Tuesday, May 06, 2008

Well if you have been keeping up with the blog then you know that Ann and Barry have had a little misadventure. On the morning of May 1 they woke up to the sound of the boat on the rocks, apparently the anchor had let go some time in the night. They have assessed the damage and the hull of the boat is fine but there is some damage to the rudder and keel. It was hard to understand the exact extent of the damage but their is a crack some where near the boot for the rudder, how serious it is they are unsure. And the keel has a 12 inch scratch/ gouge in the fiberglass. They were unable to get any repairs done on the island where the incident happened and because the hull was undamaged they decided to sail to Nuku Hiva. Nuku Hiva seems to be the other major island in the Marquesas and it has internet access and more amenities than the other islands in the region. (I am just going on what I have observed on Google Earth so if I am wrong please correct me so I can edit the blog) The plan when I talked with Ann last was to get a hold of boat yards in Tahiti to arrange a lift out date for the boat to get the repairs done. Ann and Barry have met a few Canadian boats in Nuku Hiva and one of them has agreed to accompany Cat's Paw IV on its sail to Tahiti as a back up in case an emergency should arise. Nice to hear the mariner spirit is alive and well and I will be glad to know that Ann and Barry will have company to lend a hand on the week long journey to Tahiti.