Erik made omelettes from the shish-kabob leftovers. Got on the water to head toward Pier 53 Marina in Catawba, our other option for a dock for the rest of the season. It was only about 28 miles so Erik decided to try fishing again. He had just as much luck as the last time 😂 We trolled about 2 mph for a while, no luck….we drifted for a while, no luck. No fish, but what a beautiful day for floating on the lake ❤️
 |
| Riva waiting patiently for dad to bring dinner on board She will just have to continue waiting 😂 |
 |
| Coming into Catawba Island |
As we approached Catawba Island the recreational boat traffic as well as the ferries running back and forth to the islands had the water much rougher but still very manageable. As we typically do, we were following the track created by Navionics fairly closely. After coming into the western entrance to middle harbor (there are two entrances to the harbor) we were making our way towards the marina at idle speed and noted that Navionics showed a fixed bridge with a 20’ clearance that we would need to go under; our air draft is only 16’ so this would not be an issue. Coming up to it there was another larger cruiser just in front of us that went through. Erik noticed that it was fairly narrow but also should not be an issue. Bridges always look deceptively lower than they actually are as we approach them but Erik did not panic and slowly continued forward until just as we got to it Renee hollered “we are going to hit!” Sure enough, the bridge is NOT a 20’ clearance and as we went under the top of our enclosure hit hard 😩 By the time we hit and the framework bent down it was too late to back out so we pushed through. Crumbles of concrete came showering down on us and all over the boat and what remained of the enclosure. Several choice words were expressed and looks of dismay and horror were shared before we silently completed the slow cruise of shame the final 1/4 mile into the marina. Our demeanors became speechless and somber as we docked the boat and got tied up.
Between the exhilarating events and the now very hot afternoon we all needed a break before getting into surveying damage and cleanup so we plugged in and got the AC running, walked up to the marina office to check in and had a quicken bite to eat. We took many pictures of the damage and took a minute to call our insurance agent to verify the process for filing a claim on an incident like this. It was then time to dive into the mess and the next 4 hours were spent removing the enclosure canvas/isinglass, attempting to straighten frame poles enough to get them secured and out of the way, and in general cleanup of a bunch of concrete ranging from chunks to dust that had covered a large portion of the boat. The afternoon heat and sun got the best of us several times and we would have to pause to rest, cool down and attempt a bad joke to find any humor in the situation. Laugh or cry they say!
 |
| Stuff happens! Life goes on…. |
By a little before 7pm the boat was as back in order as it could be for the day. While Erik rode bike up to a carry out to get a couple things and prepared burgers for dinner Renee called into her McConnelsville womens meeting to find some serenity. After dinner and showering up our minds and bodies had all they could take for one day and we retired to bed. Laying in bed and reviewing the day we are both very grateful on several levels. Most importantly no one was injured; boats can be fixed! Also, we are sure that there are lessons to be learned from todays events that we will carry with us as we move forward. Lastly, it is nearing the end of this years journey which is certainly better than if this would have happened early on in the trip.
We have made it through the storm (collision) and will pick up the pieces, learn from our mistakes, and trudge forward on the road of happy destiny!
No comments:
Post a Comment