Hard Aground Chapter 4

PM's Perspective

While we waited for our turn to be hauled, we were docked under cover within Buckhorn Yacht Harbor Marina.  For a week, we explored the area by bike, were given a courtesy car and drove to Peterborough for a day, ate at all three of Buckhorn's restaurants, provisioned, did laundry, visited the library, went to the community center, met our neighbors and such.  Bob even did some bright work. But our most memorable moments were when we were boarded at night by an intruder, not once but twice.  I awoke from a sound sleep about 3:00 AM and heard footsteps on our deck and felt the boat move ever so slightly.  "What the heck?" I thought to myself.  I then saw the intruder walk past Bob's side of the state room and was taken aback by the light reflected in his left eye.  I was a bit unnerved.  I shook Bob.  "We have an intruder on board," I tried to whisper.  We then heard this thumping, then clanging.  I jumped out of bed and banged on the wall thinking I may scare him away.  It worked!  I grabbed  the flashlight and shined it on shore just in time to see a huge raccoon amble into the bushes.  He apparently reached in under the screen door, managed to catch hold of a shopping bag containing a quart of epithane varnish that was sitting on the entry step and tried to pull it out.  That was the source of the noises.  He returned the following night.  This time we closed the boat doors, so he couldn't get into too much mischief.  Bob thinks he just wanted to help with the bright work.

Monday arrived and Velomer got hauled.  As the hull emerged from the water, everything was looking as it should, no gaping holes, gashes or overly obvious impairments.  Closer inspection proved otherwise.  The damage was worse than we expected, but not nearly as bad as it could have been.  The more closely I inspected, the more disheartened I became.  The good news was that we were at the right place to get the repairs done correctly.  As far as we could tell from the scars in Velomer's hull, particularly the keel, we most likely grounded on a ledge and as we slid off, the edge of the rock dug into the keel in three stripes along the entire keel's length.  The repair process included drilling an inch boring into the back of the keel to drain any water that was in the keel, let the keel dry out, taking the fiberglass off the keel and replacing it.  Damage also included pitting of the hull where propeller bits or pieces of rock dug into the fiberglass.  These wounds also needed repair. And, of course, the damage to the gel coat on the port side that sustained damage because we had no reverse and couldn't avoid contact with several concrete walls.  

Velomer gets hauled

Close up of keel damage

The shipwright drilling into the keel
to dry it out.

Close up of the pitted hull by the
propeller

Keel under repair with new fiberglass
and wood keel protector.

Pitting under repair!

Port side under repair!

Keel in bow area under repair!

When we were first hauled, we were thinking maybe a day out of the water, then two days, then three.  Bob and I used our time to take the flybridge cover down and wash all 13 panels and condition the isinglass.  Bob found a large piece of carpeting in the dumpster and we fashioned replacement carpeting in the engine room to protect our knees as we crawl about in that area. We also had the opportunity to get to know the staff at the marina and other boaters.  One couple we met were Joanne and Shirley who just had their boat rebuilt.  Their boat is a Hobo, a brand no longer made, that is the most compact boat imaginable with a living area, dining area, sleeping area, kitchen area, bathroom and helm all withing 21' of boat. Joanne is known as Hobo-Jo around the boatyard!

On the fourth day, Thursday, we were ready to roll!  Velomer looked fabulous with a new brass keel plug, freshly painted keel, repaired gel coat, cleaned flybridge, new engine room carpeting.  Although we will miss the fine folk at Buckhorn Yacht Harbor, we were so happy to be underway again!  Unfortunately, our good feelings didn't last too long.

New brass keel plug

New prop in place and ready to go.

Ready to roll!

Joanne and Shirley aboard their Hobo!