Adventures of the Patricia Anne

We're currently berthed at Bennet Brothers Boat yard on the Cape Fear River. The Patricia Anne has had a complete electrical refit: new Chart-plotter, Radar, weather station, XM weather receiver, KVH TV antenna, and new panel. (Pics to come later. Too much going on this Day 2). Also a Webasto diesel heater installed for cold Great Lakes days in the future.

Everyone is crabby, Mom has a headache, the electrical technician is still deep into wires and hidden panels, Dad is sunburned and dehydrated - and we're all tired of running errands for tools, parts, more groceries, and forgotten items.

The boat is air-conditioned - which is a life saver - and we have good fresh drinking water. But the dinghy needs a new engine, the chairs need to mounted on the bridge deck, the dinghy needs repairs, and the AGLCA pennant needs to be mounted on the bow pulpit. I have to figure out new electronics, and we have a box of last minute stuff (24x24x24) that we shipped last week that still needs to be unpacked and distributed.

So... Let's take a break and walk the ship yard:

This is a really cool Coast Guard boat that is getting a new paint job. Notice the 300 hp outboard wrapped in plastic. There are 2 mounted on this boat.

Uh-oh.

Bad day for someone. Fortunately this engine compartment had a water tight bulkhead that kept the boat from sinking. This is a good example of why you give a big steel fishing boat a bigger right of way. The fishing boat attempted to veer off at the last minute - thus barely avoiding a potentially disastrous mid ship collision.

...and that piece over there. With the rudder attached. What is that?

Oh. Thats the part that got sheered off in the collision. It was retrieved and the boatyard is going to re attach it. Uh- huh. Somebody should never be allowed on a boat again. This sailboat captain needs to go back to seaman's school.