Manatee. HaHa. The Marine Police will probably arrest me tonight.

Luckily, miraculously, nothing else was damaged. Imagine landing atop a submerged rock jetty and nothing else was damaged!

Still, it took ALL DAY to complete the repairs. The old prop simply did not want to come off. (And yes, they did have a hydraulic prop puller)!

But FINALLY, at 3:30, we were back in the water with our new prop.

I am going to celebrate by having pizza again tonight. Don’t judge me…it’s been an anxious day.

And we have reservations in Jacksonville Beach tomorrow night. Hooray. Mile Marker 750 (out of 1250. 60% of the way there.

EXCELSIOR! (Whatever that means…)