On the hard in Gloucester

Things started out just a little slower than we hoped, but it definitely seems to be going in the right direction. On Monday, July 30th, we were assigned a claim number. On Tuesday, July 31st, a marine surveyor contacted us and asked us to decide on a place to have the boat hauled out and the mast removed (mast removed?!). On Wednesday, August 1st, Browns Yacht Yard stepped the mast and hauled us out. The surveyor came by on Thursday, thoroughly inspected the damage and gave us a lot of hope that we would be well taken care of by the insurance company. Now we are just waiting for word from the insurance company that we can start ordering parts. We are expecting to be here for 2-3 weeks. I am starting to believe that 2-3 weeks is in marine time, and maybe they mean 6-8 weeks in the real world.

We started out pretty comfortable while we were in the water. Even though most of the electronics were gone, we still had our lights, our stove, and the water pump. However, Reinhart had to disconnect the house batteries on Wednesday to keep them from becoming completely discharged and we didn’t have those conveniences for a while. Once we were connected up to 110 volt in the yard we realized the microwave made it through, so we could cook with that. Most of our outlets are functioning properly so we can charge the computer and phone. The convenience store across the street sells block ice, so we can continue to keep our refrigerated foods cool. We have a foot pump at the galley sink for water, we have a little battery operated radio that keeps us entertained, and we have use of the yard’s bathrooms and showers. Reinhart found a way to connect the solar panels directly into the batteries on Friday, so we got back our lights, stove, and water pump; he just has to keep an eye on the batteries since there is no controller analyzing the charge state. It does appear that the batteries have not made it through this experience unharmed. If the insurance company gives us the go ahead, we may move to a hotel for comfort; although, Cape Ann is a big tourist destination, and hotels are somewhat booked up.

Oddly enough, Reinhart and I are having a blast. Reinhart loves troubleshooting and has immersed himself in research. He is looking forward to installing all of the new electrical components to his specifications. We have met lots of great people and are feeling at home here in East Gloucester. We’ve thoroughly checked out our surroundings and have ridden our bikes around the neighborhoods nearby, like Rocky Neck Art Colony and Eastern Point. This morning, we are heading out to buy ice. Later on I’ll be investigating painting the bottom while Reinhart polishes the stainless. Hopefully, we’ll hear something from the insurance adjuster by day’s end.