August 21-22                                       Caraquet, New Brunswick, Canada

We were at the Centre naval du Nouveau Brunswick before 8:30 AM. Dock help was waiting for us.  We quickly were placed in the slings for haul out and moved to the adjacent dock.  In a short time, the prop people arrived to survey the damage.  We were distressed to learn the shafts, both props, and the port stabilizer unit was damaged.  The anterior and posterior hull had damage and water was coming through a small opening in the bow.  We were immediately impressed with the skill and knowledge of the people who were trying to help us. 

Fiberglass people were on site and began to work within a few hours.  The shaft and props were removed and taken to a repair facility.  The boat, held aground with blocks under the keel and securing units, was a pathetic sight.  When the yard help learned we wanted to board the boat, they mounted a large metal ladder to the deck so we could safely and easily come abroard.  We had decided to stay on the boat rather than go to a motel.  Electricity was provided and we had plenty of water.  The shipyard agreed to let us stay on the boat (highly unlikely in the U.S. due to OSHA and insurance limitations).  

David’s efforts to rent a car were unsuccessful.  One of the workmen insisted on leaving his very nice pickup for us to drive and we were given keys to the gates if we wanted to come in after the facility had closed.  We were again overwhelmed by the generosity of the people of this town.

As it seemed possible our return to Texas would be delayed, we decided to refill two prescriptions (one for each of us).  We were told this could only be done when approved by a doctor in New Brunswick.    An appointment with a doctor would be secured sometime in the next week.  As we were scheduled to leave within a few days, we were advised to go to the emergency room of the community hospital.  Using our loaned vehicle, we went to the hospital and were efficiently processed through admitting.  We were informed the cost would be $570 CD per person!  Hoping our insurance would cover some of this huge expense, we accepted the charge.  We saw a nurse practitioner who asked for our recent medical history and then wrote prescriptions for our medications.

No word about the shafts was received until after 5:00 PM on Friday.   They had been repaired and the crew would arrive at 7:00 AM to install them.  Although it would be Saturday, the shipyard crew would be present three hours later to take the boat from the dock back into the water.  We are hopeful no additional problems occur that further delays our journey.