Hi Everyone,

I don’t know if I used to be braver or just oblivious to possible catastrophe. Car ownership, home ownership, now boat ownership, and as I’ve gotten older, the possibility of broken bones if I fell really hard off a large horse have eliminated much of the bliss of ignorance; and bravery hasn’t replaced it. In the past week or so I’ve found myself saying, “I’m not brave enough for this.” When we had that fish net anchor mess last week and again yesterday when we were trying to get DoraMac into the tiny concrete slip at the boat yard, I just had to wonder about those cruisers who see all of this as “just a part of cruising.”

First, let me say, it all turned out fine with not a scratch on man or boat. (As the fish net mess did too.) But while it was happening I couldn’t imagine anything other than “possible disaster.” (I may have mentioned in earlier emails that my mother used to call me “Calamity Jane” because I was a predictor of doom.) We’d had the boat pulled successfully once in China, but things do happen. And with our experiences lately, I really do believe “things do happen”. They, luckily, just don’t happen so often or so awfully that you want to pack it up and go home. Randal continually seems to be able to deal with whatever happens and the more I see that, the less really worried I get. But controlling a 34 ton boat against the forces of wind and current is truly difficult.

Docking a boat at a marina or boat yard involves throwing long, heavy lines (ropes) to someone, or better, several someones, standing on the dock to catch them. You put rubber fenders out on the side that will come close to the dock to protect the boat. I’m not great at throwing our lines, though I am getting better. At a marina when the weather is very calm and there is no wind, it’s not so bad. But during our docking procedure at the boat yard I knew that there would be no room for error so suggested that the boat yard have someone on our boat to throw the lines. I’m glad I did for 2 reasons. One, it was problematic and our helper had to climb on the boat railing to be able to throw the lines to the guys on the dock, and two, even he missed once and they missed once. If I had done it, Randal would have been embarrassed by his inept crew member. To top it off, the slip cleat had broken and several men who weighed maybe a combined 500 lbs were trying to play tug of war with a 34 ton boat that had to back away to move into position. Did not work as they kept having to drop the line. Finally a temporary cleat was rigged and that managed to hold the line. I have no photos because I was poised, fender in hand to place said fender between DoraMac and the concrete slip if we came close enough to make contact and damage the hull. I also, was in on the line throwing act and luckily got it right the first time. By then we were close enough to the slip and the men there caught my throw which was dead on! Fear is a strong motivator!!

Randal had to back the boat into this concrete slip which is about 22 to 24 ft wide. DoraMac is almost 15 feet wide. That’s about 3 ½ feet to spare per side. You have to do it right. At a marina dock, the fenders can protect the boat from damage. But the sides of this concrete slip are much higher where fenders won’t really work, so men were holding large sheets of Styrofoam between the boat and the slip walls. I walked along with a fender to use if we needed extra protection.

The concrete slip. Backing a boat is very different than backing a car. The wind and current keep the boat moving no matter where you are trying to make it go. That’s why you need the lines and cleats to hold it from moving with the wind. The really icky times are when you share a slip at a marina and the wind can blow you into the boat that’s already there. Then it’s my job to hold a fender between the two boats if necessary. Luckily so far it hasn’t been necessary.

We’re securely in the slip. The travel lift is the contraption on wheels.

Once you are securely in the slip they roll out the travel lift which is a huge contraption that has two slings which go under the hull forward and aft.

Here we are out of the water. Can you see the two straps under the keel?

We had to loosen mast stays and lower aerials, but it all worked and there were no dings anywhere. The boat yard guys knew their job and friends Patrick and Elizabeth helped and gave us advice on the mast stays.

Elizabeth and Patrick sometimes shortened in my emails to E and P or P and E.

This is the boat yard man who came on DoraMac to throw the lines. I’m taller and weigh more: but he is stronger and knows more! And I wouldn’t have climbed onto the railing to throw the line; at least not onto the top rail. Maybe the middle rail. Falling into the water could get you squished between the boat and the concrete dock.

When he first came aboard he asked for a photo of the boat. We didn’t have one handy at that really busy time. I thought he just wanted one to keep as a reminder of the boats he helps “land.” When we were all finished I told him I’d get him a photo for him. Later P and E said that he wanted a photo to see the bottom of the boat to help with the landing and lifting!

Randal and Elizabeth looking at the crusty propeller and the dirty rudder and hull.

The ding in the orange might be part of the leftovers from the fishing net mess. Randal isn’t sure. The whole net mess was wrapped around the propeller and shaft. It’s not a deep dive to get to the propeller, but maneuvering around with a tank that can get caught places ….

Crusty zincs needed to be cleaned and replaced

Our bow thruster propeller needed attention too and the round metal piece in the center will be replaced.

Power washing the green slime off the bottom.

Randal took a turn; a reminder of his old Roanoke Wreck Repair days.

Randal was washing off, our peeling off white water line marker. He’s going to paint one on.

The expert travel lift driver.

The travel lift hoisted us out of the water and drove us over to our parking space bow to bow with P and E’s boat, Lebarque

Bow to bow with Lebarque. It was close enough to be a bit scary to watch.

Though the boats are very steady on their rests, we all have the sensation that we are rolling a bit.

Remember the crusty propeller and the slime green bottom? That’s Randal’s smiling face you see in the clean, shiny propeller arm! Soon the whole thing will look like that. Randal says know one would know what the reflection is, but I think so.

The boat yard is doing some of the work and Randal is doing some of the work. Some confusion with the estimate prompted that. Luckily Randal can do lots of the work himself. P and E are doing much of their own boat work and so are the Olssons on Blue Marlin.

This is how we get off the boat.

We climb down to the swim platform and then down the swim ladder and then step onto the big barrel holding on to the swim ladder and then, still holding on reach with my toe as far as I can until I touch the big block of wood. In my next life, as well as knowing my right from my left, I’m going to be taller.

Nights in the boat yard are very quiet except for the occassional dog quarrel. The dogs are very friendly but they stake out their claims to visiting cruisers and woe be to the dog who tries to get some attention from a cruiser who has already been claimed. Small brown dog has claimed our row of boats which includes Lebarque and now DoraMac. She fiercely guards her territory from the other female dogs but reluctantly allows her male friend to hang around and even get an occassional pat on the head. This morning they both had our left over, very picked over, Sungei Rengit pork ribs bones. She got more because he was afraid of what I might be throwing. Tomorrow they’ll get some really old biscuits that Randal had made. I will look for dog treats when we go to George Town tomorrow. E and P have chores and so do we so we’ll all take the bus in early and depending on who’s done when, we’ll share a taxi coming home. Patrick needs 100 lbs of sand for his sand blaster; not something you take on the bus.

So that’s that.

Ruth Johnson

Doramac