The Sky Is Falling 3-18-2014

We missed St Patricks day (3-17) and green beer! Oh wait we don't drink beer.  We missed Irish coffee!  Oh wait we don't drink coffee.  I guess we are waiting on Cinco de Mayo.  I drink tequila!

Two hundred yards after pulling the anchor up to leave ELASP Gemini Dreams was attacking the on coming waves to leave the anchorage when she lifted the outboard out of the water.  As it entered the prop spun!  No drive!  Stop on fix it here in the heavy chop as it beats me terribly senseless or just sail to Staniel?  Sail onward!  We beat into the wind close hauled for 6 hours tacking a half dozen times.  During this adventure our solar bimini broke it's mounting bolts and was dangling by one support rod and the safety line we had as backup just in case something like this happened.  Beating into the wind at 4 knts in 4+ foot bank waves while trying to secure a loose bimini with two 130 watt solar panels just adds to the adventure.  Secured as best we could with our dock lines we continued on.  Without the motor we could not get into the anchorage we wanted to so we dropped the hook at Big Majors for the day.  Taking a couple hours to recuperate we later worked on the bimini replacing the broken bolts and putting in two new supports.   The motor can wait until tomorrow.