This is the final post for a while. The trip on the water ended April 19, 2023 with ran engine failure that could not be fixed on the water.
I made the decision to take the boat back home and recoup, fix, and prepare to continue the journey.
Its seemed that after every day’s adventure, I would write that it was the most difficult part of the trip. It was true that each day was an adventure, and difficulties went along with the adventure. However, the trip home was a new and unique problem that started with figuring out how to make it happen.
I called a trucker who hauled the boat from the Keys to Galveston about 4 years ago. He did such an amazing job, so I contacted him first. William, the trucker, told me that he no longer did hauling but would consider making this a private trip over the weekend. I told him what I could pay him, but that did not seem to be an issue. He wanted me to help fix the fiberglass on the boat he loved at home in Cleveland TX. No problem, its a deal. William picked up my trailer and headed my way. That was Friday afternoon. Friday late afternoon I received a phone call from him telling me we had problems. The picture posted below will show you that the axel had departed the trailer and three of the leaf springs were broken. It was 6pm and nobody was open. I called a 24 hr. truck and trailer repair shop that said they could fix it. What I did not know was that they were also a laundry facility because they certainly took me to the cleaners. $3000 and 20 hours later, William was back on the road. He had slept the night in his truck outside the repair shop because he was afraid to leave his truck unattended there.
I had my last meal on the boat (picture below) and Gnarly and I went to bed expecting William sometime around noon the next day. That would give me plenty of time to finish taking down the mast and packaging up the boat for the long trip home. At 4am William called to tell me that he was there and ready to go. Oh my! I sprung out of be and hurried to get the boat ready. What was a 2 hour job took me 30 minutes.
Now the bigger problem. The ramp was several hundred yards away, behind a large wooded island and in very shallow waters. It was pitch black and I had no instruments to help guide me or tell me how deep the water was. Not only was I flying blind, but I was without an engine at the moment. I tried starting it several times without success. Then it dawned on me, if it were the fuel pump causing all of this, I should be able to start the engine and keep it running briefly with starter fluid. I sprayed the fluid into the intake and the engine started right up. I continued to spray as I steered the boat into the darkness behind the island toward the ramp. I hit the bottom a few times but kept on going until I was able to move right onto the waiting trailer. The worse was over, or so I thought….. once again.
We pulled the boat out and everything looked good until I saw a flat tire. No problem I thought, we have a spare. I told William to get the jack. WHAT! NO JACK. What kind of truck guy is this? Fortunately there was a very nice guy waiting at the ramp who had a jack and was glad to help. The tire changed and off to the nearest gas station we went to top off the air in all the tires.
The first tire I filled was the tire we just took off, and it seemed to hold air OK. It must have been low. That was a very good thing because when I filled the tire we just put on, it exploded. At least the original tire could be put back on…….except we have no jack!
Again, another nice guy at the gas station came to the rescue. He went home and brought a jack back. The tire was fixed, but we had no spares now. William remembered that there was a Tractor Supply place up the road about 30 miles. When we got there it was about 8am and it did not open until 9. William got a cat nap and Gnarly and I went on a long walk.
To my amazement, when the store opened, they had the tire I needed. I bought it, a jack, and an air pump. I figured I could take them back to the Tractor Supply Store in Houston if I did not use them. $660 on the card, and off we went.
Two miles up the road we blew tire #3. I went into action and had the tire changed in three minutes, on a busy highway. Off we went again, but without a spare. We made it to the Tallahassee Tractor Supply where I purchased two more tires with the same return policy in mind. We did not need them.
After a total of 20 hours on the road, we arrived at my house, unloaded the trailer on my front lawn, and William headed home with a promise that I would help him at fix his boat, and pay his expenses of course. Oh, and a little extra for his time. So this little trip home cost about $5000. But what the hell, who could get this type of adventure for even twice the cost?
It took me several days to catch up and document this, so sorry for those who thought I dropped off the face of the earth. I did not . I just needed some sleep. I did not realize just how exhausted I was, but the good memories of the trip and the anticipation of getting back to it, will keep me going.
Gnarly is doing great. She started eating like the little pig she is, and with her routine back in order she is a happy camper. On to the next adventure!
