SHIP'S LOG:
Rain, Rain, Go away! Everything is green down at the boat yard . . . mostly it is mold! Ten days ago, the yard crew re-blocked the boat so that the fiberglass crew could get at the parts of the bottom they couldn't reach because of the old block locations. . . . and that was about as far as anyone got. Those of you up here in God's country know that it has been three days of rain followed by a day of partial sun followed by four days of rain, and still they weather people say we are deficient in our rain fall totals. Go figure.
The Head is all finished, the forepeak has been emptied and repacked, the Mizzen has been bent on the yard, and the clean up process has begun. I have even taken a whack at repairing the split wooden cap along the gunnel . . . . That is the holding tank and associated piping has been installed; all of the stuff stuffed into the front cabin of the boat has been taken out and the stuff that belongs there has been replaced; the Mizzen sail has been re attached to the boom on the Mizzen Mast (small mast at the back of the boat); I have attempted to repair a split in the wood in the toe rail along the side of the boat; and I have swept-out, washed down and disinfected the aft cabin, the aft head and the galley(kitchen). Love those nautical terms. The rain is falling again so today is a washout . . literally.
O, there is some good news! ! ! My insurance company has dropped me like the proverbial hot potato citing my "history of loss." This was expected I suppose as I paid in $1,200 and they paid out $20,000! Can't do business that way. The thing that burns me though is the fact that they didn't bother to really get a report except that the accidents had happen. Now I'll take full responsibility for the second accident as my brain vapor locked and I experienced a real senior moment. But the first one, man that was by the book and how could it have been my fault that the anchor pulled out and didn't reset? But no use arguing as it is a no win situation. I am looking for new insurance and will find it . .. .the real question is how much it will cost ! ! ! ! ! ! In the worst case scenario, I'll sail without insurance. Hell, you only need it should you screw up and I figure that I have done my share of that for this century.
CAPTAIN'S PERSONAL LOG:
Some day I am sure that I will get the ABISHAG in the water. When is anybody's guess, but at least I am working on her. The yard is filled with boats that are still under winter wraps and there are no signs that owners have been down at all. In this yard, there is a back section where the stow all the boat stands and other winter paraphernalia. It is also the "elephants' graveyard," the place where old boats go to die. More accurately, it is the place where the yard drops and breaks up boats that have been abandoned by their owners. When the yard bills clime to a certain level, the boat is considered abandoned, especially if the onwers refuse or are unable to pay, and the yard gets the court to award them the boat for non-payment of bill. The yard strips them of everything useful and/or of value, hauls them over to the graveyard, raises the boat to a great height with a crane and drops it, breaking up the boat. Then they leave them there until the pile is big enough to warrant haul it to a land fill. I watched that process today and it was unbelievably sad to see.
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