Sunday, February 9, 2020

Jack Robert 37VT17's Loop Tales

The following was posted a few days ago on Jack Robert's cruising blog.
Thursday,February 6, 2020. Today was not a good day. But before I continue…for those of you who like to go right to the pictures in our blog, let me assure you no people were hurt. Unfortunately, I can't say the same about Jack Robert.
We were enjoying our coffee and discussing the imminent weather system when bang! The boat was violently shoved toward the dock and we were nearly knocked out of our chairs. We ran out on deck and were horrified to see a large boat crosswise in the fairway with its bowsprit firmly imbedded in our port wheelhouse door. Dee immediately grabbed her phone and started taking pictures while Lee worked to dislodge the boat.

Apparently he decided this windy day was a good time to test his two new transmissions. Bad choice.
Lee worked to swing the boat away from Jack Robert to prevent further damage.
The door is solid teak and was shattered by the impact.
This gives an idea as to the extent of the damage.

No one was hurt, but this is an example of what can happen when a poor choice is made without considering the possible consequences. We had winds of 20 miles per hour in the marina in very tight quarters. The transmissions were not tested at the dock before the driver decided to go out for a sea trial, and he obviously did not have control of his boat.
So, what does this mean for us? We will not be able to leave for South Florida as planned. We need to find someone who has the time and expertise to repair the damage, and we need to trust the owner of the boat to stick to his word that he will "make things right". This will get fixed and we will be fine. But for now we will allow ourselves a little time to be angry and sick at heart.
It only takes a moment for things to go very wrong. Please think before you act.

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