Alas! No Race Week for Sevilla

Sevilla made it safely to Marathon on the 18th for an overnight in the mooring field of the Boot Key Harbor City Marina.  Everything was fine until we checked our transmission fluid that evening.  We put a piece of paper towel on the dipstick to measure the fluid, but the paper fell off into the fluid.  It was contaminated.

We made the fatal mistake of taking the boat on to Key West on Jan. 19 to keep up with our flotilla for Race Week.  The results:  our transmission was fried, and we had to divert to Robbie's Maritime Center on the west side of the channel into Stock Island, Mile 1237.  Robbie's boatyard is mainly devoted to the repair and reburbishing of large commercial vessels and megayachts (like Intuition with her crew of 14), but they directed Sevilla to limp in and tie up to a wall so they could take a look at the transmission and try to repair it or find a new one. 

The staff are very courteous, professional and helpful--Frank Wortmann, Director of Business Relations and Marketing, couldn't have been nicer.  He met us, directed us in and and helped us tie up. The two mechanical specialists, Mike and Travis, came right over, though it was late in the day, to inspect the damage.  Lots of discussion ensued.  I went over to the office to fill out the usual papers, produce the proper identification and credit card info, and sign everything.  The mechanics did not have good news; a rebuild was out of the question--our trani was too far gone.  They would check out getting us a new one and let us know in the morning.

We worried a lot and slept very little on Sevilla that night.  The news the next day was awful.  Our 2002 Universal 35-B engine had a Hurth HBW 100 trani.  Unfortunately, that was now obsolete, and we had to find some different model that would fit properly.  The guys were searching their usual sources and were being told that there were none to be had and that suitable models were on back order until March 25th.  That was the story on Thursday and Friday.

We were shocked--first, that we had put ourselves in this position in the first place, and secondly, that we might have to leave the boat and go home for a couple of months before the trani could arrive.  We were already going through something that approximated the four stages of death and dying, if you can imagine.  However, action is the first line of defense:  by nine Thursday, we had  been picked up by a Enterprise car rental at the boatyard , so we had a rental car, and by noon, after several calls and stop ins, we had found a space in one of the NAS "hotels" for visiting military with some places for "space a" visitors. It was in the NAS property over at Truman Annex, an easy walk into town and close to the action of Key West.

Just those two steps provided some relief.  We couldn't very well stay on Sevilla.  Robbie's had few of the usual marina facilities--power, water, pump out--but very nice restrooms and showers, however. The full moon made things seem a little brighter.

Next, we brainstormed with our CCYC companions who suggested we call Catalina for some contacts.  Our plight had already been widely broadcast on Brunelle's blog and a couple of our CCYC members near Annapolis contacted us for specifics and offered to help with the search.  The Robbie's guys had gotten nowhere by Friday afternoon, but after Mike Vaccaro of Resolve in Maryland got the information and serial numbers off our trani, he was able to locate one online from Hale Marine.  We called Hale early on Monday, Jan. 24, to verify they had what was on line, got our mechanic to call them to make sure it was the correct trani, and then we ordered it shipped to Robbie's.  Hale is located in Warsaw, VA, but we didn't know where the part actually came from.  We were told three day delivery and that the part went out on the morning of the 25th.

We were thrilled and grateful that the networking worked.  Three days!  So we got our hopes up and breathed a little more easily.  With any luck we would have it by Friday, maybe sooner!  We commiserated and celebrated with our very supportive CCYC flotilla at the Conch Republic, Margaritaville, the Hogfish, and at a couple of nice suppers aboard Brunelle, drinking Double Dog Dare boxed Pinot Noir.

In the meantime, our son David and his buddy escaped DC on the last flight out of Dulles during the thundersnowstorm on Wed., 26 Jan, to come cheer us up, play some golf and enjoy the Key West scene for a couple of days.  We weren't getting much sympathy from our family and friends who were freezing and snowbound in Maryland:  "It's hard to have a pity party for anyone marooned in Key West!"  And our son John in Houston congratulated us on finding a way to have an extended vaction in Jimmy Buffet-land.

I'll leave you in suspense--what did they do all weekend?  Did they get the transmission by Friday?  Who won the golf matches? 

Helen and Lamar Neville visit from Annapolis--at Blue Heaven



One of the Cat Man's Star Performers at Mallory Square

                The plot thickens.  We'll keep you posted.  Thank you for your expressions of concern.
                                                                             
                                                                               Best from Key West,
                                                                              Maureen and Glen