Day Two, What a Day! -- Thursday, August 25, 2016

Looking again at today's WX, the captains see a fast moving storm at Vermilion Bay to the east and think it may catch up to us. So, do we go or do we stay?   Herb warns me that if we go, we may make a quick decision and I should be ready.   By daybreak the system falls apart and we say, "Go."  I begin to batten things down and hear the engines warming.   As I bring our gear topside, I see we have already left the dock and Herb is backing out of our slip, while Denny brings in the fenders.

I get into my work mode by taking photos of the morning and looking forward to a great day of cruising.  Denny's phone rings for the umpteenth time -- I wonder if he gets more calls than Pearl -- and someone wishes us a safe journey.  His ring is the same as Herb's and every time he gets a call, he and Herb both reach for their phones.  "Is that you or it is me?"

Uh, oh!  An alarm sounds and it is DX'd to be a non-working port engine.  Denny says, "Sounds like we threw a belt."  He takes the helm, spins around to head back to Bow Tie Marina, while Herb goes below to check the engine.  Yep, the belt is in shreds.

I turn off the tracking feature of the SPOT, which would have shown our track out of the harbor, then the turn and track back into our slip.  We had activated it for fun to show Joe where we are at all times.  (Similar to Find My Friend on iPhone.)

OK, we have a spare belt, so will try to get the marina's mechanic to change it for us.  They open at 9 and this will give the engine time to cool down.

So much for an early start!

Happiness is getting 'Fluffy' from Olmsted Shipyard and Prop Shop in Lake Charles to make On Your Mark well.  Herb and Denny find the front hatch, Fluffy removes the shroud, and goes to work.  He shows me where he reaches down into the opening to remove the shredded belt and install the new one.

The captains are proud of their souvenir.

So now we think it prudent as long as we have the mechanic here, we should get him to replace the starboard engine belt.  I am so impressed with the size of the engine, and very thankful for the guys who know how to work on them.  

With the work finished, we thank Fluffy for all his help, and promise to call him again if we are ever back in the area needing repairs.  We would definitely recommend him. I get a sense that all the nautical businesses in the area take care of each other.

After the workday, the cooks are too tired to prepare a hot meal and Doug at Bow Tie Marina suggests a nearby restaurant we should visit.   He says to ask for Nick and tell them I sent you.   The Harlequin Steaks and Seafood proves to be a good choice.

Find Willie's salad....

Willie of Willie's Tug,
   and of Walldog, Willie and Jake
   Thursday, August 25, 2016