To continue the saga of the boat: I clambered aboard the rescued vessel whilst it was held up in the crane cradle today. (Not an easy or elegant task.) It is unbelievable what the water can do. The power of the sea and tide was evident in the chocolate wrappers on the ceiling, the table wedged near the roof, the cushions and wash-boards soaking and at unbelievable angles. Not to mention the washed-out electrics, equipment totally washed away and crazy angle of everything. The outside shows the port keel ripped off and stoved into the cabin towards the rear. We managed to rescue a few clothes (they are now washed and dried and OK), and there will probably be some crockery that can be saved. Apart from that…….well it is up to the surveyor to decide what can be done. The engine, for instance, is already corroding fast. Mind you, the sails are OK and look cleaner than they have ever done. They have been in Neptune's washing machine after all.
Enough of all that. I keep telling myself how fortunate we are that it was only things that have been damaged. It has also reminded me of how awful it must be for people who are flooded out of their homes. We have lost some books, charts etc….but not much in the way of family folklore and memorabilia. Makes me wonder whether in the future we will all be able to record our memories etc online. I guess this blog is one way of doing that.
God Bless all sailors and rescuers.