Bob
 
Remember what the old Susy-Q looked like in Pender Harbor? The Windy-i looks at least as bad. I laid out the race leg to Wrangell incorrectly and then didn't listen to Carol. Instead of passing the red buoy on our starboard side I past it to port at a place call Shallow Point. The chart showed enough water, it was wrong. The bottom shallowed up very quickly and suddenly we hit the rocks. I was able to use the thrusters to get out into deeper water and Tewasi towed us to Wrangel. When we hit the rocks my first thought after muttering the obligatory "Oh Shit" was to call a time out.
 
The running gear sustained severe damage. On the Port side the sacrificial coupling between the 2 pieces of shaft broke and the shafts were no longer coupled. Hence no power on that side. While the tail shaft didn't appear damaged, the key ways on both ends of the shafts were damaged. The propeller was severely bent. When the shafts separated the propeller was thrown into the rudder and bent the rudder shaft and then the rudder hit the rocks and bent it. On the starboard side the propeller was destroyed and there is a 15 degree bend in the end of the shaft. The shaft coupling was not damaged but all engine mounts broke. The front mounts were damaged when the casting supporting their mounts broke. The hull got hit in the bow and the tube for the sonar was damaged. The aft end of the keels was slightly damaged. The hydraulic steering ram has a broken seal. We thought the struts were damaged and removed them. Fortunately they look okay. While unloading all the spare parts out of the cavity behind the bed to get at the strut bolts I discovered a spare steering ram. The worst part is the coupling which is bronze and only available from Sam's Marine in Florida. Luckily I had 2 just pitched propellers and 2 tail shafts on board. Hopefully we will start putting the boat back together and get it in the water on Tuesday or Wednesday of next week.
 
Today a 70 footer came into the yard I don't know where they hit rocks but they took out both propellers, shattered the starboard stabilizer fin and took off a lot of fiberglass. Misery loves company.
 
The yard here is nice and the people very friendly. The bad part is getting cabin fever. The town is small (population 600 or less) and it has been raining every day.
 
Kent Soffel 

Two from Carol:

Hope we get back in the water soon so we can catch up with the AK 1000 group.. Great folks..
 
Miss you all, Carol

FYI: Tewasi (Don and Carolie Larson) and Sirena (Bob and Audrey Gauschi) and Noble (George Gregg, Bob and Pat Johnson) stood by to help us.. Tewasi towed us and almost all of our racers called and offered to help. What a wonderful group of people the racers are.. hopefully we catch up soon.
 
See you soon!