Follow the plan. No shortcuts.

Well, we’re going to be here for a while…

It feels like we’ve been off the boat for an eternity but it’s actually only been one month since the lightning strike. July 16, 2023 will always be one we remember.

For weeks, we’ve had experts helping to evaluate the work needed just to get us back on the water. We’ve learned a lot too, mostly about the size of this job and the processes with insurance and the yard.

This week, the mast was un-stepped (taken off the boat) for inspection, and we got the quote back to get our 12V electrical system repaired, including new batteries, chargers, 12V appliances, electronics, wiring, lights, radios, etc. It’s a very long list. This is all in addition to the work to revive the engines and saildrives. But it’s not until our 12V system is up and the engines are working that we can even start testing everything else.

Seeing the boat without her mast feels wrong. After safely removing it from the boat, the crane operator placed it safely on sawhorses in the yard, where the electrician was ready to jump in to assess the damage to the electrical components. There will also be testing done to ensure the strength of the mast and standing rigging is still adequate. At the very least, we’ll need to run new wiring before securing it back on the boat.

The consensus from everyone we’ve interacted with has been to expect to have this insurance claim open for at least a year…

… because even things that seem okay during an initial inspection may not function properly for long.

We really didn’t know how this process would go with the insurance company but here’s what we know so far: Everything is based on our initial survey. Based on those recommendations, we’re bringing out the respective experts needed to do a deeper dive like the electricians, Yanmar technicians, crane operator, standing rigging inspectors, etc. Each of the experts provide us a quote for what they think the work will cost. We send that quote over to insurance and wait for it to be approved before actually doing the work.

It's basically a big game of logistics, ensuring the standing rigging team gives the electrician the time he needs to do his thing with the mast and the Yanmar techs are aware of the electrician’s progress on the 12V system.

Luckily, the people we’ve been working with have been great so far. While assessing all this damage is demoralizing to us, these are professionals who do it every single day. For example, we were one of three masts that this guy was un-stepping on Monday. I still held my breath every second it was hanging in the air.

Everyone seems to have a nonchalant confidence that all of these problems can be overcome. But, we’re still uneasy and new at this. As cliché as it sounds, “one day at a time” has been our mantra. So much is out of our control and beyond our capabilities.

Our surveyor is an absolute legend, and the best at one liners of sage advice. After the initial survey report, we’ve kept him close and informed because he will be back to do the sea trials with us once we’re up and running. After a bit of back and forth one day about improving our lightning protection on the boat while we’re hauled out, his final email simply read…

“Follow the plan. No shortcuts.”

We have a plan and we’re checking off the to-dos one by one, day by day.