It’s been a while since I’ve posted anything. I have to
admit I’ve been a bit on the blue side and just haven’t had it in me to post.
So, time to climb back in the boat and sail again… so to speak (did you like
that metaphor to horses?).
The aft mast is a mess but after free climbing it and tying
the busted parts back together I figured that we had it in good enough shape to
head off shore and finish the trip up the coast.
3 days max and we would be
home in NC. That’s when I heard a terrible grinding sound, (nothing that you
ever want to hear on a boat). I turned out to be our auto pilot.
The plastic
gears in the control unit had worn out after 20 years. This is almost as bad as
no engine. The Goose is a big boat and I rely on the auto pilot. So, offshore
was out of the picture, and we became a motor boat. I had vowed to NEVER motor thru Georgia,
and this year I had to eat my words as we wound our way thru the swamps and saw
grass flats of that state.
After running out of diesel and havining to bleed the engine to get it to run again we were on our way.
I tell you, it’s miles and miles of nothing but
grass, serpentine water ways and big tides. I finally hooked a bungee cord to
the wheel to offset the natural ‘turn to port’ that the goose has under power.
With Edie's help, I managed to keep a good lookout and stear the boat for the last 500 miles. It’s
been a very long, boring week and I’ll be glad to get back to Deaton Marine
tomorrow.
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