Sunday, July 15, 2012

A Big Bang and a Change of Plans

Midland, ON
Bay Port Marina
July 13-?, 2012


In our last post you may recall we were headed for Honey Harbor on Friday which in on the East side of Georgian Bay.  We got to the last lock on the Trent Severn Waterway in Port Severn only to discover it was a little crowded because it is the smallest lock on the waterway and can't handle more than one big boat at a time.  We only had to wait for one lock down and up and then it was our turn.  There were a lot of boats behind us backed up including "Kismet" who was heading to Midland.  We got through the lock fine and some very skinny areas after the lock.  We were about a mile from the lock when we hit.  The boat went up on its side and there was a big bang.  Obviously we hit a rock and it was bad so we stopped and tried to figure out our bearings.  We were on the wrong side of the marker so we had to limp back to the deep water  before we could relax a little.  After looking around at the markers we determined that there was a red marker on a big rock but there was also a red buoy about 20 yards away from the other red.  We unfortunately assumed that the buoy was green so we went between them. When we put the port engine in gear there was a terrible vibration but we needed to keep going slowly because there was some very tight areas ahead and if we drifted out of the channel it could be worse.  We got through Potato Channel and into Midland Bay and then we decided to shut down the port engine and use the starboard engine to limp into Midland.
I had called the Bay Port Marina as soon as we could and they said they could help.  This is the same marina that "Kismet" was going to so we would be together again.  We got into the marina and they said to take the boat to the lift which was all the way in the back of the marina.  They pulled us out right away to asses the damage and it was pretty bad.  Both props were damaged, the port shaft was bent and the port strut was bent.  Now by this time, Kismet was there and they needed to get pulled to check their props.  The marina put us back in and tied us up to the wall while they pulled Kismet.  They took the props off of Kismet and then put them back in the water and tied them up.  The marina then pulled us out and put us on blocks to work on the boat.  The mechanics stayed until well after quitting time to take our props off and pull the port shaft out of the boat to get them to the prop shop.  At this point the only thing we know is that the shop worked on the props on Saturday and they are making a new shaft for me on Monday but I have no idea about the strut or when we will be back in the water but we are thinking Friday.
Since the boat was out of the water there is not air conditioning and it is very hot.  Kismet was nice enough to let us sleep on their boat on Friday and Saturday night which was fantastic.  We were able to secure a hotel room for the rest of the week and we are now in a Knights Inn in Midland waiting for the marina.  We don't know where we are going from here but we will figure it out this week.  Wish us luck and stay tuned.

After the Big Chute and before Port Severn
Maybe the fish know it is the channel so they hide out
Boats in front of us at the Severn lock
Kismet waiting patiently behind us
Getting backed up at the lock
I don't know what he was diving for
Narrow channel under the bridge
I took this picture from the back deck on the port side after we hit (It is red right on this section of the waterway)
This is the other red that was on the rock.
OUCH!!!!
Not good
This is supposed to be straight.

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