So we're motoring along...see!!! And it is all Ron’s fault...Again!!! We knew we were sailing through a Navy weapons range, just around the corner. Ron, telling of his experience transiting this range, and seeing on the chart it says to see note 334.200.
At the same time we are in auto helm making for the green mark about ¾ mile ahead. The next thing we heard very loud jets taking off from Patuxent River Naval Air Station (four F18’s, four A10’s and two Intruders). We were just at the end of the runway. Is this the mornings Combat air group? We will be in the target area in less than an hour. Therefore, we really needed to find out what time the range opens for live or inert firing? Both of us started looking all over the pages of the newest chart book available from Map Tech to find the answer. The last Gunnery area we went through this information was on the same page, giving the range hours and what days they fired. “Forward to this page, no back three pages, check the legend in the back, no back to the other page” when... BANG!! It was too late.
Looking up into the green mark, she’s BIG and tangled up in our bow. Fortunately we were only traveling 4 knots. Topaz, who was curled up under the dodger made a “B” line for below. We couldn’t believe what we just did. Hitting green steel tripod day mark in 25 feet of water, dead in the middle, just under the A frame. It cleaned the pulpit, the forestay (including the furling and disintegrating the drum), totally destroying the anchor and roller extension. Finally, lifting the front half of the anchor windlass and mounting bolts through the deck. No longer having a need to find that note. Repairs were now in order.
Xcelsior, being put into reverse and pushed off from the mark. At this time, as we came unhooked, I realized we had no forestay attached to anything. The baby stay was a blessing, other wise the boat would be in need of a whole new rig. So I quickly attach the Spinnaker halyard and topping lift to the toe rail, to prevent the stick from coming down on our heads. We now sit at Zahniser’s Marina, in the same harbour, we just sailed from less than an hour before.
Boy is our faces red! How all plans change in less than a few minutes.
At the same time we are in auto helm making for the green mark about ¾ mile ahead. The next thing we heard very loud jets taking off from Patuxent River Naval Air Station (four F18’s, four A10’s and two Intruders). We were just at the end of the runway. Is this the mornings Combat air group? We will be in the target area in less than an hour. Therefore, we really needed to find out what time the range opens for live or inert firing? Both of us started looking all over the pages of the newest chart book available from Map Tech to find the answer. The last Gunnery area we went through this information was on the same page, giving the range hours and what days they fired. “Forward to this page, no back three pages, check the legend in the back, no back to the other page” when... BANG!! It was too late.
Looking up into the green mark, she’s BIG and tangled up in our bow. Fortunately we were only traveling 4 knots. Topaz, who was curled up under the dodger made a “B” line for below. We couldn’t believe what we just did. Hitting green steel tripod day mark in 25 feet of water, dead in the middle, just under the A frame. It cleaned the pulpit, the forestay (including the furling and disintegrating the drum), totally destroying the anchor and roller extension. Finally, lifting the front half of the anchor windlass and mounting bolts through the deck. No longer having a need to find that note. Repairs were now in order.
Xcelsior, being put into reverse and pushed off from the mark. At this time, as we came unhooked, I realized we had no forestay attached to anything. The baby stay was a blessing, other wise the boat would be in need of a whole new rig. So I quickly attach the Spinnaker halyard and topping lift to the toe rail, to prevent the stick from coming down on our heads. We now sit at Zahniser’s Marina, in the same harbour, we just sailed from less than an hour before.
Boy is our faces red! How all plans change in less than a few minutes.
No comments:
Post a Comment