The Train

Posted By: Dave- MS Gulf Coast
Date: 1/9/00 8:00p.m.

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Friends and sailors, This is the story of the first voyage my wife and I took aboard the Shady Lady, our recently purchased MacGregor 25. We bought the boat with an old outboard and acquired a good used one the week after the previous owner and I brought the boat to our home dock. A 10 year old Mariner 4 HP. The dealer I got the motor from assured me all was well and the little darling ran great in the tank and was in excellent physical shape. Looks aren't everything. We got the motor on a Monday and I had the following day off. That Tuesday turned out to be a beautiful day. Bright, clear, 65 degrees and a South wind at about 8 to 10 knots. Perfect December weather on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. I spent the day working on the boat, doing all the little odds and ends things that I wanted to do and still be ready for an afternoon sail when Penny (my wife) got off work at 2:30. When she got to the dock we wasted no time in casting off and motoring out of the bay and into the MS Sound. On the way out (and in) we have to negotiate two bridges, a highway bridge on the north and a railroad bridge on the south. The new little motor ran perfectly and had the Shady Lady at about 5 knots the whole way out. Once out in the open sound we hoisted sail and spent 2 fantastic hours sailing around going no where in particular and having a great time. Sadly it was soon time to turn for home. The little darling cranked on the first pull, the sails came down without a hitch and we called the railroad- bridge tender on the VHF to open the span for our transit into the bay. About 30 yards from the entrance to the bridge passage the engine revved up and quit pulling, running great but no power. I threw the shifter into Neutral and back to Forward with no effect and THE SHIFT LEVER CAME OFF IN MY HAND AND WENT OVERBOARD. At this point the wind was SSE and blowing about 10-12 knots with seas of about 1 ft. In less than 30 seconds this pushed us clear of the bridge opening and into the side of the concrete bridge itself. The deck of the bridge is about 20 ft off the water, about 15 to 18 off the deck of my boat. As soon as we came up against the side of the bridge the Starboard shrouds and the backstay began rubbing against the bridge with the spreader beating itself to death against the side of the bridge deck. The First Mate went to the bow to do her best to keep the hull off the huge concrete piling looming up and I took another look at the engine. The shift lever was gone, along with the shaft about 3/4 of an inch up inside the housing. There was no hope at all of getting the little darling back in gear. (There is a way I learned later) After a QUICK consultation with my 1st Mate, we determined that we were, in the words of Mr. Hemmingway, "Well and truly screwed." The dreaded previous owner, in a fit of laziness, had mounted the VHF antenna to the deck beside the mast instead of on top of the mast. The bridge tender offered to relay since we were unable to raise the Coast Guard station on our own. With his help we got the Coast Guard on the way. The Coast Guard estimated about 45 minutes till they were on scene and told us to hang on as best we could. Good advice since by this time the Starboard spreader had given up the fight, (along with the topping lift) and the mast and backstay were beating the hell out of the bridge deck. Thatās when the train came roaring thru..· You have not lived until you have had a four- engine freight train over a mile long thundering 15 feet overhead at 35 MPH. By holding the mast in one hand and pulling as hard as possible on the port shrouds with the other I managed to put enough bend in the mast to keep the tip away from the train most of the time· The top of the mast only banged into the side of 2 boxcars. I had visions of some projection on one of the cars grabbing the remaining rigging and snatching the whole thing, mast and all, off the boat. Have I mentioned that all of this was taking place in the dark? After about a half-hour of the mast and backstay taking the brunt of the load the backstay joined the spreader in retirement and let the mast carry on alone. This turned out to be a slight improvement, whereas we had been broached to the wind and sea, now we were bow on and I could put the rudder down and at least steer into the wind and keep the boat from flipping around and destroying the port rigging also. (As it tried to do). The Coast Guard, God Bless Them ALL, arrived shortly afterward and took us in tow. About 100 yards away from the bridge, the forestay turnbuckle joined the rest of the rigging and dropped the mast down on the stern rail, missing my head by about a foot and scaring the hell (again) out of the 1st mate who had retired to the companionway door. We arrived at a safe harbor after a bouncing 45 minute tow. After all was said and done, the Shady Lady only sustained minor damage; standing rigging, one spreader and the wounded pride of her crew. A close inspection of the Mariner the next morning at the dealer revealed that the shaft on the shifter had been cracked for some time. The vibration had caused the trans to jump into neutral, when I tried to put it back in gear there was not enough left to hold it together and the handle came off. Yes, gentlemen, I had shifted it REPEATEDLY in the tank before the purchase. I'm re-rigging this weekend and will be sailing next week. Improvements include a relocated VHF antenna, adjustable topping lift, boom vang, and new standing and running rigging. The most important thing to me in the whole experience is the newfound respect I have found for my wife. She held up well under pressure and was beside me ALL the way. No complaints, no tears and no yelling or screaming even though she was frightened silly. She was beside me helping in every possible way. It was a not so gentle reminder of why I married her in the first place. (Sheās got 3 sisters and one is single·.) Am I the only MacGregor 25 owner who has been struck by a train while the boat is in the water? Dave Waller Mac 25 "Shady Lady" Pass Christian, MS January 5, 2000