Yesterday about 4 PM, JoAnne and I were sitting about 3 blocks away having a burger and beer when the phone rang. It was Peggy from Cobb’s Marina. Peggy is the marina manager.

She said, “I take it you’re not on your boat, right?”

I told her we were having lunch. She then told me my boat had been hit by another boat. Instead of freaking out, I asked “Anyone injured, and how bad is the boat hurt?”

She said a 55′ power boat had hit us pretty hard. We returned to the marina and checked in with Peggy. They provided the insurance information for the power boat operator and we heard several witnesses accounts of what they saw. All of them matched.

Big boat, one engine out, trying to turn around in a tight area, wind caught him, out of control, bam…

The damage to the boat pulpit is pretty significant. However, the bowsprit was my biggest concern. It holds the main mast (and by default through a triatic backstay, the mizzen). It also allows the jib to furl and unfurl. Without the bowsprit the boats functions would have to moved backward and be less efficient. You can lose your entire rigging if something goes wrong. So it is imperative the bowsprit be solid.

I examined it this morning and to my untrained eye I saw cracks. I assumed they were all new. I’ve taken pictures of the whole thing, all the damages and that I think might be damages caused by the hit.

This morning I put any work on the boat on temporary pause until I could get a good determination of the status of the bowsprit. Speaking to some of the marina folks, other sailors and a special couple who stopped in to visit us today (Tom and Barb Björkholm of s/v Mörsan), we were considering fixing the fuel issues and heading south under engine alone. I truly want to be out of here before the cold sets in which is the reason I stopped work.

This afternoon a carpenter from Howdy Bailey come over to examine the boat a few minutes ago. He stated clearly that the bow sprit was NOT damaged in the attack of the evil power boat (lol) but is suffering some aging issues, and aren’t we all.

He recommended against having it pulled and “fixed” and that there is no structural damage to the boat, fiberglass or the sprit itself. The stainless steel is another story and it must be repaired, along with the platform/walkway. The pulpit supports a couple of pulleys in a block and tackle used to haul in the jib sail, therefore it could not in its weakened condition function without possibly damaging the pulpit further. He suggested getting that fixed.

Howdy Bailey (http://http://www.howdybailey.com/ Howdy is a boat designer I understand and a pretty famous one in these parts, though I’d not heard of him before a few days ago) is coming by personally to look over getting a wind generator installed and giving me an estimate. I’ll ask him to look over the steel at the same time and give me an estimate of repairs for that as well, since I need it for the insurance company.

Bob from Trident Marine Electronics is going to rewire my mast.

Monday I’m having the mast removed and placed on the hard to do the work. I’ll inspect the rigging at the head then, along with lighting and wiring connections before Bob gets to it. I’ll replace bulbs and connectors and inspect the lines going up there, and so forth myself.

If this all works well, we ought to be on our way sooner, rather than later.