Stuck in Maine

We finished the planned repairs in 2 weeks. This included having 2 of the sails repaired, getting the generator working and having the rigging checked. We also replaced the house battery bank. Just before we planned to leave the black water holding tank was pumped out which was the first time it has been pumped. A few days later we noticed a leak in the bottom of the bilge and had to wait for it to be checked.

It was the Rockland boat show over the weekend so we went and had a look around the lovely wooden boats. They were mostly motor boats but there were a few nice sailing boats.

When the holding tank was checked it was found to have a leak in the bottom and a lot of corrosion. The only way to get to the tank was to cut the floor open and remove it. So we moved off the boat into one of the yard cottages and emptied our cabin. The boat was lifted, the wooden floor was cut up and then the grp. The tank had to be cut out as it was partly under the bed. It had 4 different holes in it and was also corroded around one of the hoses connections. It has been replaced with a much smaller plastic tank to avoid having to cut our bed and to keep costs down. Unfortunately, changing the tank has also meant having to replace all the hoses and the connectors.

While the work was being done we hired a car to see Maine from the land as we will not get to see much of it by sea now. Our first day out to Portsmouth the rain was torrential all day. When we got back the dinghy had filled with water and the weight had bent the pushpit and the davits. We have had to remove the davits and have them straightened and strengthened and the pushit has been cut and replaced. More cost and time!

The GRP part of the floor was replaced Friday and will hopefully be completed next week. We should also have the davits put back Tuesday before Bill who is doing the work leaves to go sailing for 6 months!

Everyone at the yard has been very friendly. Drew the manager and owners son took us sailing last weekend on his boat which was lovely as Maine has been having a heat wave. Temperatures have been in the 90's all week and we have actually taken the blankets off the bed!

We have been watching hurricane Earl all week which has been threatening the east coast. We removed everything off the boat, sails, spray hood, bimini, etc and have been tied down with boulders with a lorry parked at the side of us for protection. Fortunately the storm has gone off shore and we have had nothing more than heavy rain over night.

We are hoping to leave Thomaston in the next week and will be heading directly to NY and then the Cheseapeake. We are running out of time as we have to be in Deltaville by 1 October to sort out a few projects before we fly home from Washington on 6 October.

PS Still here as the work has taken longer than expected and it looks like we will not leave until 12th September