Moving Day
It’s been over three months since OceanFlyer was
scheduled to be placed aboard a vessel in Port Everglades and shipped to Victoria;
the time has now finally come. After many promised ships and shipping dates
from YachtPath that never happened, today is the day.
With the help of Steve Fithian of HMY yachts, the seller’s broker in Florida, I have arranged for a captain to help move the boat. I did this to have someone on board who has done the loading operation before and also to have someone with local knowledge of the waters.
In hindsight, I could have done it solo, but I would have not done it any other way. For a small fee there was no stress, no fuss and no problems.
Captain Oscar and I had agreed to meet at the dock at 8am for a planned arrival at the M/V Palembang by 9 am. It did not take long for two experienced mariners to greet one another and have all the systems up and running, cast off the lines and get underway.
It was a beautiful morning, scattered clouds and a fresh breeze from the ocean.
As Captain Oscar motored east through the Dania Cut, I stowed all the lines and set the fenders on the starboard side. Having just done this same trip the evening before on the Grand Banks 49 motor yacht Lady Jane, I knew the drill.
The latest version of the schedule called for use to deliver OceanFlyer at 9am and tie alongside the Palembang where she would sit until 10:30am, the new. revised and the fourth time loading time.
As we approached the Palembang I spotted Lady Jane on the dock and the open supports waiting for my boat. I found it interesting that the cradle for my boat was on top of a cargo container, not directly on the deck.
Lady Jane under the blue arrow and the red arrow points to where OceanFlyer will go.
As I caught the first line (a really big 4 inch strap) I was struck by another strap that was attached to the large cradle strap at the end of the inboard 450 ton crane.
It seems the plan was changing before my eyes. As I secured a strap to the aft of OceanFlyer, they had the lifting strap working its way under the bow.
There were three or four crew members scurrying on deck; the diver was in the water, and they were embracing OceanFlyer with the two large lifting straps.
Captain Oscar and I left left OceanFlyer and boarded the launch. No sooner than I boarded the launch, they were making the final attachments.
The diver and the deck hand position the lifting straps.
As we backed away, I could see air under the hull of OceanFlyer. The crew of the launch maneuvered to give me a good view of the lift for pictures.
OceanFlyer gets some "air".
Despite the 10 degree bow down attitude (the forward strap was definitely aft of the lifting position I had indicated on the cap rail) OceanFlyer lifted into the air with ease. Maybe her name is well suited.
Nose down attitude gives me pause.
WOW. This is not a view of your boat you get very often.
OceanFlyer about to be secured into her cradle.
A couple of minutes over to the docks in front of the Hilton and then a ten minute cab ride back to Harbor Towne Marina to retrieve my rental car and it was all over.
Our ride back to the docks.
Now off to the airport and home to Pennsylvania.