Guernsey Friday and a better day
Thursdays Child
Robin & Joanna Minchin
Fri 22 May 2015 21:24
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49.27.360N 002.32.066W Victoria Marina, St Peter Port, Guernsey No propeller! Neither of us slept much, we were both up at 5am pacing the pontoon wondering what to do first. But however much deliberation and procrastination there was only one thing to do and fortunately for me, Bol is the only one with a decent wetsuit! So it was the skipper's joyous task at 6am to swim down and grapple amongst the sediment and kelp under the boat to look for our missing propeller. It also had to be done a.s.a.p. whilst it was still low tide. It was bitingly cold in the water, he does have neoprene booties and a hat somewhere but neither could be found so he was very brave and just got on with it ~ the £1,000 folding propeller was down there somewhere and buying another one wasn't an option, so it had to be found. He began under the boat, nothing, then followed the route we came in on last Friday, nothing, then followed the route to the harbour wall we took last night, nothing, then returned to under TC, nothing. Then literally one final duck dive down under TC and wonderfully put his hand down on to it, absolutely brilliant. After a closer inspection it is clear the nut that holds the propeller in place had cracked. We are so lucky it came off here where it is 2 metres at low water, and I am extremely grateful that Bol was on board and it didn't happen when we were sailing north. So a busy day sorting the rebuild. The local engineering shop were friendly, efficient and helpful and had machined a new nut by lunchtime. The harbour chaps have agreed to help move TC to the harbour wall at midnight on Tuesday, in readiness for the tide to drop around 4am Wednesday morning, then the engineer will come around 7am to fit the propeller, nut and key. TC should be afloat around midday when we should be free to go. We are all quite happy about our enforced extended stay in Guernsey, it is a lovely place and the days are slipping by. After a better day, hopefully a better night's sleep all round! |
