Kat and I flew back to Virginia for the weekend and, after three long days of sanding filling and drilling, the sail tracks are installed and we appear to be dry. I ended up using butyl tape to seal. It went down easy. We will see how well it holds up. Next on the list is to make new trim pieces to replace the cracked ones that seems to be part of the problem.
Our last order of business before flying back out was to transfer Zoe to Deltaville Marine to have the keel inspected and the paint damage on the bow repaired. The damage was from a poorly secured anchor that came loose in some heavy seas on our way down from Annapolis. Of course, we got up to a driving rain and, not having a choice, we turned Zoe loose and I headed out while Kat headed to the car to meet me at the marina. Visability was poor and the path back to Deltaville marine is shallow. Even though we waited until close to high tide, I still had less than a foot of water under my keel on several occasions. As I coasted up to the marina, the dock I was supposed to tie up to was not immediately visible so I nosed up to an open space and tied off the bow until I could get my bearings. Kat pointed out the dock I was searching for from shore so I turned loose the bow and backed off the dock. With no room to maneuver, and nobody on board to fend off, I was a little nervous as to how I was going to swing a 40 foot boat with a full keel end for end. At this point Zoe and a breath from God took over. The bow spun on a dime , I bumped the engine and Zoe floated past the corner of the dock. I stepped off, tied off the stern line and Zoe came to rest like she knew where she was headed. I, of course, acted like this was an every day occurrence. Zoe is on the hard now waiting on repair contractors. We hope to get her back in top form and in the water in a couple weeks.
Capt. Mike
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