Jan. 20th continued...

So the boat is in the water...diesel engine guy, Darryl, is on board and we are tied up next to where we were launched.  Time to check the engine which has had a complete overhaul.  Yay!  The engine turns on...Oh oh!  It doesn't turn off...and none of the dashboard systems work.  Well, we were told that he has to check everything and troubleshoot problems.

We decide to motor over to the fuel dock to fill up and take her to our spot in the marina so that we can continue to work on her over the next few days and live in comfort.  Just so as you get the picture...we are merely motoring around the marina...everything is close by.  We are not sailing yet.  We have checked out the fuel dock and put our dock lines and fenders (rubber yokes to protect boat from getting beaten up by docks or other boats) on the correct side so that we can tie up.  And so we start to motor over...Ken is at the helm and Darryl is ready to manually shut down the engine and I am on the ropes/dock lines (picture me trying to look like a sailor).

We come around the slips where all the boats are lined up looking spic and span....Oh no....there is a boat on the fuel dock and another waiting so there is little space for us.  There is a place we can tie up while we wait but of course  fenders are on the wrong side, we do have a dock line available.   Captain Ken calls to me to get a fender over to starboard (yep...sailing lingo) and I rush to prove myself, the goal is to put the fender between dock and boat.  I am carrying the fender as I rush to cross the boat but now I cannot see directly in front of me and...I step into thin air!  I have just run into an open hatch and down I go...first: my knee gets whammed into the side of the hatch; then above my knee skin gets removed; then my rear end gets walloped and finally my back is bruised and I am in the hatch up to my arms which have prevented me from disappearing below.

 Meanwhile Ken hasn't noticed as he is at the helm, managing fenders and somehow keeping us from harm., he is like a one man band and extremely focused.  Darryl races over and asks if I am OK...I can only imagine what he is thinking...but I tell him I am fine using my best - this is what I intended to do- voice.  Just checking this hatch out...yep seems pretty tough and comfortable too!  I climb out feeling like the absolute klutz that I am, blood on my leg, already swelling, turning black and blue and sore.  I manage to throw a dock line to a helper on the shore but then....another boat appears and says "hey that's our spot"  so after all that we pull out and have to deal with yet another boat coming in to the fuel dock....they kindly pull back when we tell them we are next in line.  Everything else goes smoothly thanks to marina staff and our friend Clive.  Ken manages expertly and me....well at least I look tough with black and blue and blood all over!

We get to our slip at the marina and tie up.  Back to work on the boat.  Oh yes, this is the life!