----- Original Message -----

Sent: Wednesday, December 05, 2007 9:31 PM

Subject: Around the Bay - sunken yacht cleaned up - evening - Pilot Boat - it's a tough job

The sunken yacht has been taken out of the water and stripped out of all the water logged furnishings and gear - and then given a serious talking to with the high pressure washer - that they use here in the yard to clean off the bottoms of all the boats.

The owners apparently surrendered the wreck to the Maritime Services - who paid for it to be salvaged and now own it. It's apparently going back on a mooring until it's sold to pay for the salvage costs. There have been various versions of the sinking - but as best I can make out - one of the inexperienced owners - not understanding the workings of the skin fitting plumbing - apparently thought he was closing a sea cock valve - when in fact it was merely a Y valve in the system. This then allowed water to siphon back in - through a fully open skin fitting. The fellow then left the yacht and went to the Club for dinner and drinks - and the yacht sunk that night.

But as you can see - now that it's getting cleaned up - it doesn't look too bad - and appears to have a nice shape and reasonably seaworthy - with mast - sails - and all the necessary gear.

And today - a large Pilot Boat - that works around the Port - came in for a quick lift - out and straight back in. It had picked up some rope - wrapped around one of it's props - and it was really only out of the water for a few minutes - and then on it's way.

After a few little jobs - like a broken tap valve in the water cooling system - that required removing 5' of exhaust pipe and 3 hoses - to get off and replace. The engine appears to be working just fine - the engine and exhaust cooling systems - all seem to be functioning as intended - and the gearbox seems AOK as well - as I kicked it into forward and reverse gears and it engaged the drive turning the prop - correctly - which is all reassuring.. Although we didn't go anywhere at all - as we are still tied to the dock - and it was about half tide - and we were firmly settled a couple of feet into the bottom. But all appears ready to go - when the time does come for the big yacht to move under it's own power - in the next few days??