'Renovatio' in US Waters - Finally!

[michael201]

I was able to meet her in Norfolk at the dock and help with preparing her for unloading. What an experience!

The short of the story is that she was supposed to be unloaded by 9 p.m. but wasn't until 4 a.m. After removing 45 containers, the first or three top covers was lifted and just at the edge of the ship the crane broke and the top free wheeled to the top of the few remaining containers and landed with a huge crash. It was hanging about 20% over the side. I think it was about a 40 foot drop to the containers it landed on. My boat would have been the 6th or 7th item from the first lid.

They used another crane to lift my boat.

A few pictures.

I was S*&%^&g bricks the whole time.

[Hud3]

Nice boat, Michael! Glad she's still in one piece!

[osirissail]

Any photos of the damage, if any?

[michael201]

Sorry, no. I had left my camera down below and was not able to get it until just before things got moving again. They got us out of there quickly after the crane dropped the cover.

They attempted to repair the crane (4-5 hours) which they never were able to. Typical scene.... 30 plus dock workers (managers, engineers, maintenance) and such standing around talking to each other while 2 or 3 kept going up and down the elevator every 15 min. Port police showed up (3 units) and they spent 4-5 hours filling out paperwork, taking pictures and checking to see if there was any damage to the ship itself (no) and if there were any hazmats in the container (no) that needed to be checked.

Not too fun....

[Sailndive345]

Very nice!... Glad she was safe. Are you in the water already? In the pics, she doesn't seem to have any bottom paint; I imagine that'll be part of the commissioning?

Enjoy!

Sailndive

PS: I sailed out of Tidewater Marina for a season - exciting area!

[michael201]

She is in Annapolis currently being rigged. She will be in the Annpolis boat show so come by and see her and say hello. I'm hoping to be there Sat-Mon.

[MarkJ]

Congrats Michael!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


She looks wonderful!

[SailFastTri]

Beautiful boat Michael. Good luck with her.

Is that windscreen Plexiglas or polycarbonate (Lexan)? If the latter, you should have a snap-on cover made to protect it from UV while the boat isn't in use. If you don't, it will become crazed and hazed within 3-5 years.

[Joli]

Very nice, congrats! We'll stop by when at the show.

[Gibbous]

Originally Posted by michael201

just at the edge of the ship the crane broke and the top free wheeled to the top of the few remaining containers and landed with a huge crash. It was hanging about 20% over the side. I think it was about a 40 foot drop to the containers it landed on.

Oh my... After something like that, a mere 4-5 hour delay is probably getting off easy. It would be interesting to know what part of the crane failed that would cause such an incident, yet still be somthing that they would expect to have safely fixed within a few hours. Things like this often result in extensive testing and recertification that have to be done before the crane can be used again. Lucky that nobody was killed.

Beautiful boat though, hopefully this will be the most stressful moment in your ownership...