Guests over the weekend. Took Red Ranger out into the Bay and bashed around a bit to be sure things are working. So far, so good. Rigging all stood up. Sails worked.

Since we're leaving soon, I can't start anything big, which is a good thing, too.

The mechanic finally checked our engine alignment. The shaft is bent.

We had put in the work order to check this months ago. Months. End of June.

Now. The last week, with feet to the fire, the yard finally checked the drip and found that there's whipping which means either engine alignment or bent shaft.

Disconnecting the coupling and rotating the shaft manually reveals (finally, today) that the shaft is bent.

A replacement takes a week to make.

The yard has put us way behind schedule for getting to the Whitby Rendezvous. We probably won't have our boat there, because it's unlikely that they'll have a new shaft installed (and tested) in time.

We may have to pay for a second haul-out, also.

I don't mind paying for the shaft. I do mind paying for a second haul-out. And I mind the immense delay before sending a mechanic down to the boat to actually look at the problem.

We're starting the farewell process: Baloo, Motu, Monday Morning, Sapphire, Tilt, Liquid Therapy. We'll miss them all. And we'll meet new people, too.