A Rainbow !
20 December 2016
Well, life on the water is always interesting, sometimes terrifying, and never dull. It started out as a good day, we were going to sail down from Lake Worth to Ft. Lauderdale, had a slip reserved at the Lauderdale Yacht Club, which we really liked on our previous trip to the Bahamas. Scheduled to spend Christmas at Ft. Lauderdale with the Yacht Club pool and plenty of entertainment nearby. Take an Uber up to lighthouse point to visit friends from NC, and relax for a few days before moving on to Miami. Sounds idyllic right.... ?
So, now what really happened... we left Lake Worth early to arrive at Ft Lauderdale mid afternoon. Went out the inlet to be hit with rolling seas and a big swell. Winds weren't bad, but the chop and waves from the east kept us rolling for a few hours. Diana hated it, I didn't mind because we were getting to sail and periodically had steady winds and the chop subsided. It was a short trip, only about 6 hours, but not the most comfortable. We came in the Ft Lauderdale inlet which includes some of the largest cruise ships ever imagined by man ! They really are floating cities and as we pass by, feel like an ant invading a mansion all alone. We turn to the ICW channel with only a short distance remaining to end the day, we are suddenly shocked by loud metal to metal screeching !!! "What in h__ happened", we hit the bridge ! Amidst screaming and "back-out, back-out", the sound gets worse and small particles begin to fall on the deck. Finally, we back out from under the bridge, I call the bridge tender about an opening and I'm told not until the water police come. We back away from the bridge, practically in tears, looking up at the damage to the mast. The forestay appears broken, hanging by a halyard swinging in the breeze, and all the top of the mast equipment, antenna, lights, appear gone. Officer Waters (yes that really was his name) comes along side in his police boat, has us move back out of the ICW and away from the bridge, takes all the information and stays with us as the bridge tender tells him that they can't open until they inspect the bridge for damage. He directs Diana where she should move the boat, and insists that we stay out of the security zones. Meanwhile, wrestling with a massive pin holding the forestay on, I'm trying to get the stay and furled jib disconnected and on the boat rather than hanging out 20 ft in front of us after dropping it to the deck. By now in a dull state of shock, we wait for clearance and tie up the jib and forestay. Office Waters very kindly stays with us to relay information from the bridge, and in his most jovial mood says, "look at the bright side", of course I reply there is NO brightside, sure he says "see the rainbow!" You have to love it when the police try to cheer you up with rainbows.
After what seemed like an eternity, we finally get clearance to proceed to the bridge for an opening. Once through, escorted by Office Waters in his police boat, we entered the channel to the Lauderdale Yacht Club, move to the transient slips and pull in, tie up and collapse with a long sigh and a few 'my god's'. So much for this day, after the introductions, a few explanations, and goodbye to Officer Waters we climbed back on the boat to die of embarrassment, not wanting anything to eat and unable to sleep, but too stunned to do anything.