Aftermath 16 May 22

Tue May 17 2022

We made landfall at Port Angeles around 0830 on July 25th, 2021. Waiting for us there on the dock was our bestie and old skydiving pal Karin Cawley, waving our car keys at us. She had driven our little Honda CR-V all the way from Arizona to Port Angeles, a wonderful kindness to us, but apparently she was in the mood for a “road trip”. The crew from SV Manta was already on the dock, and Michael French from SV Peregrine Heart arrived a bit later, having overnighted at Neah Bay.

After we got tied up, kissed the ground and checked in with the marina office, we commenced to drinkin’. That lasted a couple rounds, then it was nap time for all. Later in the day we all piled into the Honda and went hunting a cheeseburger and cold craft beer, our favorite arrival meal. Port Angeles didn’t disappoint!

The following day we made a trek to Sequim to do loads of laundry, and visit that cornucopia of consumer goods (Costco) and enjoyed a nice meal aboard.

On the 27th we departed in heavy fog with Peregrine Heart trailing closely behind us, as Michael hadn’t yet fitted radar to his boat. It was a bit spooky and there was no wind so we motored along at a pace he could match, then eventually the fog lifted and we got to enjoy a lovely view of the green coastline. Rounding Point Wilson in the early afternoon we hailed Boat Haven Marina over the VHF and they invited us to proceed to the transient dock. As we entered the marina proper various people hollered and waved and greeted us, apparently aware of the quagmire we had found ourselves in.

Stephen and Debbie of SY Amelie had been on the hard stand for months and had made arrangements for us to be hauled out on the 29th, a day before the 300 ton travel lift was to be taken out of service for maintenance. They greeted us warmly and invited us to check out the Pour House that afternoon - a local establishment with a dog friendly garden facing the sound. A good time was had by all, and the following morning we had a diver inspect the hull for any undetected damage prior to lifting the boat. Nothing found.

We hauled mid-morning on the 29th with a representative of our insurer, Lloyds of London, inspecting the damaged bow, then discussing the other potential damage with Michael Johnson, the owner of Johnson Fabrication who would ultimately rebuild our starboard bow. What we all learned was that JollyDogs had suffered a whiplash mishap and that the standing rigging would need full inspection as well as the motor mounts, sail drive diaphragm seals and fuel tank attachment points.

It’s been a long and expensive slog, but eight months after hauling out JollyDogs splashed and she’s now moored at Shilshole Marina in Ballard just North of Seattle. Dock space is hard to come by, but Wright Yacht Sales came through for us.

Anyone interested in reading about the mishap, the damage, and the subsequent repair process can pick up the July issue of Professional Boat Builder Magazine.