On the Hard

Dubbel Zout at Sea
Nik Ormseth
Fri 17 Mar 2023 16:48
Although we arrived in Fort Pierce on Sunday, it’s only since Tuesday and the boat got onto the hard that it has started to sink in.  Here's when I really felt like we made it!

But from the time we dropped anchor on Sunday to the time we hauled out on Tuesday, I couldn’t stop imagining ways the voyage could go sideways:
- What if the anchor drags while we’re away from the boat?
- What if someone steals the dinghy when we’re on shore?
- What if the engine dies while we’re motoring through the narrow & shallow channel to the boatyard?

Fortunately, none of those things happened — although another boat did drag through our anchorage Monday evening, coming within 100 feet of us and ending up against the shore.

What now?  The crew has dispersed — Kitty to the UK, Greg to Puerto Rico, and I’m on the plane right now to Seattle.  DZ’s sitting on the hard in Fort Pierce, trucker due to pick her up April 4.  The mast is out but there’s still work before she can hit the road, so I’ll head back a few days beforehand to finish up.  Still on track to have her home and in the water for Opening Day 2023 at Quartermaster Yacht Club!