A awoke to clear skies and warmer weather. The air is clear and the light is amazing. It is extraordinarily beautiful here.
As soon as we saw activity at the the boat yard, I walked to the boat yard office to ask if Barlvento could be hauled. The tide is very low this morning. There is not enough water under the TravelLift dock for Barlavento to enter. They asked me to return at 1:00 PM, just after the boat yard crew returns from lunch. When I checked with the boat yard crew at 1:00, I learned there were two boats ahead of me. They asked me to return at 3:30 PM.
After checking with the boat yard crew just before 3:30, I backed the boat to the TravelLift dock. They were still in the process of cleaning the second boat ahead of me. After about an hour, they completed that boat and put it back in the water. It was now Barlavento's turn to be lifted. I backed Barlavento under the Travel Lift and they lifting her.
We were relieved to see that the damage was limited. The most serious problem is the six inch long gouge at the bow about two feet below the water line. That could allow water to enter the fiberglass. The lead keel has gouges at both the bow, stern, and along the bottom. They are scrapes along the side of the keel. However, all of the keel damage is cosmetic.
I decided to repair the fiberglass damage now, provided we could find someone to do the fiberglass work. I learned that Rick, the Shearwater fiberglass repair expert, was very ill. He had gone to Vancouver for treatment and there was a question about when he would return and if he would be able to work after returning. The boat yard found a place for Barlavento in their yard, put wooden blocks below her keel, and put jack stands on either side to support her. They erected a ladder so Mary and I could get our things out of the boat.
When I returned to the boat yard office, one of the workers told me that Rick had returned from Vancouver and was near by. He asked Rick to come talk with me. Rick appeared shortly. He was gaunt, but brave and gracious. He explained that he was being treated for cancer and was in serious condition. Despite this, he was an inspiration. I won't share the details to preserve his privacy, but I cry every time I think about his spirit and bravery.
Rick and I walked out to the boat, and he looked at the damage. He said he could easily fix it, and agree to start tomorrow morning at 10:00 AM. He would ask the yard crew to set up a work table and bring power to the site. He thought he could complete the work in a day or two, and have the boat back in the water by Wednesday afternoon. What amazing generosity.
I reserved two rooms at the Shearwater hotel. Mary and I carried our things to the hotel. The rooms are modest but comfortable. Each pair of rooms share a common "Jack and Jill" bathroom.
We bought a block of ice at the Shearwater grocery store and placed it in the boat's refrigerator ice box. We hope to preserve our refrigerated food while the boat is out of the water and the boat's refrigeration system is turned off. The refrigeration system uses seawater to cool the refrigerant. It won't work when the boat is out of the water.
We had another nice dinner at the Shearwater restaurant. The nachos were so good last time, that I had them for dinner again. This time I splurged and ordered the guacamole.
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