This is no easy job as the lines sit down on those piles not on top... I think I heard the guys yelling to put some slack in the line as I repeatedly flipped/whipped the line to get it off the pile but at last it did come off. Of course by now the boat was moving and GA did not have her sea legs as I stood trying to wind up the line......About then I heard my name being called and looked up and saw that our friend, Thea, was video taping this departure. Good grief! So now we have proof of the clowns on the deck!
In the channel of the Trent River things were going great with Walter in the pilot seat and Lenny close by. But then the wind came up after going under highway 70 bridge & the rudder was not seeming to work right... so Lenny took over. Now when would be the perfect time to have an emergency? NEVER of course but otherwise when a licensed captain is on board. Suddenly we lost all the steering!!! Best bet Lenny said was to go slow piloting boat just using engines to direct us..when going slow you can't use wheel anyway. This is when it is wonderful to have TWO engines! Lenny didn't let the opportunity go by as we were asked what we would do... call BoatUS to tow us?... best towing company but Lenny had another idea. He headed for the railroad bridge near the Hilton Grand Marina..... he was going too far to one side as the tender began to open the train bridge so he turned around and gave it another shot all the while teaching us that you go slow and if not lined up right back up and try again. I was beginning to think he arranged this emergency for our benefit!!
I wanted to call the marina as instructed in class but when you are with someone who knows everyone you just go right in there and dock on outside pier all the while calling your friend, "the best mechanic around", who just happens to be working right near where we docked...see what I mean about thinking Lenny planned the whole thing?!
The mechanic came aboard along with "John" who works for Lenny selling boats...the man was a ER doctor but hated his job and always wanted to sell boats! huh? And he is very successful at it. I was beginning to feel like we might just fit into this motley crew of boaters. :-)
Walter had already been down in the hole where the engines are located and now more hatches were opened including one under our queen bed in Master Cabin... that is where the large fuel tank is located!...under our bed?! Wonder if is sloshes at night when we might be anchored out? :-0
They all thought it might be that the steering had no fluid.... but as embarrassing as this is to tell you, the problem was not that at all!! It was that Walter had accidentally pushed the button for Auto Pilot and, of course, you loose the steering!! Although Lenny was kicking himself not to have thought of this and Walter felt bad also we were both elated that there was no real problem with the steering in the boat.
After spending some time on the widest river in the USA... did you know that about the Neuse River? I always thought the Mississippi was the widest. We then headed for the Northwest Creek Marina at Fairfield Harbor to practice some docking.
The shoaling around the entry is less than 3 ft in places so we had to go past it and then return up a deeper channel...scary to me but I guess we will get used to this as some of the channels on our Loop trip will be shallow. Walter called the marina...took a few times for them to respond but they did and came out to fuel our boat. Now this is the embarrassing part for me. Walter wanted to stay on the fly bridge to watch Lenny as he backed the boat in the fueling slip... it was left to me to handle the lines! WHAT?! So I thought it best to admit to Dawn, the very nice dock master, that I had never done this before...of course she had no clue prior to my confession, yeah, right! Then began the exchange of "Under"? or "Over"? first under then over?....... for the line to one of the dock piles. I am still confused on that... but when she said to throw her one of the lines I wound that baby up over my head and heaved hard thinking it will surely fall in the water and come short of the dock. It didn't! but nearly knocked her over!
While Walter filled the large tank (two tanks, one smaller than the other) I was asked several times to check the tank's gauge (were they just trying to keep me busy?) which is also under the queen bed. I slid off the mattress and only had to take off one tiny 6" square piece of wood to see the gauge. I know the boat is big because I got lost once and found myself in the forward V-berth looking for the fuel gauge! The wind was blowing, the boat was bobbing... and you better not be laughing at me!
Then it was Walter's turn to practice docking as we left for our slip just a few spots away from fueling dock. Of course he had to be up on the fly bridge with Lenny watching him. This left me alone again to handle the lines... thank heaven for the help on the dock! I want to get good at this but can an OLD dog learn?
Walter did great and Lenny said he would sign us off to "fly" solo after one more day of practice.... we will do some anchoring out and some man-over-board practice. Whoopee!
I am a shade gal who likes to hike in the mtns so I am just as surprised as some of you to tell you ....that THIS has to be THE COOLEST thing I have ever done! I love it!
