Discretion-

So, we have left Why Knot in the care of what may well be the best yard on the Gulf Coast.  We decided to stand down and let them unstep the mast without our being present.  That means that we will not see her again until the parts are assembled and she has had her shots.  We simply did not want to watch the surgery but would have had we not found a yard that helped many of the Beneteau fleet on the Lake post Katrina.  We received good news prior to departure from the yard.  The owner of the yard contacted the original manufacturer of the pulpit (again bow rail in their terms) and cut the lead time from four to six weeks to three weeks.  Now if the spar and rigging make it by then, our yard time may be less than four weeks.  We do not yet know the lead time of the spar or the roller furling.  In the next few days the local Hood sail franchise will repair the head sail and the bimini.  The way the insurance thing works is that we pay the yard and they work for us and at our direction.  The insurance company writes the check to us.  Methinks that we will be fronting funds in the name of expediency so that the lead times are minimized.

On another sad note, the sea and for that matter the GIWW is unforgiving.  Just as our event proved that to us, it has again proven it to the boating community.  Yesterday, at 47 feet Anderson trawler met, at flank speed, a barge.  Collision was knarley.  Literally, the trawler did not alter course and hit dead center, so the rumors go, at substantial speed to the extent that the helmsman went thorough the windscreen and is now in ICU in critical condition.  The boat still swims but will require, according to the owner of the yard where WK now resides, about one third of the bow to be replaced.  By the way, the fellow from whom I learned this is a marine surveyor and expert witness in maritime cases. 

To Robert, Travis and Jack, Bear and I drove by the Lakefront, Orleans and New Orleans Marina today.  All the condos that were dark when we were there last are now up and running.  Many of the boat houses on the outer harbor are still "blown" out.  Most of the Lakeshore drive is closed and is being rennovated.  The 17th Street bridge over which we approached Orleans just after Katrina is being rebuilt.  That beautiful parkway with all the oak trees looks like a clearcut forest with new saplings.  So much for the positive. I would say that at least one third of the houses in the area are gone.  For the most part, my impression is that New Orleans still is half unfunctional.  As we learned, most of the state government entities with which we attempted to work are still not running smoothly.  That is in the New Orleans area.  The Cajuns and Creols are humming along just fine 

We did stop early today in Orange, Texas (The Republic of) and will get a late start tomorrow having learned that early starts and late evenings are no longer ego challenges but can be costly. 

Bligh