Day 25: Water is in fact, wet

Day 25: Water is in fact, wet.

Woke up at the houseboat graveyard this AM to a balmy 27 degrees.

NO MORE FROST PLEASE.

Got started in the first lock just outside the graveyard at 7:30, on to three more locks after that.

It actually cracked 60 degrees today, which was great! All was well right up until I made a crucial error entering the third lock of the day. While arguing with Bosun as he flipped his food bowl and entering the lock, and tying to the wall I failed to remember to pull my dinghy in close and secure it.

“Big mistake! Big! Huge!”-Vivian Ward

As soon as I put the boat in gear I saw the line get tight. Well crap. Now I’m floating free, in a lock, with no propulsion. After trying to pull it free I opted to just cut the line, tie the dinghy on with what was left, and see if I could limp out.

When a line wraps a prob it can be a problem, or it can be catastrophic. If the line is just around the shaft, that isnt the end of the world. If it manages to wrap the prop itself and something else like the strut or rudder, thats game over. When managing the charter business I saw all kinds of damage from wrapped drive gear. I even saw a Yanmar 2GM bend it’s prop shaft and tear an engine mount off when a customer wrapped the anchor line around the prop and strut.

Nervously shifting the engine into forwards there were no funny noises or vibrations. The engine didn’t shudder and die. So onward and upward. I was able to anchor the boat downstream of the lock. Then do what I never expected I would do when I woke up this am. Pull my bag of dive gear out, and put on every piece of neoprene I had.

The water was cold, and gross. But after two attempts it was cut free.

I posted a gopro video earlier. You can find it on this page.

Not the day I wanted but it could have been much worse, so I’ll take it. Less than 300 miles to Mobile!