Happy Thanksgiving to you all. Sometimes it is hard to recognize all the things we are or should be grateful for each year, especially when your boat is broken down in Grand Harbor (Counce), Tennessee and you have no idea how long you will be stuck and how much it will cost to get the hell out of here.
We were in the Pickwick Lock on Wednesday afternoon. We motored for around 8 hours that day and got into the lock and tied up just fine. We were lifted some 40 feet and all was well. Unfortunately, when the gate opened and it was time to move on out of the lock, nothing happened. I thought at first that we had somehow managed to snap a linkage cable. hard to believe, it is true, but it is the only part of the transmission that you can see outside the bell housing. Well, that wasn't it. So, we notified the lockmaster that we weren't going anywhere, and then called Boat US for assistance.
The symtoms were similar to that which we experienced arounr 6 years ago on our way home from Moro Bay, California. That time, we were 15 miles off shore when we lost all propulsion. Similarly, the engine contiued to purr like a kitten, but the shaft would not turn. That time, it turned out to be a fractured dampener plate. We waited for two hours for a tow while being constantly entertained by a circling blue whale. This time was not nearly as interesting.
So, within an hour, Towboat US showed up and a fine captain named Davis took us in tow and pulled us out of the lock and up the Tennessee River for another 8 miles and delivered us to the dock at Grand Harbor Marina which was our ultimate destination for the day in any event. It was there that we planned to enjoy Tanksgiving. Ultimately, now, for the second year in a row, we had thanksgiving in or near a boatyard on a sick vessel. I think from now on, I am leaving the boat in November and taking a vacation from cruising. Abreojos seems to hate November.
We had a mechanic down yesterday (Friday) and in relatively short order, he diagnosed the problem the same as I already had: the dampener plate. So, this plate is similar to a clutch and it lives inside the transmission. It's a pain in the ass to get to and requires the engine to be suspended so the transmission can be separated from the main engine. Our mechanic believes it can be done while the boat is in the water. I'm not too sure about that but we'll see.
So for now, we are at Grand Harbor Marina where TowboatUS brought us on Wednesday evening. On Monday morning we will get towed again; only this time to the mechanic's yard which is about 2 miles from here. Fortunately, he says we can stay on the boat during the repair process although it will be kind of like staying in your house with the roof off. Again, we'll see how that goes. For now, we have not too many other choices, especially since we have the two cats on board.
In the interim, however, I will be writing more about our stay in Clifton. I will also write about our visit to Pickwick, TN which is where Grand Harbor Marina is located. There sure are some wonderful folks here, and with the courtesy car, we have visited some interesting places.
With the exception of a couple side trips here and there on the Tennessee River, this shit happens when we are less than 500 miles from closing the Loop we started just over a year ago. Well, you just have to have faith that some things just happen for a reason.
I'm waiting.
That's it for now.
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