Boy, Somebody Just Can't Get It Right!

SHIP'S LOG:

Over the last three days, there have been a lot of conflicting reports about the status of the Railroad bridge over the Connecticut  River, the one under which I most go to get to Portland and the Yankee Boatyard for the winter haul. Officially. according to Amtrak there is a problem. According to the maintenance crew, contacted by a friend, there is no problem. According to the Newspaper, there is a problem. According to the Marine Trades Group for the Old Saybrook/Lyme area, there may be a problem. I'll just have to wait and see . . . .something I have become really good at.

The last two days there has been a cold rain and it has made the interior of ABISHAG cold as well as damp. I am seriously considering getting some coal that I can fire up the fireplace but where does one get coal? Charcoal, yes, but coal? Charcoal is dangerous because it can give off carbon-monoxide which in any enclosed space is a ticket to the afterlife.

Bob & Barbara Welsh were planning to take their 42 ft Pearson ketch south on Sunday. The courses were all planned, the supplies were laid in and the crew was ready to go They took her out yesterday for a bit of a shake down and discovered they had a problem. The propeller strut had broken. this strut holds the exposed portion of the prop shaft in place when the engine is running and the prop is turning. Without it, or in the case where to has broken, the shaft twist and vibrate and generally try to rip itself out of the boat.  Their trip is now delayed until they can get the boat hauled and the strut replaced, along with any damage that might have been done to the shaft and the transmission. Not  great start to the trip south, then again, if you are going to bust something major, it is best to do it at home where you know where all the resources are and you have friends to help. Added to that is the fact that the prop, shaft, strut, transmission and engine  will all be things they won't have to worry about in their lifetime again. Both are in their 80's!